Category: News

A1 Plus | 15:46:02 | 15-04-2004 | Politics |
OPPOSITION LEADERS HOLD NEWS CONFERENCE
Despite Armenian National Assembly’s last sessions have failed because of
upsets in Yerevan traditional parliamentary briefings were held on Thursday.
United Labor Party fraction, People MP parliamentary group and the
opposition participated in the briefings while the coalition hasn’t taken
part in them preferring to come up with special statements later.
Opposition leaders Stepan Demirchyan and Artashes Geghamyan gave a joint
news conference. They reiterated their determination to continue acting with
united efforts and confirmed their intention to stage a rally on Friday.
The opposition is already aware of Police Day celebration in the republic
and festive party scheduled for Friday in Opera House, outside of which the
rally is to be held.
Any case, the protest action will be held, as the opposition set the date of
the rally earlier and announced about that beforehand. The authorities ought
to find solution to the problem, Stepan Demirchyan said.
The opposition MPs once again condemned violence committed by the police
against peaceful demonstrators Monday night.

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
APRIL 9-15, 2004
HIGHLIGHTS:
VIOLENCE REPEATED
PERPETRATORS OF APRIL 5 AND 13 EVENTS MUST BE PUNISHED
CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS INSTITUTED FOR ATTACKING JOURNALISTS ON APRIL 5
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES ON AIR
IOSIF VERDYAN PASSED AWAY
VIOLENCE REPEATED
On April 12 in Yerevan, the procession and rally organized by opposition
forces near RA National Assembly ended up in violence. The rally
participants demanded negotiations with Speaker of Parliament, Head of RA
Police, as well as live TV broadcasting for opposition leaders and live
reports of the event. Most probably, this demand provoked heavy guarding of
the TV companies buildings by the police in the capital that day.
At about 00:30, street lights went off on Baghramian Avenue, and at about 2
am, the picket was dispersed by police units using special devices – water
jets, explosive bags, rubber bludgeons, electroshock.
In the official April 13 statement of RA Police, the actions of the rally
participants were qualified as illegal, aggressive and uncontrollable,
presenting real threat to life and health of police and the citizens. It
induced law and order bodies to use physical force and special devices
against them in accordance with RA Law “On Police”. The police declared
about initiating criminal proceedings for organization of these public
disturbances.
Among the victims (according to official data, medical care was provided to
30 people), again were journalists similarly to the meeting of opposition
deputies with the voters a week ago (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, April 2-8,
2004). The evidence of the journalists, as well as their colleagues on the
spot contradict the official version of the events on early morning of April
13: picket participants were not aggressive, “some of them even settled for
the night”, therefore it may be viewed as an action planned by the
authorities.
That night “Haikakan Zhamanak” daily correspondents Haik Gevorgian and
Avetis Babajanian, as well as cameraman of Russian ORT TV in Armenia Levon
Grigorian and “Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” newspaper correspondent Mher
Ghalechian were beaten while on duty.
According to “Haikakan Zhamanak” correspondent Haik Gevorgian, Deputy Head
of RA Police Hovhannes Varian (who, by the way, controlled the forces
keeping law and order during the April 5 rally) personally took his photo
camera away, whereas the policemen nearby started beating the journalist
with their bludgeons and feet. Afterwards, Haik Gevorgian was transported to
the police department of Nor Nork community, and later to one of Yerevan
hospitals. At present, Gevorgian receives treatment at home.
Avetis Babajanian was not as seriously injured as his colleague and was also
taken to the same police department.
ORT cameraman Levon Grigorian’s story was that civilians approached him and
tried to take the camera away (later the damaged expensive equipment was
discovered at police press service). These persons dragged the resisting
journalist to the group of special forces who started beating him with
batons using electroshock. It is only in an ambulance that Levon Grigorian
recovered consciousness.
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” correspondent Mher Ghalechian was exposed to
violence at about 3 am, when the journalist, on the instructions of the
editorial office, investigated into the data on the search at opposition
“Republic” Party headquarters. According to Ghalechian, he was about to
leave after taking pictures when he was assaulted by four representatives of
special forces. He was beaten, and later taken to the police department of
Erebuni community where he was detained for 16 hours.
During the raid to the headquarters of another opposition party – Popular
Party of Armenia – its press secretary Ruzan Khachatrian was arrested. The
law and order bodies broke open the door of her private office and escorted
her with beating to the police department of Center community. On April 14,
Ruzan Khachatrian was released.
PERPETRATORS OF APRIL 5 AND 13 EVENTS MUST BE PUNISHED
On April 13, Yerevan Press Club, Journalists Union of Armenia and Committee
to Protect Freedom of Expression made a statement condemning violence
against media representatives.
“On early morning of April 13, journalists were also among the victims of
the rally dispersed by police forces on Baghramian Avenue in Yerevan.
Yerevan Press Club, Journalists Union of Armenia, Committee to Protect
Freedom of Expression state that law and order bodies have not yet revealed
and punished the perpetrators of April 5 violence against the journalists.
Moreover, this time the police themselves used force towards journalists on
their duty: several media representatives were exposed to beating; their
equipment was snatched away or crashed.
We once again stress that impeding journalist activity by any person even
the police is criminal offence.
We condemn this display of violence and declare that we will be consistent
in our demands, namely to track and punish, on Article 164 of RA Criminal
Code, the persons using violence against the journalists on both April 5 and
April 13 early morning, as well as to compensate the damage caused to the
media”, the statement of three journalistic organizations runs.
Committee to Protect Journalists also appealed to the Armenian authorities
“to investigate these attacks against our colleagues and bring those
responsible to justice”.
Repeated violence against media people on duty was condemned by a number of
local journalistic associations.
The April 14 statement of CE Secretary General Walter Schwimmer expresses
concern over anti-democratic decline in Armenia and stresses the necessity
for dialogue among all political forces. “There is incomplete and
conflicting news of excessive use of force by the police, of arrests –
including of members of parliament – and of a media blackout. This confirms
one thing: if there was complete freedom of the media, we would have a clear
picture of the situation”, CE Secretary General notes.
“Haikakan Zhamanak” initiated a peculiar action. In April 14 issue, the
daily accompanied all materials devoted to the events with the same photo of
RA Police Deputy Head Hovhannes Varian. Besides, the newspaper reported that
it intends to file a petition to General Prosecutor’s Office for bringing
him to criminal responsibility.
CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS INSTITUTED FOR ATTACKING JOURNALISTS ON APRIL 5
Criminal proceedings are started on violence against media representatives
during the opposition rally on April 5, RA Police press secretary Sayat
Shirinian informed Yerevan Press Club. The journalists were attacked by a
group of “strong guys” when trying to shoot the scene of egg throwing at
rally participants (see detail in YPC Weekly Newsletter, April 2-8, 2004).
The proceedings were instituted on Article 258, Point 2 of RA Criminal Code
(“gross violation of public order with extreme cynicism”). According to
Sayat Shirinian, the case is in execution at RA Police investigation
department.
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES ON AIR
On April 9 in Armenia, broadcasting of Russian NTV channel was interrupted.
On April 8, the sound disappeared, whereas the next day there was no
picture. “Paradise” company (retransmitting NTV) accounts for disappearance
of the Russian channel from Armenian air by technical reasons – mainly
transmitter problems.
Meanwhile, there is an opinion that technical obstacles were not accidental
but induced by NTV’s covering of the opposition rallies in Yerevan. An
indirect proof of this may be the last year’s blocking of NTV in similar
situation. The broadcasting was interrupted on February 26, 2003 and resumed
only on March 17 – in hardly two weeks after the second round of
presidential elections (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, March 15-21, 2003). This
time, even AATV satellite network subscribers were deprived of NTV programs.
Mysterious disappearances from air afflicted several programs of Armenian TV
companies. In particular, on April 9 “Burg” program of “Yerevan” TV was no
longer on air. Previously, “Tesankyun” program on “Kentron” TV was shut.
IOSIF VERDYAN PASSED AWAY
On April 9, Chief Editor of “Urartu” newspaper Iosif Verdyan suddenly passed
away. Starting journalistic activity in 1969, Iosif Verdyan worked in local
media, for many years he was correspondent of several Moscow publications,
prize-winner of “Golden Pen” Award of Journalists Union of Armenia.
Yerevan Press Club expresses deep condolences to the relatives of the
diseased.
When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.
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Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
____________________________________________
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
375007, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 1) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 1) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
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Nato incident
The Guardian – United Kingdom
Apr 15, 2004

An Armenian army officer attending a Nato-sponsored English language
course in Budapest was murdered by an Azerbaijani officer attending
the same course. The attack took place in February during a training
course organised under Nato’s Partnership for Peace programme.
[email protected]

Armenian opposition decisive to topple government
Mediamax news agency
15 Apr 04

YEREVAN
“The Armenian opposition is not broken and will consistently struggle
for a change of power in the country,” Stepan Demirchyan, leader of
the opposition Justice bloc and People’s Party of Armenia, stated in
Yerevan today.
As Mediamax news agency reports, speaking at a briefing in the
Armenian National Assembly today, Stepan Demirchyan said that the
opposition can open up a dialogue with the authorities only after
those who used force against the peaceful protesters in Marshal
Bagramyan Avenue and those who took part in the falsification of the
presidential elections in 2003 are brought to book.
“Everything that is going on today is a continuation of the
presidential elections during which the police were also used as a
tool for suppressing the opposition,” Stepan Demirchyan stated.
A member of the political council of the Republic Party, Armenian
ex-prime minister, Aram Sarkisyan, stated today that “Robert Kocharyan
has never offered us a dialogue”. He said that if before the police
dispersed the rally on the night of 12-13 April, 90 per cent of our
country’s population were “in favour of the president’s resignation,
today this indicator has reached to 99 per cent”.
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan stated on 14 April that he regards
it as unacceptable if these statements about readiness for dialogue
resemble an ultimatum.
The head of the OSCE office in Armenia, Vladimir Pryakhin, called on
the representatives of the Armenian opposition “to be more restrained,
more moderate and ready for constructive negotiations with the
opposite side”. In his interview to the Yerevan newspaper Golos
Armenii today, Vladimir Pryakhin stated:
“Unfortunately, the leaders of the opposition are refusing any
political dialogue. In this situation, this position is not convincing
enough for me”.

Chief policeman says situation in Armenia stable
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
14 Apr 04
The prime minister [Andranik Markaryan] has requested the head of the
Armenian police, Ayk Arutyunyan, to make a report on the recent events
in the republic at a government session.
Ayk Arutyunyan told the government about the events which took place
on the night of 12th to 13th April and their consequences, and about
the current situation in the capital and in the republic.
The head of the police said that the situation is now stable.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkey to open border with Armenia – Azeri pro-government MP
Azadliq, Baku
15 Apr 04
Text of unattributed report by Azerbaijani newspaper Azadliq on 15
April headlined “Is Anar Mammadxanli cleverer than Ilham Aliyev?” and
subheaded “The latter says that the borders will not open, the former
says they will be…”
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his entourage differ about the
opening of the Turkish-Armenian border. Ilham Aliyev does not see any
grounds for concern, pointing out that during his visit to Ankara as
the prime minister last autumn, he heard statements from the Turkish
leadership that the border will not open. He believes that those
statement were sufficient for him.
Therefore, there is no need for anxiety over this issue because he
believes that the border will not open. He confirmed this stance in
his comment on a protest action by a group of Azerbaijani journalists
in Turkey against the possible opening of the border.
MP Anar Mammadxanli, who is well-known for his personal closeness to
Ilham Aliyev and is trying to show off as a staunch member of his
“team of reformists”, thinks the opposite and aired his concern about
the situation in his interview.
He backed the journalists’ protest action against the possible opening
of the border, but said that he expects the Turkish-Armenian border to
open. Unlike Ilham Aliyev, Mammadxanli believes that Turkey will open
the border as soon as its membership of the European Union becomes
topical. Despite his feeling of regret, the MP advises to take a
realistic approach to the issue.
Mammadxanli went even further and blamed “some pseudo-patriots for the
erroneous analysis of the issue”.
We wonder whether Ilham Aliyev, who does not believe that the
Turkish-Armenian border will open, is also one of the
“pseudo-patriots” mentioned by Mammadxanli. And who knows more – Anar
Mammadxanli or Ilham Aliyev?

Armenian president calls for dialogue with opposition
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
14 Apr 04

[Presenter] President Robert Kocharyan has announced that the
opposition forces are responsible for the events which took place on
Bagramyan Avenue. He said this at a meeting with the leadership of the
United Communist Party of Armenia. The president said that the
opposition should work on improving people’s living conditions. Today
the opposition has all the conditions for normal work. Robert
Kocharyan said the authorities have the right to intervene if the
opposition chooses to act differently so as to defend people and avoid
disorder and disturbances.
[Correspondent over video of meeting] At the meeting with the head of
state, the political bureau of the United Communist Party of Armenia
spoke not only about the party’s problems, activities and programme
but also about the internal political situation.
The leader of the party, Yuriy Manukyan, noted that young people are
now joining the ranks of the United Communist Party. The meeting also
discussed the country’s social and economic developments and the
structure of local authorities.
The participants in the meeting also called for stability and law and
order in the country. The communists also stressed that in no case the
opposition should disrupt stability in the country. Robert Kocharyan
spoke about the current situation in the country at the request of the
meeting. Speaking about the importance and need for dialogue, the
president noted that it would be wrong to avoid it.
[Robert Kocharyan, captioned] Generally speaking I think that it would
be wrong to avoid dialogue. I must say that during the last 12 and 18
months Armenia’s political forces, the ruling coalition, had many
meetings with representatives of the opposition. For as long as the
opposition position is black and white, there will be nothing to
discuss. This is where the problem lies. It does not mean that we do
not accept dialogue. When the dialogue is black and white it means an
ultimatum. Dialogue in the form of an ultimatum is unacceptable.
[Correspondent] Speaking about the recent events in the country, he
noted that the opposition is responsible for what happened. He
stressed that the police acted within its powers to prevent disorder
and establish law or order in the country. Stressing the importance of
the opposition to the country, President Kocharyan noted that the
opposition should channel its energies into improving the country’s
and peoples’ lives.
[Robert Kocharyan] No government can work productively without the
opposition. From this angle, the opposition must also support the
president’s intentions. What does the country’s president need? For
the government to work productively, the opposition must help it by
revealing shortages in its work. In the end, both the country and
people will win. But the opposition is now refusing to do this and is
acting differently.
[Correspondent] Speaking about the undesirable political events and
the opposition’s struggle, Robert Kocharyan noted that this was forced
on the people.
[Robert Kocharyan] First of all our people should understand that this
struggle is not their struggle. It is quite a different struggle. This
struggle and related events make no impact at all on the country’s
economy, financial market or investments.
There are positive tendencies. Whatever happened belongs to the
political sphere. I am sure that the conditions in our country which
is still developing are not yet right for that.
Nune Aleksanyan, “Aylur”.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri opposition party threatens Russian envoy with extradition campaign
Ekho, Baku
15 Apr 04

Text of T. Alili’s report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho on 15 April
headlined “The Hope Party asks to summon to court Russian envoy” and
subheaded “The opposition believes that Nikolay Ryabov could be
summoned to trial as witness”
“The Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan, Nikolay Ryabov, must be
summoned as witness to the trial of the opposition leaders charged
with organization of the 15-16 October riots,” Anvar Agayev, deputy
chairman for media issues of the Hope Party, has said.
“Ryabov said that MP Iqbal Agazada, the chairman of the Hope Party, is
the organizer and instigator of the 15-16 October events during his
interview in the 16 October 2003 evening news bulletin Xabarlar on the
state-run station [Channel One]. Such remarks by the ambassador
testify to the truth of numerous reports linking [Russia’s former
Interior Minister Vladimir] Rushaylo, [ex-chief of the Russian
president’s administration Aleksandr] Voloshin, and the group Alfa
[special-purpose unit] with the 15-16 October events.”
“We reckon that Russia is implicated in the arrest of Agazada because
of his repeated remarks in Milli Maclis [Azerbaijani parliament]
against handing over to Russia the Qabala radar station. He also
offered evidence on the Russian army’s involvement in the Xocali
massacre [during the Azerbaijani-Armenian war over Nagornyy
Karabakh]. It seems the position of the chairman of the Hope Party has
affected the Russian ambassador’s attitude to him,” Agayev said.
“The ambassador of a foreign country interferes in public and
political developments in Azerbaijan, and accuses an MP of organizing
some events. By this he proves the interest of his country in those
processes,” Agayev said.
Should the court fail to summon Ryabov, then the Hope Party “will
start a campaign to extradite Ryabov from Azerbaijan as ‘persona non
grata'”, Agayev said.
The Russian embassy has refused to comment on Agayev’s remarks.

Russian, Armenian leaders discuss Yerevan disturbances over phone
ITAR-TASS news agency
14 Apr 04

MOSCOW
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed confidence that “the
leadership of friendly Armenia will succeed in utilizing the country’s
substantial potential for democratic reform to maintain stability and
legality”.
During a telephone conversation today Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan, at the request of Vladimir Putin, shared his assessments of
the recent events in Yerevan, caused by an outbreak of internal
political tension, the Russian head of state’s press service stated.
The two heads of state discussed topical issues in bilateral
relations, as well as plans for future Russian-Armenian contacts at
various levels, including summit level.

Azerbaijan to recognize Turkish Cyprus if UN plan fails – Azeri leader
ANS TV, Baku
15 Apr 04

[Presenter] If Northern Cyprus says yes and the Greek Cypriot side
says no during the forthcoming referendum in Cyprus [on a UN plan to
reunify Cyprus], Azerbaijan will be one of the first countries to
recognize the [Turkish] Republic of Northern Cyprus. This sensational
statement was made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at a meeting
with the local media within the framework of his visit to Turkey. Our
special correspondent Qanira Pasayeva reports from Turkey. Hello,
Qanira.
[Qanira Pasayeva over the phone] Hello, Leyla. First, President Ilham
Aliyev had a luncheon with the heads of the Turkish mass media
today. Many issues were discussed during the luncheon. The Nagornyy
Karabakh problem was discussed most of all.
I should first note that we do not have enough information about the
event because Azerbaijani journalists were barred from it. They were
not even allowed to listen so as to know what was being discussed. But
I had a telephone conversation with the editor-in-chief of Zaman
newspaper. I learnt from him what issues had been discussed. He said
that the main topics were the Nagornyy Karabakh problem and the
current talks with Armenia. He said that Ilham Aliyev had voiced an
interesting idea. If Armenia and Azerbaijan are allowed to resolve the
conflict on their own, the problem can be resolved, Aliyev said. Asked
in what sense he said this, he said in all senses.
The president made his most interesting statement about the Turkish
community of Cyprus, i.e. the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
officially recognized by Turkey. He said that if Northern Cyprus says
yes and Southern Cyprus says no, Azerbaijan will be one of the first
countries to recognize it [Northern Cyprus]. This is what the
president said. And the president’s statement is currently in the
focus of attention.
[Passage omitted: Correspondent repeats previous sentences]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress