Author: Kanayan Tamar

APPEL URGENT A LA LIBéRATION IMMéDIATE DE RAGIP ZARAKOLU
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
lundi 31 octobre 2011

APPEL URGENT A L’OPINION PUBLIQUE – AUX DEPUTES DU PARLEMENT EUROPEEN,
AUX ORGANISATIONS INTERNATIONALES, AUX DEFENSEURS DES DROITS DE L’HOMME

AUX MEDIAS-PRESSE DU MONDE !

Turquie : Ragip Zarakolu et tous les prisonniers d’opinion doivent
être libérés immédiatement

Le 28 octobre 2011, dans une nouvelle vague d’arrestation, la
police turque a arrêté a Istanbul M. Ragip Zarakolu, journaliste,
défenseur des droits humains bien connu, directeur de la maison
d’édition Belge[1] et Président du Comité de liberté de publication
de l’Association des éditeurs de Turquie, Mme BuÅ~_ra Ersanlı,
professeur du droit constitutionnel et membre du Parti pour la paix
et la démocratie (BDP) ainsi que des dizaines de personnalités
kurdes. Ces arrestations s’ajoutent a plus de 4500 membres et
dirigeants du BDP arrêtés au cours de ces six derniers mois dont
1600 d’entre eux ont été incarcérés. Parmi ces derniers figurent
également Deniz Zarakolu, fils du Ragip Zarakolu, et l’auteur
Aziz Tunc.

Contexte

Ces arrestations font partie d’une campagne de terrorisme d’Etat du
gouvernement turc, lancée lors des dernières élections en Turquie
(juin 2009), pour réduire au silence ses opposants, en particulier
toute personne défendant les droits fondamentaux du peuple kurde.

Pourtant, habilement transformées en référendum sur la nouvelle
constitution a écrire, le parti AKP de M. Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
le Premier Ministre, a largement remporté ces élections. C’était
aussi un succès pour le BDP (parti pro-kurde) qui, malgré tous les
obstacles (arrestations massives arbitraires, procès politiques,
loi électorale défavorable l’obligeant a présenter des candidats
indépendants, etc.), a obtenu 36 sièges. C’est ce qui aurait rendu
furieux M. Erdogan, étant donné qu’il a changé de discours a
l’instar de ses prédécesseurs pour qui la question kurde en Turquie
” n’existe pas ”, surtout ” si l’on évite d’en parler ” !

Plus grand prison mondiale pour les défenseurs des droits humains,
journalistes et élus

On compte actuellement dans les prisons turques plus de 70 journalistes
incarcérés, sans parler des milliers de procès intentés a
l’encontre des journalistes, écrivains et politiciens.

Depuis le printemps 2009, les arrestations arbitraires se comptent par
milliers, mais aussi des incarcérations parmi les rangs du BDP. En
effet, ce dernier paie le plus grand tribut a cet égard, étant
donné qu’il est quasiment décimé avec au moins 4000 incarcérations
dans ses rangs parmi lesquelles on trouve des parlementaires, Maires,
Conseilles municipaux, dirigeants de sections et cadres dudit parti. A
titre d’exemple, seul dans la province de Sirnak, 500 membres du BDP
dont cinq Maires, quatre Maires-adjoints et 15 Conseillers municipaux
se trouvent en prison.

Ceux et celles qui sont en liberté, pour le moment, ne sont nullement
épargné-e-s. Le chef-Procureur de Diyarbakir a récemment inculpé
(mi-octobre 2011) trois députées du BDP, dont Mme Leyla Zana,
lauréate du Prix Sakharov des droits de l’homme, pour lesquelles
il demande une peine de prison de 148 ans dont 45 ans pour Mme Zana
! Leur crime ?

Avoir participé a des meetings non autorisés et ” avoir fait la
propagande en faveur d’une organisation terroriste (PKK) ”.

Parmi les défenseurs des droits de l’homme opprimés, le cas de M.

Muharrem Erbey, Vice-Président national de l’Association des droits
de l’homme de Turquie et Président de la section de Diyarbakir, est
illustratif. Arrêté le 24 décembre 2009 a 4h30 du matin chez lui
par une unité anti-terroriste, il est incarcéré depuis dont l’acte
d’accusation a été rendu récemment en public. Son crime : avoir
dénoncé les violations des droits humains dans sa région auprès
des instances européennes et onusiennes des droits de l’homme !

Dysfonctionnement du système juridique turc et méthode d’Erdogan

M. Thomas Hammarberg, Commissaire aux droits de l’homme du Conseil
de l’Europe, qui s’est rendu récemment en Turquie, estime que
” Le système judiciaire turc présente de longue date des
dysfonctionnements systémiques qui compromettent la jouissance
des droits de l’homme et des libertés fondamentales. ” Selon son
analyse, ” La Cour européenne des droits de l’homme a rendu plus
de 2 200 arrêts contre la Turquie entre 1995 et 2010. Près de 700
concernaient des violations du droit a un procès équitable et plus de
500 des atteintes au droit a la liberté et a la sÔreté. (…) Un
autre aspect de ce problème complexe est l’imprécision de la
législation turque au sujet de certaines infractions, en particulier
celles afférentes a des liens présumés avec des organisations
criminelles. (…) une attention insuffisante est portée a la qualité
des preuves dès le début de la procédure.

Cette combinaison de facteurs fait que la simple ouverture de
poursuites peut devenir Рen elle-m̻me Рune sanction. Il en r̩sulte
un effet inhibiteur très préoccupant. ”[2]

C’est décidément la procédure judiciaire qui constitue la méthode
d’intimidation de M. Erdogan. En effet, les six députés d’origine
kurde membres du BDP élu en juin 2009 se trouvent toujours derrières
les barreaux. L’un d’eux, M. Hatip Dicle qui a déja purgé 10 ans de
prison avec Mme L. Zana suite a un autre procès politique en 1994, a
été remplacé par un membre du parti de M. Erdogan (Mme Oya Eronat).

Un journaliste turc écrivait cet été que M. Erdogan garderait dans
sa poche une liste de 800 a 1400 personnes a emprisonner parmi les
quelles des politiciens. Cette information est confirmée non seulement
par la présidence du BDP, mais aussi dans la pratique comme relatée
ci-dessus. D’ailleurs, M. Hasip Kaplan, Vice-Président du groupe
parlementaire du BDP, dénoncait récemment la politique de guerre
menée par M. Erdogan et les 200 000 (deux cents mille) procès en
cours concernant la liberté d’opinion et d’expression.

Il faut souligner par ailleurs que, selon la législation turque
actuelle, en cas de procès a leur encontre, les élus municipaux
sont exclus d’office de leur fonction durant toute la procédure
judiciaire par le Ministre de l’Intérieur.

C’est dans ce contexte que survient l’arrestation de M. Ragip
Zarakolu, éminent intellectuel turc. Cela signifie que M. Erdogan
ne supporte plus les critiques a l’encontre de son gouvernement. Il
a choisi apparemment la ” méthode judiciaire ” pour éliminer
ses adversaires politiques. C’est aussi sa réponse apparemment a
une solution pacifique et démocratique a la question kurde et a la
reconnaissance du génocide arménien.

Il est a déplorer que ce personnage et son parti, pourtant notoirement
ennemie des droits de l’homme, qui est promu par l’Occident comme
exemple de démocratie aux peuples arabes.

Nous appelons les Etats, institutions, Parlementaires et organisations
qui respectent et Å”uvrent pour l’application effective des normes
internationales sur la liberté d’opinion et d’expression d’intervenir
d’urgence en faveur de la libération de M. Ragip Zarakolu et tous
les prisonniers politiques en Turquie.

Maison Populaire de Gen̬ve РCase postale 1141

1211 Genève

[1] La Maison d’édition Belge est connue pour ses
publications sur les minorités en Turquie, en particulier sur les
Kurdes et sur le génocide Arménien.

[2] Cf.

AMBIGUITE DE LA COALITION FACE AUX ELECTIONS PRESIDENTIELLES
Laetitia

armenews.com
lundi 31 octobre 2011

Le Premier ministre Tigran Sarkissian a insiste par le biais de son
porte-parole vendredi qu’il n’a pas prevenu le parti prospère (BHK)
que Gagik Tsarukian ne soutiendrait pas l’actuel president pour les
prochaines elections.

Sarkissian a declare aux journalistes plus tôt cette semaine que les
forces politiques qui ne souhaitent pas ” cooperer ” avec le Parti
Republicain d’Armenie (HHK), dirige par le president Serge Sarkissian,
” finiront les mains vides. ”

Bien que le Premier ministre n’ait cite aucun nom, les remarques
ont ete interpretees par de nombreux commentateurs locaux comme un
avertissement adresse au BHK, un partenaire de la coalition au pouvoir.

Aram Ananian, un porte-parole du Premier ministre, a fermement dementi
ces affirmations. ” Beaucoup tentent de fausser les declarations du
Premier ministre et pensent qu’elles sont adressees a nos partenaires
de coalition, malgre le fait que le Premier ministre a parle de la
consolidation autour du President de la Republique et a fait reference
a toutes les forces politiques qui se livrent des luttes sans fin “,
a-t-il dit a l’agence Armenpress.

” Le BHK est notre partenaire de coalition et il n’est pas necessaire
de faire circuler des informations qui ne sont pas fondes et qui sont
tout simplement un mensonge “, a declare Ananian.

Le fonctionnaire a refuse de faire davantage de commentaires lorsqu’il
a ete contacte par le service de RFE /RL (Azatutyun.am).

” Je pense que cela remet les pendules a l’heure, ” a declare Naira
Zohrabian, un parlementaire du BHK.

Le BHK, qui est represente au gouvernement par quatre ministres,
n’a toujours pas officiellement confirme ou nie les rapports sur les
fortes pressions de l’administration presidentielle pour le soutien
de la reelection de Serge Sarkissian en 2013.

Le president Serge Sarkissian a rencontre mercredi Tsarukian, le
president du parlement Hovik Abrahamian et les dirigeants du Parti
Orinats Yerkir, le partenaire de la coalition.

Galust Sahakian, le leader parlementaire du HHK, a pretendu que la
reunion n’etait pas politique et qu’ils ne discutaient pas des affaires
legislatives. ” Les reunions ont toujours lieu dans le cadre de la
coalition et ces reunions sont obligatoires “, a affirme Sahakian
lors d’une conference.

Zohrabian a meme ajoute que la reunion a porte sur les amendements
de la legislation fiscale proposee par le gouvernement. ” Nous avons
seulement discute du budget. ”

VAHAN HOVHANNISYAN ABOUT PM’S ANNOUNCEMENT

YERKIR.AM
14:30 – 31.10.2011

“I understood it as it was announced”, said ARF member Vahan
Hovhannisyan about the announcement PM had made recently. ARF official
said that this is not the first time that high-ranking officials of
Armenia make irresponsible announcements and then need to deny it.

This sort of behavior, according to Vahan Hovhannisyan, may have 2
explanations, first, that they make such announcements in order to
make scandal and the second; they are imprudent in their announcements.

By this announcement, the Republican Party means “humbleness”.

“We will not let anyone in this country gently rule”, said Vahan
Hovhannisyan and confirmed that if the Republican Party really had
a desire to cooperate, it would do so against the membership of
Azerbaijan in UN Security Council.

ARMENIAN SINGERS TO AID TURKEY QUAKE SURVIVORS

Tert.am
14:06 29.10.11

Armenian singers Arto Tunjboyajyan and Ara Dinkjyan are giving a
benefit concert in New York on November 13.

According to the Turkish newspaper Taraf, the proceeds of the concert
will go to the survivors of the recent earthquake in the province
of Van.

The event will be reportedly organized in collaboration with Turkish
Brothers band.

FOUR SISTERS: NORA ARMANI WRITES BOOK ABOUT HER FAMILY

Aysor.am
Saturday,October 29

Today on the meeting with the journalists actress Nora Armani informed
she writes a book about her family.

“I write the story of my grandmother and her three sisters,” she said.

She told her grandmother and her 3 sisters have been born in Western
Armenia, in city of Caesarea. Their father has been in Egypt on
business frequently and when he died of heart attack three sisters
moved to Egypt.

“By the story of 4 sisters I tend to tell the story of all Armenians,”
she noted. Nora Armani lives in New York at present.

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I MEETS WITH THE OFFICERS OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE WESTERN PRELACY

Noyan Tapan
29.10.2011

ANTELIAS, Lebanon – Towards the end of his pontifical visit, His
Holiness Aram I held a working meeting with the officers of the
National Executive Council, Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Vahe Yacoubian and Khajak Dikijian. After assessing the impact of the
pontifical visit, the representatives of the National Executive Council
thanked His Holiness for the visit because through the messages,
lectures and declarations, the Catholicos reinvigorated the community,
strengthened relations with churches, politicians, academics and
other leaders; by emphasizing the importance of Armenian schools,
and by encouraging people to pursue the Armenian Cause, His Holiness
galvanized the community.

After thanking the members of the National Executive Council of the
Western Prelacy, the principals and teachers of the schools, as well
as the members of the community for their commitment to the Armenian
Church, His Holiness Aram I encouraged the members of the Armenian
Community to remain united and prepare the next generation of leaders
in the Diaspora.

The meeting ended with a dinner offered by Mr. Vahe Yacoubian in
honor of His Holiness Aram I.

TWO ARMENIAN CHURCHES DAMAGED BY EARTHQUAKE IN VAN

Lragir.am News

13:47:25 – 29/10/2011

The manager of Narekavank Tour Company Ashot Soghomonyan informed
us that the devastating earthquake in Van, Turkey, damaged Varaga
Monastery, one of the Armenian churches near Van Town, dating from
the VII century. Witnesses informed that the entry and the wall with
exceptional frescoes were ruined.

The Turkish Zaman Newspaper reported that the earthquake in Van
damaged the dome of the Armenian Saint Cross Church of Aghtamar Island.

The Turkish government had renovated the church in 2007 and established
a museum there. On September 19 of the past year the first liturgy
after renovation took place.

INTERNAL SELF-GOVERNMENT IS THE PRIORITY CONSTITUENT OF STATE SELF-GOVERNMENT

Friday, 28 October 2011 04:59

Within the activities of the Association of Self-determining
States’ Universities, Pro-rector of the Transdniestrian Moldovan
Republic State University on international relations, lawyer Michael
Kushakov participated and made a speech at the recent round-table
discussions taken place at the NKR NA. Introducing the forms of
state self-government, he drew parallels between Transdniestria and
Nagorno Karabakh as de-facto self-governing states, which deserve the
international community’s recognition. Self-government is the basic
feature of a state, testifying to its full value. First, this term was
used by French philosopher, lawyer and political scientist Jan Boden
who defined sovereignty as a state’s absolute and permanent power. The
power is absolute for citizens in the sense of being free from any
law. Starting his speech with this introduction, M. Kushakov noted
that the two Republics – Transdniestria and Nagorno Karabakh – are
comparable just in the establishment of their state self-government.

And how should one judge a state – by its being recognized or not,
and what is more important – to be authorized with full sovereignty or
be merely recognized? That is to have all state attributes within the
state or to be recognized by other states. As of Kosovo, the speaker
figuratively expressed his opinion, emphasizing that Kosovo as a state
is, actually, demolished, due to the lack of a power in the state.

But, it is recognized and everybody knows who the power’s helm there
is. Why it was recognized? The answer is clear – it was recognized
due to a political necessity and due to the world’s principle of dual
standards. And the forces, which rule the world, use terms at their own
discretion. The USA and some other states consider that Kosovo deserves
recognition and its people have the right to self-determination. The
situation in Nagorno Karabakh and Transdniestria is the same, but
the principle of territorial integrity is applied to these states.

Finally, in what case is state self-government considered full-fledged,
asks Kushakov. Does it really concern the state formations, which,
at the familiar historical stages, were independent, say, from
Pope, the Church or German Empire?.. Autocratic states periodically
appeared at the historical stage, stating their supreme power and
their excusive rights proceeding from this. They are the rights to
law adoption, war or peace declaration, top officials’ appointment,
implementation of the supreme court’s functions, amnesty declaration,
coinage realization, and others.

Speaking of the level of internal self-government in the Nagorno
Karabakh and Transdniestrian Republics, Mr. Kushakov noted that the
authorities in both states control the entire territory. They are
legal authorities. Or, in both cases, the state fully realizes its
functions and fully ensures state self-government in its territory.

The Nagorno Karabakh Republic and the Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic
are de-facto existing states. According to the lawyer, besides the
terms of unrecognized, partly unrecognized and fully unrecognized,
other terms are also applied to states, such as de-facto state,
transition state, mega-state, and others. “There are numerous names
of states, and this is right. The main thing for us is that we
exist, and the most important is our future peaceful existence”,
said the lawyer. Michael Kushakov recalled the lawyers-scientists
having corresponding researches on self-government. American scientist
Steve Krasner, who is considered one of the founders of the western
procedure of state self-government, introduced its four constituents.

The first is internal sovereignty, or implementation of the principle
of public power establishment within a state and the society’s
control over it. The second constituent is the self-government’s
interdependency – a state’s ability to control its financial, manpower,
and commodity resources crossing the state borders. The third is
international-legal self-government, which establishes states’ equal
rights at the international arena. And the fourth is the ‘westphal’
self-government, which hampers the outer factors in promoting the
power authorities’ distribution within a state.

Krasner considered internal self-government as a special form of
relations between the power and political community, as a choice of
government. In Transdniestria and Nagorno Karabakh, self-government is
realized by the people’s will – via a referendum and adoption of the
Republic’s basic law, which provides construction of an independent,
sovereign, democratic, and legal state in the form of presidential
government. It is characterized by the existence of three power
branches – legislative, executive, and juridical. According to
Kushakov, internal self-government is fully realized in the Nagorno
Karabakh and Transdniestrian Republics. As of the self-government’s
interrelation, to date, the world processes of globalization,
migration, and commodity transportation bring the overwhelming majority
of states to certain problems, as a result of which this constituent
of self-government is hard to implement. It refers also to both
unrecognized Republics – the money, commodity, and other resources
flow in different directions, due to the difficulty to control them.

The international-legal or foreign self-government supposes recognition
of a state by other sovereign states, if it is accepted as the
only representative authorized to speak on behalf of the people or
political community. In this case, self-government supposes a status,
which is called to legitimize the sovereign power before the citizens.

De-facto recognition of self-government means to recognize its equal
status, along with the others. But, in case of Nagorno Karabakh and
Transdniestria the system of legalization doesn’t operate so far. For
the international recognition, it is, first of all, necessary to
legitimize the generality of the territory’s inhabitants. Though
Krasner considers outer self-government an important means of
introducing a state at the international arena, however, it is
considered secondary. The international-legal or outer self-government
is secondary, compared with the internal self-government. And the
‘westphal’ model of self-government provides a state’s intolerance
towards foreign interference – it is the case when the state doesn’t
allow foreign forces interfering in its domestic affairs. Being
recognized by other states, a self=governing community gains peculiar
immunity against foreign interference. “Unfortunately, we haven’t
got such immunity yet, as we are considered unrecognized states”,
said the lawyer, adding, “We haven’t got it, compared with those
who committed crimes in the territories of our states, towards our
people. We tried them by our courts and then released, but they ordered
the international courts to recognize their actions legal. Or, if they
subjected our people to slaughter, it is considered legal, according
to the international criterion or international court’s decision”.

In conclusion, Mr. Kushakov emphasized that among the acting
constituents of state self-government, the basic is considered the
internal self-government, and the issue of foreign self-government is
to be resolved for both unrecognized Republics. He believes that the
statehood development is currently more important for us. The notion
of ‘delayed status’ is acceptable till the period when achievement
of the international recognition is possible.

The process of states’ division is underway in the world. The map
of Europe, as life testifies, is modified. It isn’t avoided by
such developed states as Great Britain, France, Italy, Belgium,
and Holland. In addition, the processes taking place in our regions.

Ruzan Ishkhanian

ZHOGHOVURD: THERE WILL BE MORE RESIGNATIONS

Tert.am
10:46 29.10.11

Following the resignations of the head of staff at the presidential
office recently and Yerevan mayor on Friday, the paper claims that
all pro-Russian Armenian officials are gradually leaving the country.

It also says no matter how hard former Yerevan Mayor Karen Karapetyan
will try not to politicize his resignation and say he left the position
to take another one – that is not the case.

The paper also claims that two days before his resignation Karen
Karapetyan was unaware that he would submit a resignation letter.

Further, citing its own sources the paper claims that there will be
more resignations in the near future, including from law enforcement
bodies.

All the Armenian officials that have relations with the Russian
establishment are abandoning Armenia’s ruling authorities, the paper
concludes.

3RD EURO-CAUCASIAN CONGRESS OF CARDIOLOGY GETS UNDERWAY IN YEREVAN

armradio.am
29.10.2011 13:33

The third Euro-Caucasian Congress of Cardiology kicked off in Yerevan
today at the initiative of the Armenian Ministry of Diaspora,
the Ministry of Healthcare and the Action Health Armenia-France
Organization. The event has brought together about 250 cardiologists
from Armenia, Artsakh, France, Russia, Syria, Iran and England.

Opening remarks were offered by Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan
and Minister of Healthcare Harutyun Kushkyan.

The first Congress of Cardiologists held in October 2009 brought
together 100 Diaspora Armenian cardiologists and more than 200
specialists from Armenia and Artsakh.

The congress aims to reveal the potential of the Armenian cardiologist
worldwide to promote the development of cardiology in Armenia,
contribute to the cooperation between the cardiologists from Armenia,
Artsakh and the Diaspora, improvement of professional skills and
exchange of experience.