Author: Madatian Greg

OVERALL BALANCE CAPITAL OF ARMENIAN COMMERCIAL BANKS GROWS BY 6.3% IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2007

Noyan Tapan
May 10 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. As of March 31, 2007, 21 commercial
banks with their 304 branches operated in Armenia. According to the
Central Bank of Armenia (CBA), the actual authorized fund of these
banks made 82 bln 907 mln 465 thousand drams (over 230 mln 657 thousand
USD) on the indicated date, growing by 3.5% in the first quarter of
2007. The overall balance capital of the banks grew by 6.3% in the
indicated three months and made 127 bln 906 mln 330 thousand drams
as of March 31.

The total amount of liabilities of Armenian commercial banks amounted
to 423 bln 529 mln 814 thousand drams as of the same day, increasing
by 4.7% in a year. The indices of overall assets made 551 bln 428
mln 144 thousand drams and 5.1% respectively.

As of March 31, 2007, standard loans and debts made up 97.3% of the
commercial banks’ overall debts and bills receivable of 320 bln 181
mln 141 thousand drams.

The total amount of loans given by the banks to residents, as well
as deposits and money provided by factoring and leasing made 272
bln 727 mln 894 thousand drams as of March 31 2007, growing by 12%
in the indicated quarter. 44 bln 808 mln 13 thousand drams provided to
industry grew by 14.1% in the three monts, 16 bln 408 mln 303 thousand
drams provided to agriculture grew by 15.6% in these three months,
these indices with respect to construction made 13 bln 125 mln 274
thousand drams and 13.7%, with respect to transport and communication –
4 bln 213 mln 703 thousand drams and 7.6%.

As of March 31, 2007, the sum provided by the Armenian commercial
banks to trade amounted to 55 bln 421 mln 184 thousand drams, growing
by 11.8% in three months, the sum to the financial sector of the
economy – 16 bln 791 mln 677 thousand drams, growing by 9.5% in three
months, the amount of provided consumer credits – to 76 bln 901 mln
549 thousand drams, growing by 12.4% in three months. These indices
with resepct to mortgage crediting made 27 bln 713 mln 815 thousand
drams and 16.6%, the crediting in other sectors made 17 bln 344 mln
375 thousand drams, declining by 0.5% in the first quarter of 2007.

Gross revenues of the commercial banks in the period under review
made 23 bln 231 mln 38 thousand drams, their gross expenditures – 17
bln 451 mln 562 thousand drams, while net and undistributed profits –
4 bln 718 mln 925 thousand drams.

ARKADY GHUKASYAN: WE ARE THE MASTERS OF OUR DESTINY

ArmRadio.am
09.05.2007 14:00

On May 9 a military parade was held in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
on the occasion of the is the day of the 15tha anniversary of Shoushi
liberation, the 62nd anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic
War and the NKR Defense Army Day.

The event featured the Presidents of NKR and Armenia Arkady Ghukasyan
and Robert Kocharyan, other officials. In his greeting speech NKR
Presidnet Arkady Ghukasyan emphasized the strong and decisive will
of the people who achieved the victories, the capacity to unite
and assemble.

The President mentioned that the Armenian guys, who were heroically
fighting in distant fronts, were realizing that they were defending
their native land as well. Decades after that, volunteers from Artsakh,
Armenia and Diaspora achieved victory for Artsakh in the struggle
for the independence of Nagorno Karabakh.

On May 9 we are also celebrating the Day of the NKR Defense
Army. According to NKR President’s assessment, with its military
efficiency and order the Army is exemplary in our region. "It is the
Army that became a strong and reliable guarantee of independence of
our people and state," the President stated.

"15 years is just a moment in the longstanding Armenian history, but
it was enough to build our sovereign state, permanently feeling the
kind support from Motherland and the Diaspora. This safeguarded the
liberation of Shoushi, which reinforced our will, hope and faith,"
Arkady Ghukasyan stated.

NKR President assured that the Nagorno Karabakh Republic will remain
committed to the principles of freedom, independence and democracy. "We
are the masters of our destiny and the right for the last word in
determining our future belongs to us.

AN IRAQI ARMENIAN SHOT DEAD IN BAGHDAD
Ara S. Ashjian

KarabakhOpen
08-05-2007 14:57:02
Baghdad, Iraq

An Iraqi Armenian was shot dead in Baghdad for unknown reasons.

Ohan Apraham Yenovkian, 36, was shot dead by gunmen after he had
left the house of a well-known wealthy Armenian he was guarding. The
wealthy Armenian had fled the country to escape the kidnapping wave
of wealthy people to get ransoms.

Since the US invasion in 2003, 31 Iraqi Armenians were killed. 28
others were kidnapped, 25 of them returned to their families after
paying ransoms, fate of other two people are still unknown, the body
of the third kidnapped was returned to his family.

AZG Armenian Daily #083, 05/05/2007

Parliamentary Elections

ADIBEKIAN CONTINUES HIS POLLS

Sociologist Aharon Adibekian will continue his polling up to the
end. Yesterday he published the results of the last polls by
"Sociometer" center. 1050 people were polled in the provinces
(marzes).

According to this poll the next National Assembly will have the
following structure: Republicans (HHK) – 55-60 seats, Prosperous
Armenia (BHK) – 35-40 seats, Orinats Erkir (The Rule of Law) and ARF
(Dashnaktsutyun) – 8-12 seats each. The National Unity, the Heritage
and even People’s party, the United Labor Party and the Dashink
(Alliance) Party will probably win the 5%. What about People’s Party
of Armenia, it won’t probably win the 5% and have seats in the next
National Assembly (its votes will be taken by People’s Party and
Heritage).

Adibekian spoke about the coalition of the next NA. According to
statistics, non of the parties will have a majority in the next NA,
maybe it will be enough for Republicans to cooperate with
Dashnaktsutyun, but in all probability, Repeublicans (HHK), Hertage
Armenia (BHK) and ARF (Dashnaktsutyun) will be the coalition members.

ANKARA’S DENIAL OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE REMAINS A SOURCE OF CONTROVERSY BETWEEN TURKEY AND U.S.

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.05.2007 14:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In a sign of the growing isolation faced by
opponents of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, the U.S. Commission
on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) – a governmental body
formed by Congress – has reported that Turkey’s continued refusal
to recognize the Armenian Genocide remains a source of controversy
in Turkey’s relations with the United States. The Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA) reports, the Commission communicated its
views on this subject as part of the annual report it submitted last
week to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on religious freedom
around the world.

"We are gratified both by the Commission’s clear recognition of
the Armenian Genocide as well as by the fact that its members have
addressed the ongoing costs associated with Turkey’s denial of
this crime against humanity. We also appreciate the Commission’s
documentation of the Hrant Dink assassination and the other forms of
violence and official intimidation inflicted by the Turkish government
against Armenians and other Christian communities," ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian said.

The report also devoted considerable attention to the brutal murder
of Armenian Journalist Hrant Dink who was killed in Istanbul after
being prosecuted under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code for
speaking openly about the Armenian Genocide.

ARMENIAN LIFERS GO ON INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKE

Arminfo
2 May 07

Yerevan, 2 May: "Seventeen people sentenced to life in the Nubarashen
criminal-executive institution announced an indefinite hunger strike
today," a report by the Helsinki Association of Armenia said today.

The report said that those on hunger strike demand meetings with
Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, EU and OSCE representatives
and the press. They consider illegal the 1 August 2003 presidential
decree on amnesty.

The report has not been confirmed by the Justice Ministry. The press
secretary of the justice minister, Anahit Voskanyan, said that no
strike has been recorded so far and no announcement of a hunger strike
has been received.

The report was circulated by the Helsinki Association of
Armenia. However, attempts to get in touch with its administration
and receive confirmation from it failed.

EVENT DEDICATED TO MEMORY OF POETS – PARTICIPANTS OF ARTSAKH WAR HELD IN UNION OF WRITERS OF ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
May 03 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. A literary event dedicated to the memory
of poets – participants of Artsakh war was organized on May 3 on the
initiative of Union of Writers of Armenia and Yerkrapah Volunteers’
Union.

David Muradian, Vice-Chairman of Union of Writers of Armenia, said
that literature played a considerable role in the issue of formation of
Armenian independent statehood. In his words, many soldiers committed
to paper their feelings on the battlefield. "One of the important
centers of national movement was the Union of Writers where the pen
and the arms were united," D. Muradian said.

"Soldiers fight, mothers win." With these words of national
hero and founder of Armenian army Vazgen Sargsian – actor Amiran
Galstian greeted and expressed gratitude to mothers of perished
freedom-fighters.

Fragments from works of poet-fighters were recited at the event.

WORLD CHESS CHAMPION VLADIMIR KRAMNIK ARRIVING IN ARMENIA

ArmRadio.am
02.05.2007 11:21

World Chess Champion, Russian Vladimir Kramnik will arrive in Armenia
today to participate in a chess tournament with Armenian Grand Master
Levon Aronyan to be held on May 4-6 in the National Theatre of Opera
and Ballet. The tournament will be comprised of 6 games with the
rules of rapid chess. On each day of the tournament there will be a
briefing for press.

Secretary General of RA Chess Federation Gagik Hovhannisyan told
Armenpress that Aronyan-Kramink tournament has caused great interest
among sport lovers and media.

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

========================================== ======
Wednesday 2 May 2007
ARMENIA: 72 RELIGIOUS PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE IS NEW RECORD

Armenia has a record number of religious conscientious objectors to
military service in jail, despite a 2004 promise to free these prisoners of
conscience, Forum 18 News Service has found. 72 Jehovah’s Witnesses are now
in jail. Four of these prisoners have been jailed within the past month,
with an average jail sentence for each of the four young men of just under
two and a half years. Armenia claims to have a civilian alternative
service, but the allegedly "civilian" service is under the complete control
of the Armenian General Staff, supervised by the Military Police under
military law, and pacifists are forced to wear military uniform. Jehovah’s
Witnesses and Molokans insist that they would be happy to perform a
genuinely civilian alternative service – but Armenia does not allow this.
The father of a Molokan Protestant Christian conscientious objector told
Forum 18 that "we’re not satisfied with the current alternative service.
It’s against our faith to take weapons and to kill people."

ARMENIA: 72 RELIGIOUS PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE IS NEW RECORD

By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service <;

Armenia’s Jehovah’s Witnesses have complained to Forum 18 News Service
that 72 of their young men are now imprisoned for refusing both military
service and the alternative service under military control, the highest
number ever. This number could rise still further as the spring 2007
call-up gets underway. "Sentences are getting harsher and are now typically
up to three years’ imprisonment," Jehovah’s Witness lawyer Lyova Markaryan
told Forum 18 from the capital Yerevan on 1 May. "The government is saying
nothing about this issue." He says the government should fulfil its
obligations to the Council of Europe by freeing all the imprisoned
conscientious objectors, halt further prosecutions and introduce a purely
civilian alternative to military service.

On accession to the Council of Europe in January 2001, Armenia pledged to
adopt a law on alternative service within three years and in the meantime
to free all conscientious objectors from prison. The alternative service
law was eventually adopted in 2004 but the alternative service it created
remained under military control, which contradicts Council of Europe
principles.

On 23 January 2007, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
again passed a resolution expressing disappointment over the failure to
introduce a civilian alternative service. It said it was "deeply concerned"
over the continued imprisonment of "dozens" of Jehovah’s Witnesses. "The
Assembly urges the Armenian authorities to revise the law on alternative
service in accordance with the recommendations made by the Council of
Europe experts currently studying this issue and, in the meantime, to
pardon the young conscientious objectors currently serving prison
sentences," the resolution declared.

The Armenian Parliament’s then deputy speaker, Tigran Torosyan, told the
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly on 22 June 2004 that all
conscientious objector prisoners would be freed. Instead, Armenia has
continued to jail these religious prisoners of conscience, which has drawn
repeated Council of Europe protests (see F18News 22 February 2006
< e_id=732>).

Defence Ministry officials seek to hide military involvement in the
"civilian" alternative service. "It is not under the jurisdiction of the
Ministry of Defence," Lt Suren Aloyan of the ministry’s press office
insisted to Forum 18 on 2 May. "It is under Ministry of Health and Ministry
of Social Security jurisdiction."

Currently, the Military Commissariat sends those accepted for alternative
service to the Health and Social Security ministries for work to be
assigned to such conscientious objectors. However, this allegedly
"civilian" alternative service is supervised by the Military Police under
regulations laid down by the Defence Ministry. Conscientious objectors are
ordered to wear military uniform and fed military rations. All breaches of
orders or regulations are dealt with by the Military Prosecutor’s Office.

Order No. 142, issued by the then Deputy Defence Minister Mikael
Harutyunyan on 20 December 2004, ordered the Military Commissariat and the
Military Police to ensure that there is weekly military supervision of
everyone performing "civilian" alternative service. Monthly written reports
were ordered to be submitted to the Chief of the General Staff, and the
military was ordered to search for anyone who attempts to evade the
"civilian" alternative service. The Head of the Mobilisation Administration
of the General Staff was given the responsibility of ensuring that Order
No. 142 is obeyed (see F18News 22 February 2006
< e_id=732>).

"Alternative service is totally under the control of the Defence
Ministry," Vahan Ishkhanian, a journalist with the Yerevan-based news
agency ArmeniaNow who has often covered conscientious objector cases, told
Forum 18 on 1 May. "It is not civilian, which is why Jehovah’s Witnesses
refuse to do alternative service." He says no-one is currently doing the
alternative service.

However, despite failing to introduce an alternative service outside the
control of the Defence Ministry, Armenian officials insist the country has
met its obligations to the Council of Europe. "Unlike our neighbours, we
offer an alternative service," Tigran Samvelyan, the head of the Council of
Europe department at the Armenian Foreign Ministry, told Forum 18 from
Yerevan on 2 May. "Our law on alternative service is very much in
conformity with Council of Europe commitments." He refused to discuss why
alternative service is under military control and said he did not know how
many people are imprisoned for being unable on grounds of conscience to
perform military service or military-controlled alternative service. He
then put the phone down.

Armenia’s Human Rights Ombudsperson, Armen Harutyunyan, expressed concern
about the current alternative service being offered. "This is more than
just a problem of the Jehovah’s Witnesses – it is a general problem," he
told Forum 18 from Yerevan on 2 May. He said all the complaints so far to
his office have been about the punitive length of the alternative service
and the conditions for those conducting the service, rather than over the
fact that it is subject to military control. "But of course it is a problem
if 72 people are imprisoned because of this – this problem must be
overcome," he added.

Harutyunyan pointed to Recommendation 1518 (2001) of the Council of
Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, which calls for "genuine alternative
service of a clearly civilian nature which should be neither deterrent nor
punitive in character". He said Armenia’s current law does not provide
this. "I agree that the alternative service should be civilian and should
not be under the control of the military, of the Ministry of Defence," he
told Forum 18.

Jehovah’s Witness lawyer Markaryan reported that among sentences in April
2007 were: a three year prison term imposed in the town of Martuni on Kajik
Harutyunyan; a 27-month term imposed on Hakop Babayan; a 30-month term on
his brother Vahan Babayan; and a 24-month term on Genuni Barsegyan. Almost
all Jehovah’s Witness conscientious objectors are prosecuted under Article
327 part 1 of the Criminal Code, which punishes evasion of the call-up to
military or alternative service. The maximum sentence under this article
was increased to three years’ imprisonment in December 2005.

Three Jehovah’s Witnesses imprisoned earlier as conscientious objectors
have lodged cases at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in
Strasbourg. In the first of the cases, on 12 December 2006 the Strasbourg
court declared partially admissible the case of Vahan Bayatyan (Case No.
23459/03), lodged in 2003. The court ruled that Armenia’s prosecution of
him violated his right to freedom of religion, though the court rejected
some of Bayatyan’s other complaints.

Bayatyan was called up in the spring draft in 2001 but refused to perform
military service on grounds of religious conscience. He offered instead to
perform genuinely civilian alternative service, but was arrested in
September 2002 and later tried and imprisoned. He was freed on parole in
July 2003.

Protestant Christians have also objected to the "civilian" alternative
service. Nikolai Karavanov told Forum 18 on 2 May that his son Pavel was
freed from prison in summer 2006 under amnesty. He had been sentenced in
autumn 2005 after abandoning alternative service when he realised it was
under military control (see F18News 22 February 2006
< e_id=732>). Pavel Karavanov was
the first member of the Molokans to be jailed for conscientious objection
to military service since the Soviet period. Molokans are an Russian
Protestant church, established in the 17th century and known for their
pacifism. There are about 4,000 Molokans in Armenia.

There are no known current Molokan conscientious objectors in prison,
Nikolai Karavanov added. However, one Molokan young man due to be called up
shortly has already told the authorities that he is not prepared to do
either military service or alternative service because of his pacifist
religious beliefs. "Let’s see what happens to him," Karavanov said.

Karavanov explained that Molokan young men would be happy with a genuine
civilian alternative service. "Of course we’re not satisfied with the
current alternative service," he told Forum 18. "It’s against our faith to
take weapons and to kill people." He said that, in the mid-1990s, Molokan
representatives had met government officials to insist that their young men
be free from compulsory military service. Officials at that time promised
that Molokans would not be imprisoned for refusing to join the army.
However, in 2005 Pavel Karavanov was imprisoned.

Since the Alternative Service Law came into force in 2004, officials do
not wish to change it again to allow a genuine civilian alternative
service, Ishkhanian of ArmeniaNow told Forum 18. "Armenian officials could
understand what is required to provide this, but they don’t want to
understand." Official sources in Armenia have indicated to Forum 18 that
moves to introduce a new Alternative Service Law and amend the Criminal
Code appear to have come to a halt (see F18News 23 February 2006
< e_id=733>).

Markaryan of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is equally pessimistic. "I don’t see
any desire on the part of the government to resolve this problem at the
moment."

Ishkhanian of ArmeniaNow does not think that there is international
pressure to change the law. "I believe the Council of Europe is not
pressuring Armenia on this, that’s why there’s been no change to the Law to
allow civilian alternative service," he told Forum 18. "If the Council of
Europe declared bluntly that Armenia has not fulfilled its obligations in
this area I believe it would influence the government."

However, Council of Europe and Organisation for Security and Co-operation
in Europe (OSCE) officials have repeatedly assured Forum 18 that this is
not the case (see F18News 22 February 2006
< e_id=732>). Officials have urged
Armenia to stop prosecuting conscientious objectors, stop jailing religious
prisoners of conscience, and to introduce a genuinely civilian alternative
service. However, Armenia has ignored these requests to respect fundamental
human rights. (END)

Further coverage of Armenian-related religious freedom issues is at
< mp;religion=all&country=21&results=50>

A printer-friendly map of Armenia is available at
< s/atlas/index.html?Parent=asia&Rootmap=armeni& gt;
(END)

© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved. ISSN 1504-2855
You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News

Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at

DPP WILL BE DISCOVERY OF THESE ELECTIONS, PARTY REPRESENTATIVES SAY

Noyan Tapan
Apr 30 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The first three persons on the
proportional list of the "Democratic Path" party (DPP) are content with
the pre-election campaign process. Chairman of DPP Manuk Gasparian,
Chairman of the Alliance of National Democrats Arshak Sadoyan and
National Assembly deputy Aghasi Arshakian stated this at the April
30 press conference. In the words of M. Gasparian, having visited
over 96 Armenian settlements, they saw that "the people is gradually
waking up, although few of them believe in possible shift of power." He
said that many parties – the campaign participants started promising
to raise pensions after the DPP did so. According to M. Gasparian,
a two- or three-fold rise in pensions is possible in practice, but
"realizing that it will hit their pockets, the authorities state that
it is impossible."

A. Arshakian announced that after the press conference they will go to
Aparan where they expect to get the majority of votes. In his opinion,
"the DPP will be the discovery of these elections." He noted that the
campaign did not proceed well in four settlements: Mkhchian village
(birthplace of Hovik Abrahamian, minister of territorial governance),
the city of Gyumri where there were torrential rains, Zovuni village
whose head is, as A. Arshakian put it, "an ungrateful person", and
in Shahumian village.

A. Sadoyan in his turn noted that during all meetings they tried
to convince people that nothing is predetermined and they must
participate in the elections. In his words, today by their "false
surveys" sociologist Aharon Adibekian and others are preparing ground
for future "drawing".

The press conference participants added that in case of riggings they
will raise their voices. In particular, M. Gasparian promised not to
go home on April 13 until all falcifiers are punished.