Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Trend, Azerbaijan
June 16 2011

International Crisis Group: Great hopes for Azerbaijani,Russian and
Armenian presidents in Kazan
16.06.2011 15:34
Azerbaijan, Baku, June 16 / Trend E. Tariverdiyeva /

It is difficult to predict whether there will be any progress at the
meeting in Kazan, but there are great hopes, International Crisis
Group official Sabina Fraser said in an interview with Zhamanak
newspaper.

“This is also connected with the fears that if no agreement is
reached, the question arises
whether this process will continue,” she said. “Armenia and Azerbaijan
will have elections

soon. The electoral processes are also planned to be held in the
mediating-countries. If theparties fail to agree this year, it will be
difficult to compromise in 2012-2013.”

The Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian presidents’ meeting in Kazan is
scheduled for late June.

This will be the ninth tripartite meeting between the presidents of
Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia.

Earlier, the parties signed a declaration envisaging the return of
POWs. It is of humanitarian nature.

She said the last statement of the Minsk Group’s co-chairing countries
was much more clear, specific and powerful. The statement clearly
stated the expectation of the presidents for the parties to agree on
basic principles in the nearest future, perhaps, during a meeting in
Kazan.

“It is also stressed that if consensus is reached, all three countries
will observe theimplementation of these principles by providing
financial and other assistance,” she added.

“If the parties fail to agree and one of them uses force, it will be
perceived by co-chairingcountries, as a negative step. It will not be
perceived as a way of solving the problems.”

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent 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 the peace negotiations.

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

news.am, Armenia
June 16 2011

Kazan meeting to mark end of current stage of Karabakh talks – Democratic party

June 16, 2011 | 14:49

YEREVAN.- The Kazan meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani
Presidents will mark the end of current stage of Karabakh talks, said
head of Armenia’s Democratic Party Aram Sargsyan.

It will be senseless to continue the talks unless the sides reach
agreement, he told journalists on Thursday. The politician is
confident that the presidents will not reach consensus as the sides
have diametrically opposite positions on Karabakh conflict settlement.

Sargsyan considers political solution to the conflict is impossible.
It must be solved legally first, therefore Yerevan should recognize
independence of Nagorno-Karabakh.

As regards bellicose statements voiced by Baku, the leader of
Democratic Party says it is just blackmail as Aliyev clan will hardly
risk losing wealth by unleashing an unpredictable war.

`Aliyev chose other strategy: he unleashed a cold war,’ said Sargsyan.

news.am, Armenia
June 16 2011

Armenian PM met Armenian businessmen in London

June 15, 2011 | 21:49

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s PM Tigran Sargsyan on a working visit to United
Kingdom on Wednesday, met Armenian businessmen in London, government’s
press service informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In the meeting Sargsyan talked about Armenia’s business environment,
investment opportunities and regional issues.

`We face serious challenges now concerning Armenia and the Armenian
nation. I believe we can think of joint projects to implement,’ said
Armenia’s PM.

He also gave an interview to BBC. In the Buckingham palace Sargsyan
will participate in fund raising event initiated by the Prince Charles
and Armenia’s former PM Armen Sargsyan. Money will be directed to the
implementation of two projects, `Yerevan my love’ in Armenia and the
preservation project of the Dumfries castle in the south-west
Scotland.

news.am, Armenia
June 16 2011

Armenian GM Sergey Movsesian strongest player of Slovakia

June 16, 2011 | 01:24

The third match between Czech grandmaster David Navara and Armenian GM
Sergey Movsesian ended in draw (1,5:1,5) in chess festival Cez Chess
Trophy 2011.

This year Movsesian represents the Armenian national team, but he is a
citizen of Slovakia and is considered the strongest chess player in
the country.

World champion Wiswanathan Anand and the 12th World Champion Anatoly
Karpov also arrived in Prague. Anand will give lectures, while Karpov
will open a chess school in Czech Republic’s capital.

Prosecutor demands up to 27 years in jail for Hrant Dink’s hitman

June 17, 2011 – 18:52 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A prosecutor on Friday, June 17 demanded up to 27
years in jail for Ogun Samast, the hitman in the murder of
Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, on charges of premeditated
murder and holding an unlicensed gun.

Istanbul Public Prosecutor Ali Demir announced his opinion as to the
accusations directed at Samast during Friday’s hearing at the Istanbul
2nd Juvenile Court, where the defendant is standing trial. He asked
the court to keep Samast behind bars from 19 up to 27 years.

Dink was killed in broad daylight outside his newspaper’s offices on
Jan. 19, 2007 by Samast, who was a minor at the time of the murder.
The ensuing investigation and trial exposed the hitman’s questionable
links to various individuals tied to the Istanbul police and Trabzon
Gendarmerie Command. Despite significant evidence pointing to the
involvement of various officers in organizing the plot to kill Dink,
the identity of the masterminds of his assassination remains elusive.
Lawyers representing the Dink family have long alleged that the murder
was the doing of Ergenekon, a clandestine group charged with plotting
to overthrow the government, Today’s Zaman reported.

Armenian Culture Ministry fails to respond to UNESCO’s `civilized vandalism’

June 17, 2011 – 17:23 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian Ministry of Culture sent no official note
to UNESCO to protest removal of sings indicating original location of
khachkars, the photos of which were featured at Khachkar Craftsmanship
exhibit in UNESCO headquarters.

As the head of PR department at Armenian Ministry of Culture Nelly
Durgaryan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, the incident outraged
Armenian community of France as well as the French public, yet
Armenian side has so far issued no statement to UNESCO on the
incident.

On June 15, a photo exhibition titled Khachkar Craftsmanship opened in
Paris in the framework of scientific conferences organized by the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO). On the opening day of the exhibition hosting the Armenian
Deputy Minister of Culture and Armenian Ambassador in France Vigen
Tchitetchian, the guests faced an unpleasant surprise. The attendees
were embarrassed to see that the quotations indicating the place of
origin of each Khachkar (cross-stone), had been removed without any
clarification on the part of organizers of the event. Only dates were
indicated under the photos. Armenian organizations of France and
Switzerland vigorously protested against attempts to deny the cultural
heritage of Armenia.

Hay Dat French Bureau expressed outrage over the unpleasant occurrence
at Paris-hosted Khachkar Craftsmanship exhibit, where the signs
describing original location of khachkars were removed.

As Hay Dat stressed in its statement, the `civilized vandalism’ of
UNECSO, inconsistent with the Organisation’s mission, arose strong
protest in France’s Armenian community. As the statement said, such
attitude will be responded by the community accordingly. `The incident
proves the involvement of Azerbaijan and Turkey. By yielding to
political pressure, UNESCO stained its good name,’ the statement
stressed.

On Nov 17, 2010, UNESCO decided to inscribe Armenian Cross-Stones Art,
symbolism and Craftsmanship of Khachkars on the Representative List of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Taking into
consideration the fact that Khachkar is the acting tradition for all
Armenians, its inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage provides grounds for maintenance and
transition of knowledge, rituals, traditions and craftsmanship
connected with Khachkars to next generations.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan attempted to protest the decision and claimed
that Kachkars `are not Armenian.’

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email. [email protected]
Internet

PRESS RELEASE
June 16, 2011

Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian (ANCA)
[email protected] / (202) 775-1918

ANCA ASKS ARMENIAN AMERICANS TO PROTEST NEW SUDANESE GOVERNMENT ATTACKS ON
CIVILIANS

— Action Alert Reinforces Call by Congressman Wolf for President
Obama to Send Colin Powell to Sudan to Stop Renewed Violence
against Darfur and South Kordofan

WASHINGTON, DC – Armenian Americans are joining with human rights
advocates and genocide-prevention activists from across America in
calling for decisive U.S. action to stop the Sudanese government of
indicted war criminal Omar al-Bashir from continuing its brutal
onslaught against civilians in Darfur and South Kordofan, reported
the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Community activists nationwide are raising this urgent crisis with
their local legislators, person-to-person, through phone calls, and
via on-line advocacy, including through an ANCA action alert that
sends pre-drafted WebMail messages to Members of Congress from the
ANCA website:

The ANCA action alert stresses that Armenian Americans, as citizens
with a direct connection to the Armenian Genocide and an enduring
commitment to ending forever the cycle of genocide, bear a special
responsibility to prevent atrocities all over the world. The
Webmail letter echoes an earlier call by U.S. Representative Frank
Wolf (R-VA) upon President Obama to send former Secretary of State
Powell to Khartoum to personally impress upon Sudanese President
Omar al Bashir that he must immediately call off his military’s
onslaught in Darfur, Abyei, and the South Kordofan region of
central Sudan. It also outlined a number of additional steps that
the Administration should take, including:

— Strengthened United Nations economic, political, and diplomatic
sanctions targeting Khartoum – with specific benchmarks, hard
deadlines, and concrete consequences.

— Concerted efforts, in coordination with the United Nations, to
ensure that humanitarian provisions – most urgently water, food,
and medical supplies – are able to reach at-risk populations,
including the establishment of a no-fly zone over South Kordafan.

— Expanded support for the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) in South
Kordafan and the African Union/UN Hybrid Operation (UNAMID) in
Darfur.

The letter ends with a general call for a “clear and direct signal
to Khartoum” that the United States will not reward the Sudanese
regime, move toward normalization of relations with its government,
or allow it to conduct business-as-usual with the international
community as long as its leaders continue to defy international
justice, and are committing war crimes and atrocities against
innocent civilians in Darfur, Abyei, and South Kardofan.

Below are links to additional on-line information, and the full
text of the ANCA WebMail:

The Armenian Weekly
Fear Pervades Nuba Mountains that Sudan Government Intent on
Genocide
By: Samuel Totten, June 11, 2011

mountains/

The New York Times
Fighting Takes Ominous Turn in Central Sudan
By Jeffrey Gettleman, June 15, 2011

f=world

Wolf Urges President To Send Colin Powell To Sudan To Salvage Peace
Agreement
June 9, 2011

Genocide Intervention Network
Help Prevent Violence in South Kordofan

south_kordofan

#####

====================================
TEXT OF LETTER TO CONGRESS
====================================

Dear Representative/Senator:

I am writing to ask you to support the principled call upon
President Obama by your Congressional colleague, Representative
Frank Wolf, to send former Secretary of State Powell to Khartoum to
personally impress upon Sudanese President Omar al Bashir that he
must immediately call off his military’s onslaught in Darfur,
Abyei, and the South Kordofan region of central Sudan.

In addition to this urgent step, I would encourage you to work with
your fellow legislators and the Administration to support
strengthened United Nations economic, political, and diplomatic
sanctions targeting Khartoum – with specific benchmarks, hard
deadlines, and concrete consequences. In order to avert the
worsening of the humanitarian disaster already under way, please
urge the White House to undertake all necessary actions in
coordination with the UN – including the establishment of a no-fly
zone over South Kordafan – to ensure that humanitarian provisions –
most urgently water, food, and medical supplies – are able to reach
at-risk populations. The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) in South
Kordafan should be immediately expanded and, in light of the
ongoing crisis in Darfur, additional support should be extended to
the African Union/UN Hybrid Operation (UNAMID).

We need to send a clear and direct signal to Khartoum. We will not
reward its regime, move toward normalization of relations with its
government, or allow it to conduct business-as-usual with the
international community as long as its leaders continue to defy
international justice, and are committing war crimes and atrocities
against innocent civilians in Darfur, Abyei, and South Kardofan.

As an American devoted to tolerance, peace, and an end to the cycle
of genocide, I urge you to take urgent action to prevent further
killing in South Kordofan.

Sincerely,

#####

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Canada
615 Stuart Avenue, Outremont-Quebec H2V 3H2
Contact: Deacon Hagop Arslanian,
Tel: 514-276-9479
Fax: 514-276-9960
Email: [email protected]
Web:

Primate Galstanian visits Ottawa
June 16, 2011 By pressoffice

His Eminence Bagrat Galstanian, Primate of the Armenian Church Canadian
Diocese visited Ottawa on Friday June 10, 2011 to attend the National Day
celebration of the Russian Federation.
Bishop Galstanian met with His Excellency Georgiy Mamedov, Ambassador of
the Russian Federation to Canada. His Eminence had the opportunity to
congratulate Ambassador Mamedov and the dignitaries present. Srpazan
conveyed the greetings of the Armenian Holy Church Diocese and the
faithful in Canada and extended respects to the people and government of
the Russian Federation, wishing all the best and continued success with
all their endeavors. The Russian Federation declared June 12 as its
National Day and has observed the date since 1992. The First Congress of
People’s Deputies of the Russian Federation adopted the Declaration of
State Sovereignty of the Russian Federation.

Also on this visit, Primate Galstanian met with the Hon. John Baird,
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada. Srpazan congratulated Minister
Baird upon his re-election to the House of Commons of Canada and his new
appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Bishop Bagrat extended his
greetings and wishes for future opportunities to meet and conveyed the
respects of the Canadian Armenian community.
Accompanying the Primate were Reverend Father Myron Sarkissian, Deacon
Ivan Gyadayan and the Director of the Governmental Relations Office Dn.
Hagop Arslanian.Filed Under: NEWS

40 CASES OF SNAKEBITE INJURIES ANNUALLY REPORTED IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 17, 2011 – 16:49 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Over January-June 2011, 12 people were injured
from snake bites, one died against 14 injured last year, according
to leading toxicologist of Armenia Mikael Gabrielyan

As the expert told a news conference in Yerevan, 6 out of 12 incidents
described occurred in the towns of Sisian and Goris (Syunik province).

Annually, 30-40 cases of injuries from snakebites are reported
in Armenia.

By way of a first aid in case of a snakebite the expert recommended to
suck the venom out by mouth and spit it out. It’s further important
to immobilize the bitten area until medical aid arrives. The expert
stressed the importance of correct medical assistance, noting that
special serums to neutralize a snakebite are available in Armenia.

RAPPORT DE MISSION : “UN LIVRE N’EST PAS UNE BOMBE !”

Source/Lien : Reporters Sans Frontieres

Publie le : 17-06-2011

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
propose cette information publiee sur le site des Reporters Sans
Frontières le 16 juin 2011.

Au lendemain d’elections legislatives importantes, Reporters sans
frontières en appelle aux autorites turques pour qu’elles fassent
la preuve de l’attachement a la liberte de la presse qu’elles ont
revendique lors de la campagne electorale.

Alors que le sujet n’a jamais ete autant souleve dans l’agenda
politique, l’organisation publie aujourd’hui un rapport d’enquete
intitule ” Medias et justice en Turquie : entre mefiance et reflexes
securitaires “. Fruit des recents deplacements de l’organisation a
Istanbul et du travail accompli depuis lors, ce document rend compte
du harcèlement judiciaire dont sont victimes les professionnels des
medias turcs.

Malgre d’importants progrès dans le domaine de la liberte d’expression,
il reste bien trop facile d’arreter et de condamner des journalistes
qui n’ont fait que leur metier ou exprime une opinion.

Saisir leurs documents, remonter a leurs sources, est monnaie
courante en Turquie. Les principes journalistiques sont encore
trop peu garantis par la loi, alors qu’un lourd arsenal legislatif
continue de tracer de strictes lignes rouges. Lorsqu’elles existent,
ces maigres protections legales sont trop souvent balayees par
une pratique judiciaire securitaire et paranoïaque. En outre, ces
derniers mois, les journalistes se sont retrouves otages de l’intense
polarisation politique prevalant dans le pays, et sont devenus des
victimes collaterales de la lutte feroce pour le pouvoir au sein de
l’appareil d’Etat.

” Samedi, cela fera cent jours que les journalistes d’investigation
Ahmet Sik et Nedim Sener sont derrière les barreaux. D’importants
rassemblements s’organisent, temoignant que la liberte de la presse
n’etait pas seulement un thème de campagne. Par sa mobilisation sans
precedent, la societe civile a montre que ses attentes dans ce domaine
etaient reelles et importantes. Elles appellent des reponses immediates
“, a declare l’organisation.

” Les autorites ont ete jugees politiquement responsables du
harcèlement judiciaire subi par les journalistes. À l’heure où elles
revendiquent pour la Turquie un rôle de modèle democratique regional,
cela ne peut que leur porter prejudice. Elles ont donc tout interet
a nouer un dialogue franc et ouvert a ce sujet avec les journalistes
et ses partenaires internationaux. ”

Lors d’une conference de presse tenue a Istanbul le 19 avril 2011,
le secretaire-general de l’organisation, Jean-Francois Julliard,
avait identifie un certain nombre de ” lignes rouges “, sources de
poursuites pour les journalistes qui les franchissent.

Malheureusement, ce constat n’a rien perdu de son actualite, comme
l’illustrent abondamment des exemples tires des seules deux dernières
semaines :

Le tabou qui a longtemps pese sur l’armee s’est allege, mais
l’institution judiciaire et la police restent intouchables pour les
journalistes. Interdit d’autant plus redoutable que celles-ci sont a
la fois juges et parties. La couverture des affaires judiciaires est
donc le premier motif des poursuites intentees aux journalistes, sur le
fondement des articles 285 (violation du secret de l’enquete) et 288
(tentative d’influencer le resultat d’un procès) du code penal. Le
2 juin encore, les journalistes Nedim Sener, Hasan Cakkalkurt (de
Milliyet) et Aysegul Usta (de Hurriyet) comparaissaient devant la
2e chambre du Tribunal correctionnel de Bakirkoy (Istanbul) pour
” violation du secret de l’enquete “. Pour Nedim Sener, incarcere
depuis le 3 mars 2011 dans le cadre de l’affaire d’Etat ” Ergenekon
“, il s’agit de la neuvième enquete en cours.

La critique du chef du gouvernement Recep Tayyip Erdogan est de
moins en moins toleree, comme en temoigne le procès d’Ahmet Altan,
directeur des publications du quotidien Taraf, qui a debute le 9
juin 2011. Le journaliste risque deux ans et huit mois de prison pour
” offense a la personne du Premier ministre “. Dans deux chroniques
parues en janvier, il avait critique la decision de M. Erdogan de faire
detruire une statue inachevee qui devait symboliser le rapprochement
entre la Turquie et l’Armenie, et l’avait qualifie de ” personnalite
sans profondeur “.

Mais la question kurde reste la plus difficile a aborder, du fait
de l’obsession securitaire d’une justice s’appuyant sur une Loi
antiterroriste retrograde et des articles du code penal liberticides.

Le 13 juin, le seul quotidien national en langue kurde, Azadiya Welat,
a de nouveau ete suspendu pour quinze jours. Cette mesure, imposee
pour la neuvième fois au journal, a ete assortie de la confiscation
de tous les exemplaires de la veille, accuses de contenir de la ”
propagande pour une organisation terroriste “. C’est pour ce meme chef
d’inculpation que l’ancien redacteur en chef d’Azadiya Welat, Vedat
Kursun, a ete condamne en appel a dix ans et six mois de prison, le 9
juin. Initialement condamne a cent soixante-six ans d’emprisonnement,
le journaliste est incarcere a Diyarbakir (Sud-est) depuis près de
deux ans et demi.

Le 7 juin, le journaliste de Batman Gazetesi Ercan Atay a ete condamne
a trente-sept jours de prison pour avoir cite dans un article la
declaration d’un representant du PKK. La qualification de ce travail
d’information d'” apologie d’un criminel ” par la cour fait echo a
de nombreux cas relates dans le rapport de Reporters sans frontières.

L’organisation demande aux institutions judiciaires de considerer
sans delai les listes de journalistes emprisonnes compilees par
la plate-forme ” Liberte aux Journalistes ” (GOP) et l’OSCE, et
de liberer immediatement et sans condition tous ceux qui ne sont
emprisonnes qu’en raison de leur activite professionnelle. Reporters
sans frontières a pour l’instant identifie cinq detenus dans ce cas,
mais l’opacite de la justice rend les verifications difficiles et
leur nombre final est très certainement plus eleve.

La Loi antiterroriste et les articles liberticides du code penal
doivent imperativement etre supprimes ou revus en profondeur,
de manière a les rendre conformes aux conventions internationales
ratifiees par la Turquie et garantissant la liberte d’expression.

L’institution judiciaire doit changer d’approche vis-a-vis des medias,
cesser de confondre journalistes et terroristes, et laisser davantage
de place a l’autoregulation de la presse.

” La Turquie est a la croisee des chemins : les progrès democratiques
accomplis au cours des dix dernières annees sont impressionnants,
mais ils sont incomplets et fragiles. Les dernières attaques contre
les journalistes montrent qu’un retour en arrière est possible a tout
moment. La large victoire electorale du parti AKP au pouvoir devrait
rassurer les dirigeants et leur montrer qu’ils n’ont rien a craindre
de la libre expression. Le gouvernement doit maintenant prouver qu’il
est toujours determine a mener jusqu’au bout les reformes democratiques
exigees par la societe “, a conclu l’organisation.

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