Author: Kalantarian Kevo

AUSTRIAN PRESIDENT HONORED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS

news.am
June 26, 2012 | 20:54

YEREVAN. – President of Austria Heinz Fischer, who is on official
visit to Armenia, with his spouse Margit Fischer and accompanied by
the Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian visited on Tuesday the Matenadaran,
an institute of ancient manuscripts.

Afterwards the Austrian President visited Armenian Genocide Memorial
Complex in Tsitsernakaberd accompanied by the FM and Yerevan Mayor
Taron Margaryan. He laid a wreath, attended the museum, left notes
in the journal for visitors and planted a fir-tree in the Memory Alley.

THREE TURKISH SOLDIERS DIED

26.06.12, 17:02

3 soldiers were injured as a result of mine explosion in Duzkoy
settlement of Trabzon city, Turkey.

As Turkish media writes the incident occurred near Gendarmerie
Headquarters in the morning. The condition of one of the injured
soldiers hitting a mine that was installed in litter box is reported
to be serious.

Trabzon Governor Recep Kizilcik said that the mine was set into action
from the distance. The mine exploded when the soldier approached the
box to throw the litter.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT-ELECT

news.am
June 26, 2012 | 20:11

YEREVAN. – President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan sent a congratulatory
letter to the Egyptian President-Elect from Muslim Brotherhood’s
Mohammed Mursi.

Sargsyan stated that Armenian-Egyptian centuries-old relations have
always been outlined by warmth and sincerity and he believes that it
will be possible to jointly develop bilateral relations and cooperation
during Mursi’s office for the sake of the two peoples’ well-being.

PACE DISCUSSES ISSUE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS IN AZERBAIJAN

news.am
June 26, 2012 | 17:01

STRASBOURG. – PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights
is discussing special rapporteur Christoph Straesser’s report on
political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

Armenian delegate Naira Zohrabyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am
that all Azerbaijani delegates are present at the meeting of the
Committee. The delegation head delivered a speech expressing discontent
and complaining about the report.

“In 40 minutes the debate will be over. I hope the delegation will
vote for the report and it will be submitted for the discussion at
the plenary session this fall,” she said.

ARMENIAN AND AUSTRIAN BUSINESSMEN WANT TO DEEPEN COOPERATION

ARMENPRESS
26 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS: Armenia-Austria business forum took
place on June 26 in the framework of Austria’s President Heinz Fischer
official visit to Armenia.

Director General of Armenian Development Agency Robert Harutyunyan
mentioned that Armenian Government takes serious steps to improve
business environment hoping that in result attractive conditions for
foreign investors will be created. “I am sure that we have not used
our real potential yet” said Harutyunyan as Armenpress reports.

Commercial adviser of Austrian embassy Dittmer Felner told that there
is a great wish to deepen cooperation with Armenian businessmen. “We
want to open new page in the history of our partnership and for that
we must use our potential” said Felner hoping that this visit will
be a new platform for further cooperation.

On the invitation of the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on June 25
President of Austria Heinz Fischer paid an official visit to Armenia
with his wife Margit Fischer.

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Austria were established on
January 24, 1992.

AT THE LAST MOMENT, HOWEVER, ALIYEV LEAVES FOR ISTANBUL

15:36 . 26/06

The 20th summit of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) kicked
off today in Istanbul. Though it was announced Azerbaijan would
be represented by the foreign minister at the summit, Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev will participate in it.

The Armenian delegation is headed by Deputy FM Ashot Hovakimyan.

Yerkir Media is the only media accredited from Armenia to the summit.

Our correspondent’s reports will be presented a little later.

AZERBAIJAN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE VIOLATION OF RIGHTS OF ARMENIAN REFUGEES: KAREN NAZARYAN

ARMENPRESS
26 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 26, ARMENPRESS: Armenia’s Permanent Representative to
the UN Karen Nazaryan delivered a speech at the UN Security Council
debate on the issues of protection of civilians in conflicts, attended
by UN Secretary-General, its deputy on Humanitarian affairs , Red Cross
International Committee Representative, as well as the representatives
of UN fifty member states.

Information and public relations department of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs informed Armenpress, Armenian Ambassador speaking on
NK conflict stated on the responsibility of Azerbaijani about the
crime perpetrated against the humanity in the conflict zone. Karen
Nazaryan stated that Azerbaijani authorities are responsible for the
infringe of thousands of displaced people’s and refugees’ rights ,
for the ethnic cleansing and aggression undertaken in response to
Nagorno-Karabakh people self-determination efforts , as well as on
the massacre implemented towards Azerbaijanis in Khojaly .

Nazaryan, in response to the absurd statements made earlier the same
day by Azerbaijan, also noted that the Armenian side in accordance
with the international humanitarian law implemented its responsibility
of protection referring to physical safety of civilians, schools,
kindergartens, hospitals and residential homes.

The top diplomat dwelled on Azerbaijani continuing border violation
cases on the line of contact, rejecting the OSCE Minsk Group and the
UN Secretary-General calls- implementation of confidence-building
measures aimed to eliminate threats to the civilian population.

In that context, Armenian Ambassador welcomes Minsk Group Co-Chairing
states statements made last week in Los Cabos and called on Azerbaijani
side to stop all kinds of provocations, subversion group actions in
the line of contact with NK and Armenia inclusive.

In his speech, the representative of the UN referred to the elaboration
of UN civilian population protection concept, stressed the need
of improvement of the sanctions regime and the implementation of a
binding resolution.

FISCHER DRINGT IN ARMENIEN AUF KARABACH-LOSUNG: FISCHER URGES ARMENIA FOR KARABAKH SOLUTION

austria.com

26 Juni 2012
Osterreich

Bundesprasident Heinz Fischer hat bei seinem Besuch in Armenien auf
eine friedliche Losung des Konflikts um die Region Berg-Karabach
gedrungen. Bei einer gemeinsamen Pressekonferenz mit Armeniens
Prasident Serzh Sargsyan am Dienstag in Eriwan betonten beide
Staatsoberhaupter das Bekenntnis zur Gewaltfreiheit und zu einem
gemeinsamen Wertesystem.

Fischer, der als erster osterreicher Bundesprasident Armenien besuchte,
sprach mit Sargsyan außerdem uber eine Verstarkung der wirtschaftlichen
Zusammenarbeit, die Annaherung Armeniens an die EU und kulturelle
Beziehungen. Im Rahmen des Besuchs wurden vier Abkommen unterzeichnet,
darunter eines uber Entwicklungszusammenarbeit.

Außerdem lud Fischer seinen Amtskollegen nach Osterreich ein.

Zum Thema der zwischen Armenien und Aserbaidschan umstrittenen, von
Armeniern bewohnten Region Berg-Karabach sagte Sargsyan, Grundlagen fur
eine Losung mussten die Prinzipien der friedlichen Konfliktbeilegung,
des Selbstbestimmungsrechts der Volker und der territorialen Integritat
sein. Aserbaidschan betone jedoch nur Letzteres und anerkenne das
Selbstbestimmungsrecht nicht. Zudem beschuldigte er Baku, durch
“Provokationen” Spannungen in der Region aufrechtzuerhalten.

Die osterreichische Haltung zum Konflikt um Berg-Karabach bezeichnete
Sargsyan als “ausgewogen”. Fischer meinte dazu, er kenne nun
die Standpunkte der aserbaidschanischen, der turkischen und der
armenischen Seite zu dem Problem. Man musse das Thema von allen Seiten
betrachten. Eine Losung gebe es aber nur mit friedlichen Mitteln und
durch Verhandlungen.

Im Anschluss traf Fischer mit Premierminister Tigran Sargsyan
zusammen. An den Gesprachen der Delegationen der beiden Lander
nahmen auch Wirtschaftsminister Mitterlehner und WKO-Vizeprasident
Richard Schenz teil. Bei den Wirtschaftsthemen ging es unter anderem
um Moglichkeiten der Zusammenarbeit in den Bereichen Energie,
Landwirtschaft und Tourismus. Es wurden auch drei Abkommen im
Wirtschaftsbereich unterzeichnet.

JUDGE CLEARS WAY FOR JOINT POLICE OFFICER LAWSUIT AGAINST GLENDALE
by Veronica Rocha

Glendale News-Press (California)
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News
june 25, 2012 Monday

June 25–Four current and a former Glendale Armenian American police
officers can move forward with their federal discrimination and
harassment lawsuit against the city after a judge last week refused
to throw out the claims.

U.S. District Court Judge Josephine Tucker denied most of the city’s
motion to throw out the claims, although some that were filed against
certain police commanders were dropped.

“We were confident that the ruling would occur as it has,” the
officers’ attorney Carney Shegerian said in an email. “The defendants
have no real defenses to the allegations in our complaint — they
are all true and will be proven as such at trial.”

Officers Vahak Mardikian, John Balian, Tigran Topadzhikyan, Robert
Parseghian and former Officer Benny Simonzad filed a joint federal
lawsuit in 2010 against the city and Police Department, alleging
years of on-the-job discrimination, retaliation and harassment because
they’re Armenian.

Mardikian, Balian and Topadzhikyan filed a separate lawsuit in
March in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging continued racial
discrimination and retaliation in the Police Department after they
filed their federal case.

Tucker denied the city’s motions to drop the discrimination and
retaliation claims filed by all the officers except for Parseghian. In
doing so, the judge let stand a mix of charges, including that some
were intentionally not promoted and that commanders failed to prevent
harassment.

“We were hopeful that the court would dismiss more of the case at this
stage,” City Atty. Mike Garcia said in a statement Monday. “However,
we are pleased that the court resolved several claims in favor of
some of the individual city defendants.”

With the next step being a jury trial, Garcia said attorneys will
“successfully explain” instances in Tucker’s order in which she
describes some of the officers’ evidence as lacking foundation.

“We have strong evidence showing the city’s actions were for
legitimate, non-discriminatory business reasons,” he said.

Tucker’s order pointed out that the officers’ failed to show
statistical evidence for discrimination against Armenians.

But Tucker did identify “potentially relevant” conduct, including a
memo that was posted in the Police Department’s briefing room that
allegedly mocked Armenian Genocide commemorative events.

The judge also took note of alleged comments made to certain officers,
including that they were “watched closely because you are Armenian”
and derogatory statements and stereotypes of Armenians, according to
the court order.

Mardikian also alleges the Police Department hired a private
investigator to conduct surveillance on him.

AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES ARREST INDEPENDENT EDITOR ON DRUG CHARGES; FAMILY CRIES FOUL

hetq
10:35, June 26, 2012

New York, June 25, 2012 – Authorities in Azerbaijan must drop the
charges against journalist Hilal Mamedov and immediately release him,
the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Mamedov is the eighth
journalist jailed in Azerbaijan, according to CPJ research.

Authorities detained Mamedov, chief editor of the independent newspaper
Talyshi Sado, last Thursday after allegedly finding about 5 grams
of heroin in his pocket, according to the Azeri-language service
of the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The
circumstances of the journalist’s arrest were not clear. Later
that night, police raided the journalist’s home and said they found
another 30 grams of heroin, news reports said. On Friday, the Nizami
District Court in Baku, the capital, ordered Mamedov to be imprisoned
for three months in pretrial detention on drug possession charges,
the reports said.

Mamedov’s family said police had planted the drugs, according to
local and international news reports. The journalist’s colleagues said
he did not even smoke cigarettes and that he had been imprisoned in
retaliation for his reporting, the reports said.

Mamedov, also a human rights activist, has written on the Talysh
ethnic minority group in Azerbaijan, Emin Huseynov, the director of
the Baku-based Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety, told CPJ.

His articles have been published in Talyshi Sado and on regional and
Russia-based news websites, Huseynov said. Huseynov also told CPJ
that Mamedov had investigated the 2009 death in prison of Novruzali
Mamedov, Talyshi Sado’s former chief editor.

“If we believed the authorities, then journalists in Azerbaijan would
appear to be among the most drug-addicted in the world,” said CPJ
Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. “Any time reporters write something
critical, they run the risk of ending up behind bars on trumped-up
drug charges. The authorities must stop harassing critical journalists,
and they can begin by releasing Hilal Mamedov.”

Azerbaijan is the leading jailer of journalists in the region,
according to CPJ research. This year, the government has stepped up
its retaliation against independent reporting by intimidating and
harassing journalists and imprisoning them on fabricated, politicized
charges, CPJ research shows. Earlier this month, another journalist,
Anar Bayramli, was convicted on trumped-up charges of drug possession
and sentenced to two years in prison, CPJ research shows.