Author: Kajoyan Gevork

THE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER’S ASSESSMENT OF THE RA MINISTRY OF TERRITORIAL ADMINISTRATION ACTIVITIES IN 2011

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:02:07 – 30/03/2012

Shortcomings and problems identified

Although the Ministry of Territorial Administration (MTA) in order
to provide housing to n refugees expelled from Azerbaijan in 2011
presented financial application from the state budget for the total
of 4 billion AMD, this year the application was not confirmed as
in previous years, and one of the most serious issues of refugees,
i.e.the housing issue, has not been solved yet.

Conditions of refugees living especially in remote villages continues
to be difficult where the most part of persons deported from Azerbaijan
still live in to stay in especially difficult situation of the refugees
living in remote villages, where most of the persons deported from
Azerbaijan, still live in dilapidated buildings, rental apartments
or relatives.

Based on the corresponding information of the MTA State Migration
Agency the term of the conventional travelling document has not
been prolonged by the Visa and Passport Department of the RA Police
for those refugees towards whom the process of discontinuation or
invalidation of the status has been launched and the decision of the
authorized body is the stage of appeal, despite of the fact that this
guarantee is enshrined in the RA Law “On Refugees and Asylum”.

In the conventional travelling documents of refugees details of
the person are written in English only by the Visa and Passport
Department of the RA Police ignoring the RA law “On Language” and
the corresponding decision of the RA Government.

The provided donations were not sufficient for comprehensive
development of communities.

Heads of village communities often declined persons’ request for
necessary information reasoning the decline by non-payment of land
or other taxes; transparency and publicity of local self-government
bodies activities are violated, requirements for reception of citizens.

In spite of the administrative control that was carried out, various
violations of the RA legislation were found out in communities;
supervision performed by marz governor’s has not been satisfactorily
assessed by interviewed specialists and representatives of
non-governmental organizations.

Positive Developments

On January 13, 2011 the RA Government positively assessed the concept
on RA State Migration Regulation Policy, which defines 14 directions
of State Migration Regulation Policy and mechanisms to achieve the
identified goals.

On November 10, 2011 the RA Government approved the 2012-2013 Action
Plan for the implementation of the State Migration Regulation Policy.

The process of privatization of housing of the persons who were
deported from Azerbaijan from 1988-1992 and got Armenian citizenship
was ensured.

Karen Andreasyan,

Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia

The list of the identified positive developments, gaps and shortcomings
is not exhaustive.

The introduced Chapter (21) of the HRD Annual Report 2011 is available
in full at

The HRD Annual Report 2011 was developed based on the complaints
received by the Staff of the Human Rights Defender, legislation
analysis, trustworthy and non-disclaimed publications in press,
reports of the international and local organizations as well as
information received during the interviews with field specialists
and human rights defenders.

MOST BUILDINGS UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOT ACCESSIBLE TO THE DISABLED – OMBUDSMAN

Tert.am
30.03.12

The Human Rights Defender’s Office has published a new report on the
2011 developments in the urban development sector.

In the chapter identifying the shortcoming and problems observed at the
Ministry of Urban Developments last year, Ombudsman Karen Andreasyan
notes that most buildings under construction ensure no access for
individuals with disabilities. He also voices concern that different
organizations licensed by the Ministry issued different conclusions
on the emergency level of the same building.

The full text of the report is below.

Shortcomings and problems identified

The Ministry has not carried out a proper control over the assurance
of project documents’ compliance with the urban development norms.

Most of the buildings under construction are not accessible to
individuals with disabilities.

Proper supervision has not been carried out towards the community
leaders’ obligations to prevent and suspend arbitrary constructions,
and eliminate the consequences.

Different organizations licensed by the Ministry gave different
conclusions to citizens on the level of emergency of the same building.

There are profound complaints concerning the process of re-registration
in the lists providing special housing in the disaster zone areas.

The RA Law “About Control and Supervision of Urban Planning
Activities,” as well as a law “About Architecture” have not been
adopted.

Positive developments

A number of law drafts and by-laws were introduced to the RA Government
by the initiative of the Ministry, which aim at definition of the
joint requirements and standards and urban planning activities
carried out by RA communities in territories subject to specific
regulations, at optimizing the functions of construction documents
coordination, reductions of terms of their implementation, increasing
the effectiveness of fighting against arbitrary construction, reduction
of the terms of documentation procedures of exploitation of a completed
construction, etc.

LE RAPPORT ACCABLANT DE LA DCRI SUR LE MOUVEMENT NATIONALISTE TURC EN FRANCE
Ara

armenews.com
vendredi 30 mars 2012

Deux articles parus cette semaine simultanement dans Le Point et
dans Nouvelles d’Armenie Magazine font un etat d’un rapport de la
DCRI (Direction Centrale du Renseignement Interieur) etabli sur le
mouvement nationaliste turc en France et les risques qui y sont lies.

Le Point s’attarde en particulier sur la personnalite de Yusuf Ziya
Arpacik, qui etait present a la manifestation organisee le 21 janvier
a Paris, par la Fransa Turk Federasyon, qui ne serait selon ce rapport
que la ” couverture des Loups gris, organisation nationaliste parfois
violente “. Ce personnage, echappe deux fois de prison est presente
comme ayant deja ” organise des attentats contre les ennemis des
Turcs “. Il a ete garde du corps d’Alparsan Turkes, fondateur du MHP,
est alle se battre contre les Armeniens du Karabagh et contre les
Americains en Irak, du côte des Turkmènes.

Nouvelles d’Armenie Magazine consacre pour sa part 6 pages a ce
rapport et montre des photos de cet individu, attable peu après la
manifestation de janvier 2012 avec Tayfur et Fadime Erdugrul-Tastan,
adjointe au maire d’Herouville et qui serait membre des Loups gris
locaux. On la voit notamment arborer le signe de reconnaissance des
Loups gris, rue de l’Universite, près de l’Assemblee nationale.

Le rapport decortique en particulier les relations entre
les associations constitutives de ce mouvement nationaliste (
Turquienews.com, radio MIT, la federation des Turcs de France etc),
les organisations de l’extreme droite turque qui servent de relais
et le gouvernement turc qui les instrumentalise pour les besoins
de sa politique etrangère. Il relève notamment que le negationnisme
du genocide armenien constitue le socle ideologique identitaire de
cette nebuleuse.

Parmi les nombreuses autres revelations de ce document explosif, on
apprend en particulier que Pierre Nora, president de l’association ”
Liberte pour l’histoire ” et honorable academicien, ferait l’objet
d’une enquete visant a preciser la nature de ses relations avec
les milieux turcs. Le rapport note en particulier la familiarite de
son comportement avec le denomme Demir Onger, president du Centre
culturel Anatolie, ” vitrine presentable de la manifestation “. Enfin,
cette note signee par la DCRI estime que cette mouvance represente un
danger, et pas uniquement, ” pour nos concitoyens d’origine armenienne
“. A suivre.

TOP OFFICIAL: BAKU EXPECTS MUCH FROM RUSSIA IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

Trend
March 29 2012
Azerbaijan

The cooperation priorities for next years will be discussed during
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Azerbaijan. This
visit must be regarded as an important step in determining the issues
of mutual interest, Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Social
and Political Department Chief Ali Hasanov told media on Thursday.

“Russia and Azerbaijan have a wide range of issues which are mutually
discussed. The decisions are being made and implemented,” Hasanov
said. He added that Azerbaijan expects much from Russia in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

“There is no other country in the world, which would have stronger
influence to resolve this conflict. We make this statement, considering
the approach to regional issues, the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, and
existing pressure on Armenia. Russia’s influence on Armenia has no
analogues in the world. It can send this country in the desired
direction and direct it to constructivism in any issue. In this
sense, we expect much from Russia. Russia makes the initiatives,”
Hasanov noted.

“Putin and Medvedev have demonstrated efforts in this direction. We
think that these efforts will be continued in the future, and this
year we will observe serious progress,” Hasanov underscored.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will be on an official visit
to Azerbaijan on April 3 – 4.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

GOVT. DECISION LEADS TO COUNTERFEIT DRUGS IN ARMENIAN MARKET

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 29, 2012 – 12:17 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Medicine Producers and Importers Union (MPI Union)
of Armenia demands tightening of laws that regulate import and export
of drugs, head of the Union said.

As Samvel Zakaryan told a press conference on March 29, amendment to
the decision “On approval of import and export of drugs” passed by the
government back in March 2011, resulted in emergence of counterfeit
medicine such as Actovegin Forte 200 mg, Series 1069391 and 10677398,
Concor 5 mg, Series 135628 and Concor Cor 2,5 mg, Series 133703 by
Nycomed pharmaceutical company.

According to Mr. Zakaryan, government amendments enabled importers
to sell drugs without registration in relevant research center.

“We repeatedly addressed the authorities with a request to reconsider
the decision. This time, too, we have issued a letter both to the
government and security institutions to take steps aimed at withdrawal
of these drugs from circulation.

Head of the MPI Union, however, dismissed linkage of the problem to
market monopolization.

According to him, the problem, instead, is related to the fact that
the legislation doesn’t stipulate use of a differential mark on the
drug package that would enable the consumer to differentiate registered
medication from the unregistered one.

MISSING $10,000: WILL THE GUILTY COPS BE CRIMINALLY CHARGED?
Edik Baghdasaryan

hetq
16:41, March 28, 2012

After Hetq broke the story about the $10,000 that went missing after
being seized by Armenian police investigators from some Italian
swindlers, RA Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan instructed an internal
investigation of the matter.

Many top law enforcement officials knew about the missing money –
RA Deputy Police Chief Gagik Hambardzumyan, Artur Mehrabyan, Chief
of the Arabkir Police, and Artzrun Arakelyan, Chief Investigator at
the Arabkir Police Department.

Then there are the three investigators that had been assigned to the
case – Sergei Varantsovyan, Mikayel Mikayelyan and Paruyr Badalyan.

We also can’t leave out the presiding judge for the court session,
Armen Khachatryan, and Khachatur Baghdasaryan, the prosecuting
attorney.

Our police source told us that Gagik Hambardzumyan, who also heads the
Department of Investigations, got personally involved after the Hetq
article and requested that top cop Gasbaryan back an investigation
with the full weight of the police force.

All three investigators naturally denied taking any money and signed
affidavits to that effect in the presence of Artzrun Arakelyan.

Gagik Hambardzumyan also told Vladimir Gasbaryan that this was the
first such incident at the Arabkir Department of Investigations.

However, Gasbaryan had already been apprised about the missing money,
ordering that the internal examination proceed.

Hetq is still waiting for the outcome. In the meantime, we will sit
on the information in our possession.

It’s hard to predict whether criminal charges be brought against any
of the above officials.

Perhaps, the police are still looking for a convenient scapegoat.

PRESENTATION DES CANDIDATURES A LA COMMISSION ELECTORALE CENTRALE
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 29 mars 2012

Aujourd’hui, c’est la liste proportionnelle du parti Dachnak
qui retient l’attention de la presse. Elle est conduite par Vahan
Hovhannissian, suivi par le President de la Commission parlementaire
des AE, Armen Roustamian. Lors d’une conference de presse, ceux-ci
ont note que cette liste electorale permettrait au parti d’atteindre
ses objectifs visant a des changements institutionnels. Le slogan du
parti est : ” Liberte, justice, dachnaksoutioun “. Vahan Hovhannissian
n’a pas exclu que le parti puisse etre inclus au sein de la prochaine
coalition gouvernementale, bien que cette question n’ait pas fait
l’objet de discussion. Tout depend, selon lui, de la composition du
nouveau parlement et de l’equilibre des forces. Armen Roustamian,
quant a lui, a estime incomprehensible et inadmissible que le chef de
l’Etat dirige la liste du parti Republicain, se faisant ainsi candidat
a l’un des 131 sièges parlementaires. ” Le President est la tete de
l’Etat, alors qu’aujourd’hui il se met au niveau des autres candidats
“. Selon Aravot, depuis une semaine, les Dachnaks ont installe une
tente sur la place principale de Gumri exhortant les habitants a ne pas
” vendre ” leurs voix et a renoncer aux pots-de-vin. / Rapporte par
l’ensemble de la presse Selon Hayots Achkhar et Aravot, 10 ONG locales
sont accreditees auprès de la CEC pour observer le scrutin du 6 mai a
travers, au total, plus de 8000 observateurs. Par ailleurs, la mission
d’observateurs de l’APCE sera dirigee par la baronne de la Chambre
des Lords britannique, Emma Nicholson. La communaute ukrainienne
d’Armenie a fait part de son soutien au parti Republicain lors des
elections du 6 mai.

UN AVOCAT MARSEILLAIS SAISIT LE CONSEIL D’ETAT
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
jeudi 29 mars 2012

Loi contre la negation du Genocide des Armeniens

Depuis une dizaine d’annees, plusieurs parlementaires marseillais
ont tente de penaliser le negationnisme du genocide armenien. Des
demarches qui n’ont pas abouti.

Moins d’un mois après son rejet par le Conseil constitutionnel, la
loi visant a penaliser le negationnisme du genocide armenien provoque
toujours une intense agitation. C’est ainsi que, convaincu de la
vacuite des promesses formulees depuis par les principaux candidats
a l’election presidentielle, un avocat marseillais multiplie les
recours juridiques : inspirateur du texte presente en fin d’annee
dernière a l’Assemblee nationale par la deputee UMP Valerie Boyer,
Philippe Krikorian vient de saisir le Conseil d’Etat et prepare une
action devant la Cour europeenne des droits de l’Homme.

LA LOI CONTRE LE NEGATIONNISME DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN AU MEMORIAL DE LA SHOAH
Ara

armenews.com
jeudi 29 mars 2012

Le genocide des Armeniens

Le 29 janvier 2001, la France reconnaît publiquement le genocide
armenien de 1915. En janvier 2012, le parlement francais vote une loi
sanctionnant la negation ou minimisation outrancière des genocides
reconnus par la France. Le principe de cette loi a ete conteste par
des historiens et des juristes. Des historiens specialistes du genocide
des Armeniens exposent leur point de vue sur la necessite de cette loi.

En presence d’Yves Ternon, docteur en histoire a l’universite Paris 4,
de Raymond Kevorkian, historien, enseignant a l’Institut francais de
geopolitique – universite Paris 8, et de Claire Mouradian, historienne,
directrice de recherche au CNRS et a l’EHESS.

Animee par Serge Klarsfeld, avocat et historien.

EUROPA RACE : DEUXIEME EDITION ANNULEE
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 29 mars 2012

La deuxième edition de l’Europa Race, qui devait se disputer du 5 mai
au 9 juin entre Istanbul et La Rochelle, n’aura finalement pas lieu.

Seuls huit concurrents s’etaient inscrits. Un chiffre insuffisant
pour assurer le maintien de la course. Deja annulee une première fois
a la suite du vote par le Parlement francais de la loi penalisant le
genocide armenien, l’Europa Race avait pourtant ete retablie après que
le Conseil constitutionnel avait retoque la loi. L’epreuve, remportee
par Michel Desjoyeux en 2009, devait alignee la meme categorie de
bateaux que ceux participant au Vendee Globe.

Dans un communique, l’organisateur turc a explique son choix : ”
Le temps perdu a cause du problème politique entre la France et la
Turquie n’a pas pu etre rattrape. Par ailleurs, avec de tels budgets
engages, les partenaires de la course doivent consulter leurs comites
de direction afin d’approuver les nouveaux changements de parcours
et le nombre de bateaux diminue de dix a sept bateaux. De plus,
les villes-etapes ne peuvent pas soutenir suffisamment la course par
manque de budget a cause de la crise economique. En raison du manque
de temps et du timing necessaire des flux financiers, nous ne pouvons
plus attendre leurs decisions finales. Je dois malheureusement vous
annoncer que l’edition 2012 de l’Europa Race n’aura pas lieu “.

Rendez-vous est donc pris pour 2013.