Author: Tigranian Ani

PREVENTING ARMS SALE TO ARMENIA BY ALBANIA IS ASSESSED AS SAMPLE FOR AZERBAIJAN’S GROWING INTERNATIONAL IMAGE: PRESIDENT

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug 1 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend S.Agayeva / Preventing arms sales to
Armenia by Albania is assessed as a sample for Azerbaijan’s growing
international image, said the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev,
on 1 August at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.

A relevant decision was made by the Government of Albania after the
Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan forwarded a protest letter. During
a 31 July conversation with Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar
Mammadyarov and Luis Basha, the Foreign Minister of Albania, Basha
said that the Government of Albania did not permit the selling of arms
to Armenia. Basha stressed that the relations between Azerbaijan and
Albania are significant within international organizations.

In his speech, Ilham Aliyev once again stressed that the
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may be settled only
within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. He said that he
will be continuing paying special attention to army establishment in
the region.

In addition, the State Head underlined that the tent camps settled by
the internally displaced persons who were expelled from their native
lands as a result of Armenian occupation will be liquidated by the
end of the year.

8 CRIMINAL CASES ON FACTS OF VIOLATIONS DURING THE MAY 12 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO ARMENIAN COURTS

arminfo
2007-07-31 17:01:00

8 criminal cases on facts of violations during the May 12 parliamentary
election have been submitted to Armenian courts.

The press-service of the Armenian Prosecutor General’s Office
reports that the courts adjudicated upon 7 cases with respect to 16
persons. Under 4 cases, 12 members of district election commissions
were found guilty. 11 members of the commissions, three of which
were chairmen of district electoral commissions were found guilty of
rigging votes, 1 person – of obstructing the commission’s work. Under
2 criminal cases, 3 persons were found guilty of obstructing and
attempt of obstructing the voters’ will. 1 person was found guilty
of hooliganism in the area of the constituency, and a lawsuit with
respect to 1 person is still underway.

MATTHEW BRYZA VISITING YEREVAN

armradio.am
30.07.2007 13:12

In the framework of a regional visit, US Deputy Assistant Secretary
of State for Europe and Eurasia Matthew Bryza is viiting Yerevan.

US Embassy in Armenia informs that Matthew Bryza aims to discuss
issues related to bilateral Armenian-American relations.

The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State is expected to leave
Yerevan for Moscow to meet with the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group
Yuri Merzlyakov and Bernard Fassier on August 2. The details of the
meeting are not reported.

Let us remind that the previous meeting of the Co-Chairs took place
in Vienna on July 12, after which the Co-Chairs came forth with a
statement, in which they mentioned that the Saint Petersburg meeting
between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan yielded no results
and emphasized the necessity of continuing the negotiations.

THE PROSECUTION DEMANDS 3 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT FOR KARABAKH MILITARY ACTIONS ACTIVISTS

arminfo
2007-07-30 14:29:00

At the last trial over the heads of public and patriotic organizations
for Protection of Liberated Territories Zhirayr Sefilyan and his
assistant Vardan Malhkasyan, the prosecution demanded 3 years
of imprisonment for Sefilyan and 2.5 years of imprisonment for
Malkhasyan. The prosecution demanded 3 years of imprisonment also for
another detainee Vahan Aroyan, who is charged with illegal keeping
of a great number of weapons.

To recall, on July 2 First Instance Court of Center and Nork-Marash
communities started the trial of Zhirayr Sefilyan, a hero of
Karabakh war, the coordinator of the Union of Armenian Volunteers,
Vardan Malkhasyan, Sefilayn’s supporter, a member of Motherland and
Honor party, who are charged with public calls for overthrow of the
constitutional order, as well as of Vahan Arosyan. Zhirayr Sefilyan
was arrested on December 9 2006. He is charged with Article 301 of
RA Criminal Code. Sefilyan’s supporters are sure that it is the first
narrow political trial in the history of independent Armenia.

The lawyers will make their final speech on July 31.

JORDANIAN PAPER FEARS SECURITY PROBLEMS AS IRAQI REFUGEES ARRIVE
Article by Nermeen Murad: "Jordan’s Legacy"

Jordan Times, Amman
30 Jul 07

Much has been written about how Jordan is a destination for
refugees escaping the war-ravaged countries in the neighbourhood,
particularly from Palestine. One sometimes even forgets that Jordan’s
first immigrants, Circassians, Chechens and Armenians, settled in
downtown Amman even before the 1948 war that brought the first wave
of Palestinian refugees.

The Palestinians are the well-documented case of mass immigration,
in 1948, 1967 or, in smaller numbers, after they were forced out of
Lebanon and Kuwait. But there are also pockets of Syrians, Lebanese
and Iraqis who over the years escaped political developments to seek
the protection of the Hashimites. So to say that Jordan has become
a hub for nationalities united under the protective umbrella of the
Hashimite regime would be stating the obvious.

The sacrifice of the Jordanian people who supported their leadership
in mapping out this unique role for the Kingdom can only be weighed
against the benefits that these immigrants brought to the country. I do
not only mean financial benefit, although cynics would certainly argue
that much international aid to Jordan was triggered by the need to
support the Kingdom absorb these waves of immigrants. I specifically
refer to the multicultural personality of the new generation of
Jordanians who see themselves as products of this ethnic melting
pot with roots in many neighbouring countries and who, therefore,
work on building business and political bridges with all.

Now it appears we are faced with one of the more challenging
immigration waves, that of Iraqis. As the Palestinians, the Iraqis
bring with them security risks to the country’s unique stability,
if only because of their own sectarian differences and because their
recent political history which was bloody and violent. But having
listed all the risks of welcoming this new wave of immigrants,
I must admit that I find it offensive to hear all the arguments
against allowing this group of people to find peace among us.

More importantly, I feel that we need to help this group learn how to
live in peace, as one day, they will be able to take this experience
back to their country when all settles there.

There are definitely security risks, but we have learned over the
years exactly how to monitor these risks and root them out. We also
have been relatively selective in who we have allowed to come and
reside among us. Now that they do, we must let them live in peace
and dignity. To do that, they need to be able to travel freely, seek
business opportunities and, most obviously, bring their children up
in a normal environment.

The decision by King Abdullah to personally follow up on the situation
of Iraqi immigrants and ensure that their lives run smoothly while in
Jordan is testament to the ongoing legacy not only of the Hashimites
but also of the Jordanians who have made sacrifices over the decades,
sharing their space with waves of "guests".

The King’s decision to waive the residency requirement for
schoolchildren has brought huge relief in the Iraqi community in
Jordan. The first result of this move is that this community will
begin to feel a bond with the rest of us, regardless of our origins,
and understand why we all work so hard to safeguard the stability of
Jordan. The more they become part of our system the more they will
become active participants in safeguarding this system.

Until such a time when Iraq becomes stable, Jordan and Jordanians
must work to cultivate the best relationship with its Iraqi guests
so that they would go back and become the best neighbours we can have.

This is the formula that King Abdullah highlighted with his move to
place this group under his protective wing last week. When they are
made welcome in our country, they not only look after our country while
they are in it, but also later when they move back to theirs. This
is Jordan’s legacy and this is the secret behind its stability.

North Country Gazette, NY
July 28 2007

Phone Campaign Underway To Protest Kevorkian
Posted on Saturday, 28 of July , 2007 at 8:05 pm

GAINESVILLE, FL – A campaign to generate thousands of phone calls to
protest the appearance of Jack `Dr. Death’ Kevorkian at the
University of Florida has been initiated by the Flint Right To Life
organization in Flint, Mich.

Kevorkian has reportedly accepted a speaking engagement on Oct. 11
for a $50,000 fee, sponsored by Accent, a student government funded
speaker’s bureau at the university. However, the college
communications department said last week that no contract has yet
been signed with Kevorkian.

The program will reportedly be funded by student activity funds and
special fees.

Kevorkian, 79, was released on parole from a Michigan state prison
after serving eight years of a 10 to 25 year sentence for second
degree murder. He had been convicted in April 1999 for the 1998
poisoning of Thomas Youk, 52, a Michigan man afflicted with Lou
Gehrig’s disease.

Kevorkian had fatally injected drugs in Youk, taping the procedure
which was later shown on `60 Minutes’, claiming it was euthanasia or
mercy killing but the jury said it was murder. The airing of the tape
led to his arrest. Despite repeated efforts by prosecutors to send
him to prison, was convicted only for the Youk death.

Although claiming that he’s not advocating assisted suicide, he says
that doctors should be allowed to administer drugs to end a patient’s
life if the patient is too disabled to do it himself. Suicide is
illegal and Oregon is the only state that has passed legislation that
allows doctor to assist the terminally ill to end their lives if the
patient too disabled to do it themselves. However, there’s a real
issue about mental competency.

During an interview in Michigan within days after his release,
Kevorkian announced his new `mission’ to educate and inform the
masses about their rights as citizens. As part of his parole,
Kevorkian cannot advocate assisted suicide so he’s engaging in what
can only be called doublespeak saying that his NEW mission `is not
assisted suicide. My work is effectively done there’, he says.
`I’ll do what I can to have it legalized’.

He cannot leave the state of Michigan without approval of the
Michigan Parole Board.

Judy Climer, president of Flint Right to Life, is urging that phone
calls be made to University of Florida president James Machen at
352-392-1311 ( [email protected] )
and the Annual Giving Office at 1-800-279-6796 to `object to the
taxpayers of Florida dollars being used to pay for Jack Kevorkian to
speak to the student body on Oct. 11′.

Calls can also be placed to the Accent Speech Bureau at 352-392-1665
ext. 306. Their fax is 352-392-8072. Their website
is not currently on line. Email:
[email protected]

Although The North Country Gazette could not establish that taxpayer
funds are involved, Ms. Climer said that she was told that the monies
the students use to pay him from partially from state monies and
perhaps federal monies.

`Though it is not in Michigan, it will ripple across America and our
students deserve better than Jack Kevorkian’, Ms. Climer said.
`There’s enough violence hitting our campuses without adding Dr.
Death and his message’.

Bobby Schindler, brother of Terri Schindler Schiavo, the brain
injured woman who died in March 2005, after her feeding tube was
removed by court order at the behest of her husband, is asking people
to sign a petition directed at the university asking them to withdraw
their invitation to Kevorkian, to stop him from targeting college
students.

`We’re sending this message to our young people that the answer to
human suffering and the chronically ill is to kill. That’s extremely
dangerous and troubling’, Schindler said. `Join us in telling the
president of the University of Florida that it is unacceptable to
invite Jack Kevorkian to spread his message of death and violence to
the campus’.

`Not surprisingly, our mainstream media has already begun to help the
`doctor’ use his `plight’ as a reason to promote the legalization of
assisted suicide – allegedly for the terminally ill – even though we
know that many of his victims suffered only for depression’, the
Foundation says in circulating a petition to the UF administration.
To sign the petition, click on Say No to Dr. Death Petition.

`This is the same University of Florida where Judge George Greer (who
issued the Schiavo death order) attended school. It is also where
bio-ethicist Bill Allen teaches – the same Bill Allen who said in an
interview that he believed that (Terri Schiavo) was not a person’,
Schindler said.

Kevorkian was in prison when Terri Schiavo died due to premeditated
dehydration as a result of more than 10 years of efforts by Michael
Schiavo to kill his wife. Kevorkian had stated in a prison interview
that he would have killed Terri had her husband asked him to do so.
7-28-07

CIRCLE OF DEFENDANTS KEPT SEPARATELY ON ACCOUNT OF ILLNESS TO BE MADE CLEAR BY LAW

Noyan Tapan
Jul 26, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA government approved of the
RA draft laws on making amendments to the RA Law on "Penitentiary
Service", as well as on making an amendment in the Penitentiary Code
in the July 26 sitting.

This infomation was provided to Noyan Tapan by the Information and
Public Relations’ Department of the RA government.

The adoption of the above mentioned draft laws is connected with
the fact that the RA Law on making amendments in the RA Law on
"Penitentiary Service" envisages to eliminate the Penitentiary
Department of the RA Ministry of Justice since it has, in essence,
solved all the problems set before itself at the bidding of time,
as well as certain functions of this department will be entitled to
the Supervisory Administration of the RA Ministry of Justice.

The amendment proposed in the RA Penitentiary Code aims at making
the circle of the defendants, who are kept separate on account of an
illness, clear.

PRFESS RELEASE
July 26, 2007
Contact: Linda Yepoyan
Phone: 610-642-6633

info@birthr ightarmenia.org

BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA ALUMNI REUNION MAKES FOR MEANINGFUL RETURN

Yerevan, Armenia- Whether it be painting walls of a long-term home for
disabled individuals or hearing about the blossoming corporate culture from
the director of a leading mobile phone company, the feelings expressed by a
collective of alumni volunteers who returned to the Homeland this summer are
unanimous. Rewarding. Meaningful. Spiritually invigorating.

Eighteen young adults from the US, Canada, Great Britain and Syria, who
represent a very active segment of the Birthright Armenia alumni base,
returned for the inaugural Alumni Reunion Week sponsored by Birthright
Armenia, eager to reminisce on their past experiences as volunteers, but
more importantly, to "give back" to the country. This time around, however,
their days wouldn’t be spent working 9-5. As participants of the nine-day
reunion activities, they came ready to solidify their existing connections
and to create new relationships with young colleagues with whom they share
many commonalities, most of all future community leadership initiative.
Their action-packed itinerary included a balance of educational and cultural
events, community service and social tie-in meetings with youth.

"The best memories are not so much of the entire trip, but of small
individual experiences like teaching small children rugby and algebra at the
Khor Virap village, learning ethnic dance from a leading instructor in
Armenia, and seeing a young boy sing about the mother he never knew in SOS
Children’s Village in Kotayk province", comments Armand Sarvarian, a law
student in London, who volunteered his services for the Armenian Young
Lawyers Association in 2005. "It’s really the little experiences that were
the most profound and meaningful for me," he continues.

In addition to the above, the alumni did a collaborative house build with
partner organization Habitat for Humanity, actively participated in a mixer
with local university students at Common Ground to discuss Javakh and
Nagorno-Karabagh, visited the ruins of the medieval capital of Ani from the
Armenian-Turkish border, explored caves in Yeghegnatsor, and so much more.

Having nearly four years of experience and history with sponsoring
volunteers since its inception, the time seemed right to convene as many of
them as possible in Armenia for this first-ever organizational event. Ms.
Adrienne Tashjian, of Winchester, MA, although thousands of miles away from
the frontline of reunion activities, is someone who understands the
importance of working toward strengthening the bridge between Diaspora and
Homeland youth. She generously wrote a check that financed the entire
reunion to show her appreciation and support for Birthright Armenia and the
organization’s steadfast commitment to its alumni.

Sarvarian adds, "I decided to attend the reunion in order to keep up my ties
with the Homeland, to gradually prepare myself for repatriation in a few
years’ time. I think the experience as a whole taught me both how far I’ve
come in terms of cultural knowledge, and also showed me how far I have yet
to go".

Dzovinar Derderian, a graduate student at Georgetown University, volunteered
at the Information Office of the Council of Europe in 2004, and has made
multiple trips back to Armenia since. "It was great reconnecting with many
of the alumni and seeing how some have come back not just as tourists, but
have either moved to Armenia or are contributing to it in some ways", says
Derderian. "It was also great realizing the great network that has been
created among the Armenian diasporan youth through Birthright Armenia, which
gives me great hope for the future of Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora."

This fall the organization will begin planning another alumni reunion in
Armenia for summer 2008, to mark the fifth anniversary of Birthright
Armenia’s launch in Armenia.

Birthright Armenia’s mission is to strengthen ties between the homeland and
diasporan youth by affording them an opportunity to be a part of Armenia’s
daily life and to contribute to Armenia’s development through work, study
and volunteer experiences, while developing a renewed sense of Armenian
identity.

OPINION: ARMENIAN PRESS SINGLED OUT FOR ITS WIDE PLURALISM

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 26 2007

YEREVAN, July 26. /ARKA/. Armenian press is singled out for its wide
pluralism, Caucasus Media Institute Director Alexander Iskandaryan
said Thursday at a conference focused on media and democratic processes
in Armenia.

He said opposition newspapers are freely published in Armenia as well
as articles criticizing the authorities.

"In Armenia, every newspaper publish hat it wants. I think authorities’
pressure upon the press is far stronger in many other countries",
he said.

Iskandaryan said state censorship in Armenia is replaced with
self-censorship. It means every editor knows what articles he can
publish.

Freedom House, international human rights organization, in its 2007
report, mentioned Armenia among ten countries with not free media.

ARMENIAN WRESTLING FEDERATION INTRODUCES PERSONELL OF DELEGATION LEAVING FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF BAKU TO WRESTLING INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION

Noyan Tapan
Jul 26, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The Wrestling Federation of Armenia
sent an official letter to Rafael Martineti, the Chairman of the
International Wrestling Federation, on July 24. The federation of
Armenia introduced the personnel of the Armenian delegation (49
people) leaving for the World Wrestling Championship to be held in
Baku between September 17 to 23. Razmik Stepanian, the first Vice
President of the Armenian National Olympic Committee, is the head
of the delegation. Eight sportsmen are registered in each of the
representative teams of Greco-Roman and free-style wrestling.

The names of the reserves are also mentioned.