Author: Karagyozian Lena

YURI PATRIKEEV BECAME THE CHAMPION OF EUROPE

armradio.am
07.04.2008 10:23

Armenian wrestler Yuri Patrikeev (120 kg) achieved the European
Champion’s title in the European Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship
held in Tampre (Finland). Roman Amoyan (55 kg) became the
Vice-Champion, losing only in the final.

The head coach of the Armenian Greco-Roman style wrestling team is
Olympic Champion Levon Julfalakyan.

Yuri Patrikeev and Arman Adikyan (66 kg) have already qualified for
the Beijing Olympics.

Panorama.am

22:00 04/04/2008

`THIS IS TWICE PEOPLE DO NOT SEE REAL OPPOSITION AND
FOLLOWS ANYONE’

`It is not good when you carry out oppositional
strategy towards your own country. I think that Levon
Ter-Petrosyan has passed the border and limit,’ said
the chairman of NDP Shavarsh Kocharyan. According to
him the activities of the current person seriously
damages the future of Armenia and the NKR.

Analyzing the recent inner political life he said that
the arrested will be set free except the criminal
ones. He said that even after that a part of the
society will keep condemning unless some changes are
seen or felt. According to Sh. Kocharyan, Armenia is
now living a period of changes.

He said that probably our society and the opposition
could not catch the notion of constitutional changes
made in 2005. And the ongoing changes are the results
of success gained with these authorities. `Of course
we could have more serious changes in these 10 years,
but we can not also ignore what is done,’ said
Kocharyan.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION TO BE CELEBRATED AT NEW YORK CITY HALL ON APRIL 25

Noyan Tapan
April 3

The Armenian National Committee of New York will host the 93rd
Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide at City Hall Chambers on
April 25. The evening will feature Professor Henry Theriault as the
main speaker and Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, who will address the
community.

Dr. Henry Theriault has written extensively on the subject of genocide
and the dispossession of indigenous peoples. While he has dealt
at length with the Armenian case, which concerns his own ancestry,
Theriault’s work is broad and examines the impact of genocide against
Africans, Native Americans and other victim groups.

PARTICIPANTS OF ARMENIAN FOOTBALL CUP TOURNAMENT’S QUARTER FINAL BECOME KNOWN

Noyan Tapan
March 31, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The return games of 1/8 final of
the RA Football Cup Tournament took place on March 28 and 29. The
following results were recorded: Ararat-2 – Mika 0 to 4, Shengavit
– Shirak 1 to 0, Mika-2 – Kilikia 2 to 3, Banants-2 – Ulis 1 to 2,
Pyunik-2 – Gandzasar 0 to 5, Pyunik – Patani 4 to 0.

Thus, the Ararat – Ulis, Banants – Shirak, Pyunik – Gandzasar, and
Mika – Kilikia pairs will compete in the quarter final. The first
games of the quarter final are fixed for April 2.

BUSH NOMINATES NEW ENVOY TO ARMENIA

Today’s Zaman
March 31 2008
Turkey

President George W. Bush has nominated a career diplomat to be US
ambassador to Armenia after the last nominee was blocked by Democrats
because of a refusal to call World War I-era killings of Armenians a
genocide. Bush announced on Friday the nomination of Marie Yovanovitch,
who is currently ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic.

In August, the White House withdrew its nomination of another
career diplomat, Richard Hoagland, after Democratic Sen. Robert
Menendez held up confirmation hearings. Hoagland’s predecessor,
John Evans, reportedly had his tour of duty in Armenia cut short by
the administration because, in a social setting, he referred to the
killings as "genocide." The administration has warned that even a
congressional debate on the genocide question could damage relations
with Turkey.

Armenian-American groups had sought to prevent Hoagland’s nomination
unless he made a clear statement endorsing the genocide claims. One
group said Friday they expect that lawmakers will raise the issue with
Yovanovitch. "It’s important to have an ambassador in Yerevan, but
it’s also important to have the right ambassador," said Aram Hamparian,
executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America.

It is not clear when the Senate will hold hearings on the nomination.

BOARD OF MILLENNIUM CHALLENGES – ARMENIA FOUNDATION DISCUSS CURRENT PROGRAMS

ARKA
March 28, 2008

YEREVAN, March 28. /ARKA/. At its sitting today chaired by RA Prime Minister
Serge Sargsyan, the Board of the Millennium Challenges – Armenia Foundation
discussed and approved the results of a tender for road renovation as part
of the rural road renovation component of the program funded by the
Corporation.

The Board also discussed proposals for a tender for consultations on the
strengthening the potential of organizations in charge of the irrigation
sector.

Ara Hovsepyan, CEO Millennium Challenges – Armenia Foundation, informed the
Board members of the planned consultations of the renovation of the drainage
system in the Ararat valley and supervision of the project. The
consultations are to be provided as part of the program’s irrigated
agriculture component.

With this end in view, the Foundation plans to apply to experienced
consulting companies.

The US Millennium Challenges Corporation launched its program in Armenia on
September 29, 2006.

Under a compact signed on March 27, 2006, Armenia is to receive $235.65mln
during five years. In 2007, Armenia received $11mln under the program.

COUNCIL OF EUROPE MINISTRIES COMMITTEE HEAD’S VISIT TO AZERBAIJAN SCHEDULED FOR APRIL

Trend News Agency
March 28 2008
Azerbaijan

France, Strasburg, 28 March / Trend News corr. A.Maharramli /
The postponed visit of Yan Kubish, chairman of Council of Europe
Ministries Committee and Foreign Minister of Slovakia, to Azerbaijan
is scheduled for the second half of April, a spokesperson from Foreign
Ministry of Slovakia reported to Trend News on 28 March.

Initially, Kubish’s visit to Azerbaijan was scheduled for 31 March
to 1 April.

The visit was delayed due to worsening of Kubish’s health.

According to Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Kubish’s visit aims at
discussion of issues connected with regulation of Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and upcoming presidential elections. The
visit will include meetings with the Azerbaijani President, Prime
Minister, Foreign Minister, as well as representatives of Azerbaijani
opposition parties.

HEAD OF RPA FACTION: ONE NEEDS CONFIDENCE AND SUPPORT OF WIDE LAYERS OF SOCIETY TO GAIN CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS IN ARMENIA

arminfo
2008-03-28 22:16:00

ArmInfo. To gain considerable progress in Armenia, one should enjoy
the confidence and support of wide layers of the society, Head of
the parliamentary faction of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)
Karen Karapetyan told ArmInfo correspondent.

According to him, all the political forces involved in Armenia’s ruling
coalition nominated their own candidate at the presidential election
and obtained certain percent of people’s confidence. "I think that
consolidation of these forces for the welfare of people and state was
a correct decision", Karapetyan said. He added that the RPA is not
going to hold large-scale reforms in the narrow corporate field. "The
RPA leader called on all political forces for cooperation, including
formation of a governmental coalition", Karapetyan recalled. The MP
thinks that as compared with the previous coalitions, this coalition
considers its key task to settle important and urgent problems of
the country; as regards distribution of ministerial portfolios,
this issue paled into insignificance. Asked about his attitude to
the fact that the Law-Governed Country Party and ARF Dashnaksutyun,
whose presidential nominees criticized the present authorities, are
also included in the coalition, Karapetyan said: "We treat this fact
with understanding. Strong people are always generous. Certainly,
it would be right if the political forces didn’t burn their bridges
during any elections. But I think that this culture will develop in
Armenia in the course of time".

RA GOVERNMENT APPROVES CRIMES PREVENTION STATE PROGRAM

Noyan Tapan
March 27, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, NOYAN TAPAN. At the March 27 sitting, the RA
government approved the state program of crimes prevention in RA. The
program’s main goals are implementation of a united state policy in
the sphere of crimes prevention, further strengthening of legality and
legal order, protection of citizens’ constitutional rights and freedoms
from criminal infringements, as well as guaranteeing of involvement of
interested state structures and public in the sphere of fighting crime.

Under a decision, an interdepartmental commission exercising control
over fulfilment of the program events has been also created, under the
guidance of the Head of the RA Police attached to the RA government.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by the Information and Public Relations
Department of the RA government, the bill On Making Amendments and
Addenda to the RA Criminal Code was also approved at the sitting. The
amendments and addenda proposed to the RA law are conditioned by the
necessity to solve the problem of making more grounded the punishments
for crimes against the principles of the RA constitutional order and
state’s security. It was mentioned that all proposals made correspond
to the international legal standards. Besides, the experience of
foreign countries has been studied thoroughly, which is also evidence
of the need of the above mentioned legislative initiative.

Being guided by Article 51 of the RA law RA National Assembly
Regulations, it was decided to consider the bill On Making Amendments
and Addenda to the RA Criminal Code as urgent.

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief

========================================== ======
Thursday 27 March 2008
NAGORNO-KARABAKH: JAILED RELIGIOUS CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR MUST UNDERGO
"RE-EDUCATION"

Jehovah’s Witness Areg Hovhanesyan, who has served more than three years
of a four-year jail sentence for refusing compulsory military service on
religious grounds, must remain in jail and undergo "re-education", Forum 18
News Service has learnt. The internationally unrecognised entity of
Nagorno-Karabakh’s has rejected his appeal for early release, a Supreme
Court official told Forum 18. Albert Voskanyan of the Centre for Civilian
Initiatives – who attended the court hearing – told Forum 18 that the court
had ordered the prison leadership to "re-educate the prisoner". Ashot
Sargsyan, head of the Department for National Minorities and Religions,
defended the jail sentence. "He’s not dangerous, but how can he be a
well-behaved person if he breaks the law by refusing to do military
service?" A previous conscientious objector, who did military service
without bearing weapons, was a Baptist, Gagik Mirzoyan. He refused to swear
the military oath or bear arms, for which he was beaten up and imprisoned,
but was eventually released from military service in January.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH: JAILED RELIGIOUS CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR MUST UNDERGO
"RE-EDUCATION"

By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service <;

Jehovah’s Witness Areg Hovhanesyan, who has already served more than three
years of a four-year sentence for refusing compulsory military service on
grounds of religious conscience, must remain in prison and undergo
"re-education", Forum 18 News Service has learnt. The Supreme Court of the
internationally unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in the South
Caucasus rejected his appeal for early release on 24 March, a court
official told Forum 18 from the capital Stepanakert on 27 March. Yet the
official – who would not give his name – refused to say why the court
rejected Hovhanesyan’s appeal. "I don’t have the right to give you this
information."

However, Albert Voskanyan of the Stepanakert-based Centre for Civilian
Initiatives – who attended the court on 21 March when the case was heard –
told Forum 18 that the court had ordered the prison leadership to
"re-educate the prisoner".

"I believe the rejection of the appeal is not right, as Areg’s conduct in
prison has been excellent and he has not violated any regulations,"
Voskanyan told Forum 18. "The court should have taken this into account,
not his religious affiliation which makes it impossible for him to serve in
the army." He said he had long been pressing for conscientious objectors
like Hovhanesyan to be given the possibility of an alternative civilian
service.

But Ashot Sargsyan, the head of the government’s Department for National
Minorities and Religions, defended Hovhanesyan’s continued imprisonment.
"He’s not dangerous, but how can he be a well-behaved person if he breaks
the law by refusing to do military service?" he told Forum 18 from
Stepanakert on 27 March. "Let him go to Azerbaijan then and do alternative
service there."

Hovhanesyan was imprisoned in February 2005 for violating Article 327 Part
3 of the Nagorno-Karabakh Criminal Code, which punishes evasion of military
service "in conditions of martial law, in war conditions or during military
actions" with a sentence of between four and eight years. (Nagorno-Karabakh
has adopted the criminal code introduced in Armenia in 2003.) He has been
held in the prison in the hilltop town of Shusha near Stepanakert (see
F18News 9 November 2006
< =866>).

Lyova Markaryan of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Armenia – who retain close
ties to their fellow-believers in Nagorno-Karabakh – said that Hovhanesyan
had lodged his appeal for early release at the beginning of this year.
"Areg was hoping that he might be freed early after serving more than
two-thirds of his sentence," Markaryan told Forum 18 from the Armenian
capital Yerevan on 27 March. "But it is clear neither the authorities in
Stepanakert nor in Yerevan are prepared to give him early release."

Both Markaryan of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Voskanyan of the Centre for
Civilian Initiatives maintain that Hovhanesyan’s conduct in the prison has
been exemplary. "Prison director Artur Abramyan praises Areg for his
behaviour and has given him a position of responsibility in the canteen,"
Markaryan told Forum 18. Voskanyan frequently visited Hovhanesyan and other
inmates in Shusha prison until his group were banned from monitoring prison
conditions.

Despite repeated calls on 27 March, Forum 18 was unable to reach Shusha
prison director Abramyan.

Nagorno-Karabakh’s Constitution – adopted by referendum in December 2006 –
required all citizens to take part in defence and made no provision for an
alternative non-military service (see F18News 9 November 2006
< e_id=866>).

Sargsyan of the Department for National Minorities and Religions defended
the lack of an alternative to compulsory military service. He cited the
long-running unresolved conflict with Azerbaijan, which insists that
Nagorno-Karabakh is an integral part of its territory. "The international
community is to blame that we don’t have such a law on alternative
service," he insisted. "If one was adopted, what would we do if 10,000
young men refused to serve in our armed forces? That’s why we’re not in a
hurry to adopt this law."

Sargsyan stressed that he was speaking to Forum 18 in an individual
capacity, not in the name of the government. "I’ve been in this job for
four months, but my post has not been confirmed," he explained. "Only when
the 1997 Religion Law is amended to include the role of this office can my
responsibilities be confirmed."

Despite repeated calls on 27 March, Forum 18 was unable to reach Ashot
Gulyan, speaker of Nagorno-Karabakh’s parliament. He had told Forum 18 in
2006 that a Law on Alternative Service would not be adopted until the
conflict over the territory had been resolved (see F18News 9 November 2006
< e_id=866>).

A previous victim of Nagorno-Karabakh’s policy of insisting that all
conscripts must swear an oath of allegiance before they begin their
military service was Gagik Mirzoyan, a member of a local Council of
Churches Baptist congregation. He also refused to bear arms. After being
forcibly taken to a military unit in December 2004 and beaten, he was then
imprisoned for refusing military service. He was freed in September 2006
and transferred to a military unit, where he was able to serve without
swearing the oath and without bearing arms (see F18News 9 November 2006
< e_id=866>).

Mirzoyan’s military service should have ended on 29 December 2007, but he
was released only on 4 January. "Gagik was summoned again on 3 January and
told that if he refused to swear the oath they would not let him home,"
local Baptists told Forum 18 back in January. "He told them he had not
changed his view and would continue to refuse to swear the oath, whatever
consequences that would bring. Seeing his firmness on this issue they
handed him his military card and allowed him to go home." On his military
record card, which Mirzoyan has, the section headed "Oath" was crossed out.

Unlike in earlier years, neither the Jehovah’s Witnesses nor the Council
of Churches Baptists – who refuse to apply for state registration in any
former Soviet state – report any current harassment of their religious
activity.

Sargsyan of the Department for National Minorities and Religions told
Forum 18 that until the Religion Law is changed, no religious communities
apart from the dominant Armenian Apostolic Church will be able to get legal
status.

"We have emergency military rule at the moment because of the unresolved
conflict so all religious communities should be registered," he insisted.
"But the current law does not have provision for that. The Armenian
Apostolic Church’s status is recognised in our Constitution, but no other
religious communities have legal status. This must be changed." He told
Forum 18 the status of his department needed to be enshrined in the law and
a mechanism for registering religious organisations enacted. (END)

Further coverage of freedom of thought, conscience and belief in
Nagorno-Karabakh is at
< mp;religion=all&country=22>

A printer-friendly map of the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh is
available at
< s/atlas/index.html?Parent=asia&Rootmap=azerba& gt;
within the map titled ‘Azerbaijan’.
(END)

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