Author: Tavakalian Edgar

First Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan says he has materials of
criminal case against Karabakh Committee

2007-11-10 09:46:00

ArmInfo. First Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan said he has the
materials of the criminal case against Karabakh Committee

As ex-president’s statement received in ArmInfo says, in 1995 or 1996,
at his request, RA Prosecutor General Artavazd Gevorkyan sent the
volumes of the case against Karabakh Committee to the
presidential residency. After relevant documentation it was handed over
to the machinery. "This was done with the purpose to exhibit the
materials in the museum opened in 1998 in connection with the 10th
anniversary of Karabakh movement. After the power change the materials
of the case against Karabakh Committee were moved to my personal
archive and have so far been kept there safely and in good condition.
None of the prosecutor generals following Artavazd Gevorkyan requested
or demanded to return the materials. And today, I think the most
suitable place to keep them is the Museum of Karabakh movement, which
will sooner or later be opened. However, if it is necessary, I am ready
to return them immediately to the archive of the Prosecutor’s Office",
L. Ter-Petrosyan’s statement says.

Earlier, Executive Secretary of Armenian Pan-National Movement Board
Vahagn Hayotsyan had told AmrInfo correspondent: "Today’s statement by
Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan on the location of the criminal
case against Karabakh Committee is nothing but slander".

VivaCell donates 22,5 mln AMD to National Library of Armenia on the
latter’s 175th anniversary

2007-11-10 09:09:00

ArmInfo. VivaCell, the leading Armenian mobile operator, financed the
repair work of the head building of the National Library of Armenia.
VivaCell Press-secretary Vahe Isahakyan told ArmInfo correspondent that
the company allocated about 12,5 mln AMD for these purposes.

In addition, VivaCell donated 10 mln AMD to the library on the latter’s
175-th anniversary. At the moment, there are 7 mln printed units at the
library and about 30 thsd readers make use of its services. The
library’s building needed an overhaul for a long time, however, the
funds annually allocated from the state budget were not enough to
overhaul the building. Today, Director General of VivaCell Ralph
Yirikian was awarded a medal after first Armenian printer Hakob
Meghapart and a copy of the first printed book "Urbatagirk".
Celebrities like poetess Silva Kaputikyan, actress Galya Novents and
theatre representative Hakop Ghazarian were given this honor. "Each
Armenian must be proud of the existence of such a National Library,
which makes it possible to pass knowledge to many generations and to
open a new world for oneself", Ralph Yirikian said at the medal
awarding ceremony. To note, within the frames of its Corporate Social
Responsibility program, VivaCell renders financial support to the
disabled, socially unprivileged families and a number of organizations.

HOW THE STOLEN CRIMINAL CASE OF `KARABAKH’ COMMITTEE WAS DISCOVERED
KIMA YEGHIAZARYAN

"Hayots Ashkharh"Armenian Daily
10 Nov 07

Yesterday was the opening ceremony of the repaired building of the
Prosecutor’s Office of Malatia-Sebastia district. Profiting by the
occasion, the journalist addressed few questions to Prosecutor General
AGHVAN HOVSEPYAN.

`We know that the Prosecutor’s office is conducting a service
investigation in connection with the disappearance of the criminal case
of `Karabakh’ Committee. Is the investigation over? What have you found
out?’
`We received a request from `Iravounk’ newspaper. They asked us to
provide them certain data from the case. Based on the request, I
recommended that the case be submitted to me from the archive, so as we
could decide what data to provide to `Iravounk’ newspaper. The case
turned out to be missing from the archive. Naturally, I ordered a
service investigation.
As a result of the inquest it was found out that Head of the
investigative department had received the case by the recommendation of
the Prosecutor General as far back as on November 6, 1996 and submitted
it to Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the first President. Today we have sent a
note to Levon Ter-Petrsyn with a request to return the case to the
Prosecutor’s Office. The note was signed by the Head of the Staff of
the Prosecutor’s Office, since the archive is maintained by his staff
members.’
`Do you think Mr. Ter-Petrosyan will return the case?’
`I find it difficult to say whether he will return the case or not.
But I must say that under the law, the investigative body is not
allowed to hand over a criminal case to another body. Even the
President of the Republic is not entitled to request a criminal case in
accordance with the law and keep it under his control. In 1996 this
happened by a gross violation of law. Criminal cases cannot be
maintained in the archives of any other body. Especially in private
archives. I think Levon Ter-Petrosyan will be reasonable enough to
return the case to the Prosecutor’s Office.’
In addition to our request, we also received information from the
General Prosecutor’s Office that a special procedure is prescirbed for
getting acquainted with any case maintained in their archive. The shift
of all the criminal cases is recorded in the archive registry. It was
the mechanism of such clerical work that helped those conducting the
service investigation find out what shift had occurred in connection
with the criminal case of `Karabakh’ committee.
However, we later managed to find out details on the specific
circumstances in which the case was brought out from the archive. Based
on the information we possess, Head of the archive was in one of the
marzes on November 6, 1996, but he was urgently called to the
Prosecutor’s Office and instructed to open the archive. The case was
submitted in the evening, after the end of the working hour, so as the
employees of the Prosecutor’s Office would not see the volumes of the
case brought out of the building. That time Head of the Investigative
Department of the Prosecutor’s Office was Souren Goulyan, who had given
his signature for removing the case from the archive. S. Gyozalyan
handed over the case to Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s 2 guards. And the volumes
of the case were moved to the Presidential palace in 2 sacks.
By the way, the case consisted of 61 volumes, and not 50, as was
mentioned recently.
The fact that L. Ter-Petrosyan decided to have the criminal case of
`Karabakh’ Committee removed from the archive of the Prosecutor’s
Office and keep it under his own control is no less noteworthy. It
covered the time period following the presidential elections held in
September, 1996. A month after being `re-elected’ to the post of
President with the help of tanks he realized that it was necessary to
make the volumes of the case disappear, as the dangerous episodes it
contained were not probably few in number and might bring harm to his
`spotless’ image.

When the material was ready for publication, it became known that
that L. Ter-Petrosyan had made the following statement:
`At my request, Artavazd Gevorkyan, Prosecutor General of the
Republic of Armenia sent the volumes of the `Karabakh Committee’ case
to presidential residence in 1995 or 1995 and submitted it to the
Presidential staff with relevant formulations. This was done with the
purpose of depositing the materials in the museum that was to have
opened on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Karabakh
movement.
After the shift of power the materials of the `Karabakh Committee’
case were moved to my personal archive, and to date they have been kept
in complete form. None of the Prosecutor Generals that followed
Artavazd Gevorkyan has applied to me with a request or demand for
returning the case. And even today I believe that the museum dedicated
to the Karabakh Movement is the most convenient place for keeping the
materials. However, if necessary, I am ready to immediately return them
to the archive of the Prosecutor’s Office.’
LEVON TER-PETROSYAN

After familiarizing ourselves with LTP’s statement, there naturally
emerge several questions.
First: the disappearance of the `Karabakh’ Committee case has been
discussed for already a week. Why did Mr. Ter-Petrosyan decide to make
such a statement only after the service investigation allowed to find
out who was keeping the case.
Second: L. Ter-Petrosyan expresses willingness to send the case to
the Prosecutor’s Office; however, we wonder whether he will return the
volumes of the case in the same form (safe and sound) as he received.
Or he has cut the sections that were unfavorable for him?
Third: What is the sense of giving an instruction 2-3 years ago for
removing the case from the archive ago for displaying them in a
non-existent museum? The opposite process is accepted in international
practice. First, the museum is built, and then necessary materials are
collected.

STEPAN DEMIRCHYAN WILL NOT RUN FOR PRESIDENCY

Lragir.am
09-11-2007 13:51:25

The leader of the People’s Party of Armenia Stepan Demirchyan
stated November 9 at the Hayeli club he is not likely to run in the
presidential election. He explained that no candidate will win if
they run in the election alone. "We think it is necessary to form a
strong opposition pole and our efforts have always been directed at
this aim. Therefore, personally I am not likely to run in the election
this time. It is necessary to form a strong pole, and the serious and
responsible political forces should realize that if they run separately
they have no chance, if the purpose is not to win. Our purpose is to
win, to bring about real changes," Stepan Demirchyan says.

As to supporting another candidate, the leader of the People’s Party of
Armenia says they are most likely to support Levon Ter-Petrosyan. "The
party has not worked out a clear stance. We will discuss in the nearest
future and we will present our stance on the presidential election. As
to Levon Ter-Petrosyan, we should keep in mind that Levon Ter-Petrosyan
has a considerable potential for unification. Most political forces,
the intelligentsia already support him. It means there is potential
to bring together everyone. Therefore, I think if he is nominated,
he will be a strong candidate. In my opinion, the main opponents
will be the government’s candidate and Levon Ter-Petrosyan," Stepan
Demirchyan says.

He thinks even Levon Ter-Petrosyan will stand no chance if he runs
in the election alone. Stepan Demirchyan does not specify if the
present unification around Ter-Petrosyan is sufficient. The leader
of the People’s Party of Armenia only says there is unification,
and in fact the strong pole has already formed. As to the results of
the poll by the British ComRes agency which gives about 40 percent
to Serge Sargsyan and almost no rating to Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Stepan
Demirchyan says a serious person cannot take it seriously. The leader
of the People’s Party of Armenia also says if he is unlikely to run,
it does not mean that the members of the People’s Party of Armenia
do not want him to run in the election. Moreover, the party wanted
to nominate him, Stepan Demirchyan says, but he says referring to the
thesis of unification that the ranks of the People’s Party of Armenia
will understand that he is not running in the election, as well as
support for Levon Ter-Petrosyan, especially after the recent meeting
of Levon Ter-Petrosyan with the activists of the party at the office
of the PPA.

VARDAN OSKANIAN ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO SWITZERLAND’S PARTICIPATION IN ARMENIAN RURAL AREAS’ DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

Noyan Tapan
Nov 8, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian,
on November 8, met with Christine Egerszegi-Obrist, the President
of the Swiss National Council, who is in Yerevan on a regional
visit. V. Oskanian expressed satisfaction with the bilateral contacts
between Armenia and Switzerland in the last period. The Minister
highly evaluated the active and efficient activity promoted by the
Armenian-Swiss Friendship Group at the Swiss National Council. The
Minister attached importance to firm relations formed as a result
of mutual contacts, attaching a special importance to Switzerland’s
participation in the RA government’s rural areas’ development programs.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry Press and
Information Department, V. Oskanian presented the main directions of
Armenian foreign policy, relations with neighbors, negotiations process
of Nagorno Karabakh settlement, Armenia’s position on normalization
of Armenian-Turkish relations.

US EMBASSY DONATES LABORATORY EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING TO THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF EXPERTISES IN YEREVAN

armradio.am
08.11.2007 12:42

On November 8, the US government donated approximately $280,000
of forensics laboratory equipment to the National Bureau of
Expertises. Signing the donation letter on behalf of the US Embassy was
Chargé d’Affairs Joseph Pennington and, on behalf of the Government
of Armenia, Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepian. Also in attendance
were National Academy of Sciences President Radik Martirosyan and
National Bureau of Expertises Director Artashes Javadyan.

The new equipment was bought by the International Narcotics and
Law Enforcement Affairs Section of the US Embassy in Yerevan. The
donation includes two items of particular importance: a ballistics
comparison microscope and a bullet recovery system. Armenia now owns
one of the most modern and sophisticated ballistics microscopes on the
market. Coupled with the recovery system, this equipment will enable
the Bureau’s firearms examination unit to identify spent ammunition
and test a variety of firearms. A representative of the US Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is in Yerevan to train lab
personnel. Members of Georgia’s forensic laboratories arrived this
week to work and train with their Armenian and American colleagues.

Total US government assistance to the National Bureau of Expertise
now exceeds $630,000. In addition to the equipment donated today,
the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Section funded
the renovation of one of the laboratory’s buildings, arranged for
training for Bureau personnel in Armenia and abroad, and funded
various visits by an American Forensics Advisor. The goal is to
achieve accreditation for the Bureau as an internationally recognized
forensics laboratory. In pursuit of that goal, future US government
expenditures over the next few years will exceed two million dollars.

This project is only part of the US government’s comprehensive law
enforcement assistance program in the Republic of Armenia. The US
Embassy in Yerevan, through its International Narcotics and Law
Enforcement Section, has funded the renovation of such facilities
as the Police Induction Center in Kanaker, the Border Guards
Training Facility in Yerevan and the Customs Training Center in
Vanadzor. Moreover, the Embassy has donated computer equipment in all
these facilities. The Embassy is also working with the Government of
Armenia to establish a nationwide, computerized border management
information system and a nationwide computer network for the RA
Police. The US Government provides about $3 million a year in law
enforcement assistance to Armenia.

–Boundary_(ID_oFJtigoqG1P6adRkw5F1Fw)–

BIRD FLU EPIDEMIC OUTBREAK IS VERY PROBABLE CURRENTLY, SPECIALISTS CONSIDER

Noyan Tapan
Nov 6, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. A three-day symposium under the title
"Communication and Work with Media in Emergencies Posing Danger to
Population’s Health, in Particular, during a Pandemia" started on
November 6 on the initiative of UNICEF and Japanese government. As
Sheldon Yett, a representative of UNICEF’s Armenian office, said
in his speech, the symposium is held in a period when the world is
faced with the danger of bird flu and pandemic flu. He said that in
the whole world national governments exert much efforts to work out
national response plans in order to overcome that problem.

Representatives of the RA Ministries of Health, Agriculture,
Territorial Administration, Rescue Service take part in the
symposium. According to S. Yett, the symposium’s main goal is to
provide necessary information and skills of strategies’ elaboration
to government officials and spokespersons, "so that they will be able
to efficiently work with local and international media."

According to the data provided by Elizabeth Danielian, the Head of the
World Health Organization’s Armenian Office, some epidemics of various
types of flu broke out in the 20th century, Spanish flu in 1918, Asian
flu in 1957, Hong Kong flu in 1968. "You see that the last pandemia
was recorded long ago, consequently, outbreak of a new epidemic,
that of bird flu, is very probable currently in the world. And we
should get ready to resist in just from today," E. Danielian said.

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR DESCRIBES SYRIAN-ARMENIAN RELATIONS AS DEEP-ROOTED
H.Zain/ Idelbi

SANA
Tuesday, November 06, 2007 – 02:25 PM

DAMASCUS, SANA- Armenian Ambassador in Damascus Archad Boladian
stressed importance of the bilateral relations between Syria and
Armenia in various domains, expressing his country’s desire to bolster
these relations in the interest of both countries.

In a statement to SANA reporter Tuesday on the occasion of Armenia’s
National Day, Boladian said that "Syria and Armenia are linked with
historical ties", He asserted that the two countries hold political
consultations and coordination at the international forums and
organizations.

He stressed Syria’s pivotal role regarding the pending issues in the
region, pointing out that Syria seeks to find peaceful solutions to
all issues on regional and international levels, stressing Syria’s
and Armenia’s identical views on this regard.

He said that chairman of the Armenian-Syrian joint committee heading a
high level delegation will be visiting Damascus to chair his country’s
side in the meetings of the 4th session of the joint committee.

TAX OFFICIALS AND LAW ENFORCERS SEIZE COMPUTERS OF "BJNI"

Noyan Tapan
Nov 5, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. Employees of the State Tax Service
agjunct to the Armenian government and of the RA Police Department on
the Fight against Organized Crime is now conducting checkings at the
Bjni plant of mineral waters owned by Khachatur Sukiasian, president
of SIL Concern, deputy of the RA National Assembly. NT correspondent
was informed by the concern that employees of the above mentioned
bodies have seized the concern’s computers.

To recap, tax offficials conducted an audit at Bjni in July of
this year.

WHY WRONGDOERS ARE NOT PUNISHED

KarabakhOpen
05-11-2007 13:41:03

A few days ago Prime Minister Ara Harutiunyan held a consultation
at the regional administration of Martakert. One of the issues to
discuss was the repayment of loans. The prime minister instructed the
regional administration to make efforts for the repayment of loans
farmers had received from the government.

Last year and the year before the last, the government lent seeds and
diesel fuel to farmers. Part of the loans were not repaid, especially
major loans.

Some farmers who did not repay the loan had not harvested any
crops. Some farmers who got seeds from the government said they
were poor quality. The officials denied this, however. Moreover,
they demanded immediate repayment with interest.

During the consultation the information was confirmed. The head of the
department of agriculture of the regional administration of Martakert
said in an interview with the public television of Artsakh the seeds
had been poor quality.

Who will assume responsibility for giving out bad seeds to farmers
on public money? After all, besides conscious wasting of the public
money many people were sent into debt. Most importantly, how can the
government have such a lax attitude? Nobody assumed responsibility
for this. The only thing that the prime minister promised was to
eliminate interest on loan.