Author: Kajoyan Gevork

GEORGIAN ALLEGED COUP PLOTTER ARRESTED AT ARMENIAN BORDER POINT
By Helena Bedwell

Georgian Daily

Feb 20 2012
Georgia

Georgian police said they have detained a suspect who is on the wanted
list for plotting to overthrow the government in 2008.

Valery Ghelbakhiani, a member of parliament and head of Badri
Patarkatsishvili’s presidential campaign, was charged with plotting
a coup and a “terrorist attack” on a government official, the
police said in a statement their website. He attempted to cross the
Armenian-Georgian border when he was apprehended, according to the
statement.

Christian Democrat leader Giorgi Targamadze condemned the arrest
and said at a news conference in Tbilisi today that Ghelbakhiani was
returning to Georgia to visit his ill mother in the hospital.

RUSSIAN CITIZENS CAN VOTE IN YEREVAN AND GYUMRI POLLING STATIONS

news.am
February 20, 2012 | 18:48

YEREVAN.- The citizens of the Russian Federation residing in Armenia
will have an opportunity to participate in presidential elections
scheduled for March 4.

Polling stations will function in Yerevan and Gyumri, the Russian
embassy reports.

BOOK TRACKS VIOLENCE AND LEGAL SUITS AGAINST REPORTERS AND THE MEDIA IN ARMENIA

hetq
17:02, February 20, 2012

A book by the Investigative Journalists tracking acts of violence
and intimidation against the media in Armenia was officially launched
today at the Ourbat Club in Yerevan.

Published with the assistance of the OSCE office in Yerevan, “Violence,
intimidation and legal cases against journalists and the media in
Armenia; 2010-2011”, is a bilingual (Armenian, English) expose that
tracks cases of violence against individual reporters and media outlets
and attempts to silence freedom of speech by suing the Fourth Estate
in the courts.

Lianna Sayadyan, a member of the Investigative Journalists NGO and
editor of the book, noted that the decriminalization of defamation
and insult, while a positive step, has had a negative impact on the
media during the period monitored.

Oliver McCoy, who heads the OSCE’s Democracy Development Department
in Yerevan, stated that teh book would serve as an invaluable resource
for tracking media related cases in the Armenian courts.

“It will serve as a good foundation to evaluate the challenges facing
the media and freedom of speech in Armenia and to formulate approaches
designed to improve the situation,” said McCoy.

SMUGGLED GOLD JEWELRY DISCOVERED AT ARMENIA’S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

news.am
February 20, 2012 | 17:03

YEREVAN. – The State Revenue Committee (SRC) officers at Armenia’s
Zvartnots International Airport inspected, on February 14, the luggage
of Armenian citizen Vahe Harutyunyan, who had arrived from Moscow
and had passed through the “Green Zone” of the Airport’s customs.

As a result of the inspection, the officers found ten undeclared
jewelry items made of white gold with precious stones in Harutyunyan’s
luggage. The items’ total weight was 125 grams and, in line with
preliminary estimations, their approximate worth was US$ 19 thousand.

Also, the SRC officers at Zvartnots International Airport inspected,
this time on February 16, the luggage of Indian citizen Jignesh Mehta,
who had arrived from Dubai and had passed through the “Green Zone”
of the Airport’s customs.

As a result of this inspection, the officers found nine undeclared
jewelry items made of white and yellow gold with precious stones in
Mehta’s luggage. The items’ total weight was 40.5 grams and their
approximate worth was $25 thousand, SRC informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

SRC has prevented five attempts of smuggling gold items, totaling
2.5 kilograms, into Armenia in 2011.

VARDAN AYVAZYAN SHOULD CREATE A PARTY
Naira Hayrumyan

Lragir.am
16:45:58 – 20/02/2012

Member of Parliament Vardan Ayvazyan is the most honest person among
his Republican colleagues. He does not hide the truth and says what
he thinks. For example, he likes that businessmen will not be allowed
to become MPs. Most likely, he won’t be allowed too since he decided
to run for majoritarian.

Ayvazyan, unlike his colleagues, does not hide that he is worried
for the interests for his business and that MPs just protect their
right in the parliament. He does not act against his conscience like
his colleagues who affirm they worry for the people but adopt laws
harming the people and helping themselves.

Vardan Ayvazyan says businessmen MPs are the authors of the 80% of
draft laws not noticing that the Constitution forbids businessmen
be elected to the parliament. Sincere he is and described cynical
by many, he says that the Republican Party decided to eliminate
businessmen from the party list, but they can be elected through the
one-mandate districts. “Cant’ you hinder it? So you call on rejecting
the majoritarian system”, says Ayvazyan.

Such sincerity should be evaluated. Businessmen perhaps should create
their party and legally defend their interests in the parliament. They
should elect Vardan Ayvazyan as Chairman, who knows how to defend
business interests. And then it turns out that a small class of
oligarchs, whose rights, too, of course, need to be protected,
usurped power through the party, declaring Republican values.

TIES WITH ANTI-IRANIAN FORCES BENEFICIAL BUT NOT SAFE FOR AZERBAIJAN
Marina Ananikyan

PanARMENIAN.Net
February 20, 2012 – 15:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – In case of escalation of tensions in the region
due to Iran’s nuclear program, Azerbaijan may address NATO to ensure
security at border with Iran, Azerbaijani military expert said.

As Jasur Sumerinli noted, request for NATO assistance “meets the
protocols ratified by Azerbaijan in the framework of the United
Nations, as well as documents of cooperation between Azerbaijan and
NATO,” SalamNews reports.

Apparently, NATO won’t protect Azeri borders due to mere “friendly
intentions.” Border security is likely to be implemented in exchange
for use of Azerbaijani territories as a springboard for attacking
Iran. Baku doesn’t seem to oppose it due to recent deterioration of
Azerbaijani-Iranian ties.

“Latest developments – current situation between official Baku and
Tehran, statements by embassies of Israel, U.S. and Great Britain
on security, spark a need to shift to enhanced cooperation between
Azerbaijan and international organizations aimed at ensuring border
security,” Sumerinli stated.

Close cooperation with anti-Iranian forces currently looks quite
beneficial for Azerbaijan whish may be used as a cover for launching
a war against Nagorno Karabakh and ceasing Iran’s northern region,
“Southern Azerbaijan”.

Back in 2010, according to several media outlets, U.S. and Israeli
armed forces were centered in Azerbaijani air force bases, ready to
launch an offensive on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Moreover, Israel
and the U.S. were said to have established an electronic surveillance
base in Azerbaijan to follow developments in Iran. Prior to this,
Azerbaijani parliament approved a new military doctrine allowing for
deployment of foreign military bases in the country’s territory.

However, earlier IRGC Deputy Commander Hossein Salami said that
Iranian armed forces will resort to retaliatory measures towards any
state from the territory of which military strike on Iran is launched.

According to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Iran needs only 9
minutes to destroy Israel. What about Azerbaijan?

TRY AGAIN: COUNCIL IN TURKEY URGES NEW TRIAL IN DINK CASE

Society | 21.02.12 | 12:23

A top Turkish official state body is saying a new trial should be held
to find the killer or killers of Armenian journalist Hrant Dink who
was assassinated in 2007 outside the newsroom of his Agos newspaper
in Istanbul.

The Turkish Presidency’s State Supervisory Council on Monday
recommended that top police and gendarmerie officials be prosecuted
due to their alleged negligence.

According to Hurriyet Daily News, the suggestion “amounts to a
non-binding call to the judiciary to restart the Dink murder trial
and places the suspected public servants next to the gunman.”

The Council also touched on the need to reform the secret services in
order to have the ability to prevent the murders of key personalities
or social unrest like the bloody incidents that took place in Sivas
in 1993 or in KahramanmaraÅ~_ in 1978, Hurriyet reports.

“Hrant Dink’s murder must be evaluated as a whole, starting from
when Dink was singled out as a target and threatened,” the 650-page
report said.

President Abdullah Gul ordered the Council to investigate the murder
because the Jan. 17 verdict against the perpetrators did not satisfy
public sensitivities.

CSTO CATEGORICALLY OPPOSES MILITARY ACTIONS AGAINST IRAN – SECRETARY GENERAL

news.am
February 21, 2012 | 14:11

YEREVAN.- The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
categorically opposes any military actions against Iran, CSTO
Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha said during the space bridge
Moscow-Astana-Minsk-Yerevan-Kiev-Chisinau on Tuesday.

“CSTO’s position is the following: there is no need to attack Iran not
to have a conflict. Otherwise, it will cause upheavals throughout the
region – political, economic, environmental problems and migration,
bringing forth into serious consequences,” Bordyuzha said adding
member-states’ leaders also expressed their position on the issue.

CSTO categorically opposes and will not accept the very thought
of possible attack. Anyhow, it held some preparation for possible
negative events, Bordyuzha said.

CHURCHES FORCED TO STOP FARSI WORSHIP IN TEHRAN, IRAN

Christian Post

Feb 20 2012

Ministry of Intelligence issues halt to services, which attracted
converts.

Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence has ordered the last two officially
registered churches holding Friday Farsi-language services in Tehran
to discontinue them.

Emmanuel Protestant Church and St. Peter’s Evangelical Church were
the last two official churches offering Farsi-language services on
Fridays in Tehran, according to Middle East Concern (MEC). Officials
issued the order on Feb. 10

Authorities had ordered the Central Church of Tehran to close
its Friday Farsi services in December 2009. The Central Church, an
Assemblies of God (AOG) congregation, had conducted multiple services
on Fridays.

Friday services in Tehran attracted the city’s converts to Christianity
as well as Muslims interested in Christianity, as Friday is most
Iranians’ day off during the week. Authorities told the churches they
can hold the services on Sunday, a working day when most Iranians
are not able to attend.

“This decision means that there are now no Farsi-language services
on Fridays in any officially registered church in Tehran,” an MEC
report issued this week stated.

Emmanuel and St. Peter’s are Presbyterian churches, and, along with
the Central Church, are among Tehran’s few registered churches. They
exist mainly to serve the Armenian and Assyrian communities. The three
churches’ Armenian- and Assyrian- language services are typically
held on Sundays.

POTENTIAL WAR WILL BE LAST ONE FOR AZERBAIJAN, NEXT IN TURN FOR ARMENIA – RUSSIAN ANALYST

news.am
February 20, 2012 | 12:18

YEREVAN. – During the international conference, which was held
last week in Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) capital, Stepanakert,
and devoted to the 20th anniversary of NKR’s declaration, the German
delegate had noted that those who imposed a blockade against Armenia
and Karabakh came to understand that the people of NKR and Armenia
seem to have adapted to the blockade and are able to develop under
such conditions, the ruling coalition’s Republican Party of Armenia
Parliamentary (RPA) Faction Secretary Gagik Melikyan said during a
press conference on Monday.

According to Melikyan, the German delegate had also highlighted that if
the people of Armenia and Karabakh were able to develop and live under
these conditions, a new format needs to be designed, and Azerbaijan
and Turkey must understand that the blockade process has failed.

As per Gagik Melikyan, the delegates from Greece and Germany, and some
delegates from Russia had delivered very impressive presentations
during the conference. Turkey was invited to the event, but it had
not sent any delegate.

RPA MP, however, informed that the presentation by the Russian
analyst Kolerov was not to his liking. The reason for this was that,
according to Melikyan, Kolerov had put himself in the place of Russian
authorities and attempted to dictate his view on all discussants.

Also, Kolerov had made a war prediction and noted that a potential war
would be the last one for Azerbaijan, but the next in turn for Armenia.