BRAZIL INTENDS TO OPEN AN EMBASSY IN ARMENIA
A1+
[02:21 pm] 14 September, 2006
Today Renate Stille, newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of Brazil to Armenia, presented letters of credential
to RA President Robert Kocharyan.
Robert Kocharyan congratulated the Ambassador on the new post
and underlined that he expects intensification of the Armenian –
Brazilian cooperation connected with Brasilia’s decision to open an
embassy in Armenia.
In her turn, Mrs. Stille mentioned that the embassy will work more
efficiently trying to enhance economic ties. The cooperation of
the two countries in her words may contribute to the development of
the Armenian community in Brazil. By the way, Renate Stille had met
representatives of the local Armenian community before her arrival
to Armenia.

OMBUDSMAN SEES A MENACE FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
A1+
[03:48 pm] 14 September, 2006
The level of human protection is far from being perfect in Armenia. RA
Ombudsman Armen Haroutyunyan sees a real threat in this respect. His
anxiety is determined by the recent violence and intimidation on
journalists.
As freedom of expression is one of the necessary guarantees for
democracy establishment, the continuation of such atmosphere can be
a threat for our country’s future.
While speaking of Armen Babajanyan’s (editor-in-chief of
“Yerevan-Time”) four-year imprisonment, Armen Haroutyunyan mentioned,
“Arguments might be brought that he was imprisoned to 4-year term from
the legal point of view. But I do think that it is a severe approach to
the case. There are opinions that the editor-in-chief of the newspaper
had oppositional attitude. Those opinions may be grounded. But I don’t
think he made such an act to be sentenced to four-year imprisonment.”
Today Armen Haroutyunyan presented his six-month work in the post
of Human Rights Protector. He has got 1794 applications within this
time. 854 of them were in written form. 121 written applications
found their solution. On the whole, the authors of the applications
complain of the activity of courts (106), Yerevan Municipality (95),
police forces (71) and Ministry of Justice (61).
By the way, referring to the issue life imprisonment and complaints
of prisoners that capital punishment mustn’t be changed to life
imprisonment, the Ombudsman noted, “To tell the truth, our survey
revealed that there isn’t any breech of rights as capital penalty
is already annulled as a means of punishment and changed into life
imprisonment. This is a milder approach to the matter. We see no
violation in this respect.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FOUR MILLION AMD FROM STATE BUDGET TO BE SPENT
A1+
[04:16 pm] 14 September, 2006
Four million AMD from the state budget will be allocated to a number
of young people to organize a “tour” round Armenia.
The money squandering in this way is determined by the fact that the
young generation of Armenia is unaware of its country’s history. NGOs
“Areg” and “Centre of Social Technologies” assume that they may
sow love and respect towards 15-year-old Armenia by presenting its
history. In this respect they initiated the program “Generation of
Independence.”
“Our task is to give the youth an opportunity to acknowledge
the country and to make suggestions for the country’s future
well-being. There are places I don’t know myself and I am looking
forward to those visits,” said Gerasim Barseghyan, head of the
scientific-cultural youth association “Areg” during the meeting
with journalists.
During their first tour, on September 16, they intend to visit
Noravank, Tatev, Noraduz. Each group will comprise of 30 people. The
participants will be mainly students. The students’ boards of higher
educational institutions will decide which students to include in the
groups. The initiators and participants of the tour are convinced
that it will contribute to the recognition of our homeland and its
historical background.

A RALLY OPPOSITE THE PRESIDENT’S RESIDENCE
A1+
[04:37 pm] 14 September, 2006
Today over 20 citizens, who in their own words, were illegally
displaced from their houses and members of families who suffered
losses because of commercial agents gathered opposite the president’s
residence.
There were many people from Abovyan, Echmiadzin, Gyumri and Martuni
among the strikers. They all had the same claim – to meet the judges,
lawyers and Compulsory Service representatives and to discuss the
matters concerning the strikers tete-a-tete.
Today we face the same scenario; our complaints are presented to the
President’s Office, then they are sent to the General Prosecutors
Office, then to the Police station and so on.
We are tired of long drawn-out proceedings. Corruption has already
penetrated into the homes of the poor, and no one is capable of
eradicating this phenomenon. We shan’t go unless we get a definite
answer to our matter,” claims Flora Shakhgulyan, one of the strikers.

AZERBAIJAN LINGERS THE NEGOTIATION PROCEDURE
A1+
[04:45 pm] 14 September, 2006
Armenia accepts and respects the right of each country to present a
question or an agenda item at the UN.
Although this particular item has reached the General Assembly Agenda
according to UN procedures, however the fact that the UN General
Committee rejected this initiative and that the item passed into
the General Assembly with a mere 16 in favor, 15 against, clearly
indicates the mood of the international community.
The initiative has been presented by GUAM, of which Azerbaijan is a
part. The fact that Azerbaijan has presented such an initiative in
such a forum is evidence again that Azerbaijan is backing down from
the right of self-determination identified in the last version of the
negotiating document that the Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group have
put on the table, as well as from discussions surrounding the right
of Nagorno Karabakh to determine its status through a referendum.
On the other hand, if Azerbaijan’s purpose is to delay and postpone
the settlement process within the OSCE framework with the intention of
later transferring that process to other forums, that is categorically
unacceptable for Armenia. In that case, Azerbaijan must sit around
the negotiating table with Nagorno Karabakh.

SHOOTING IN GYUMRI
Armenuhy Minasyan
A1+
[04:57 pm] 14 September, 2006
Today there was a shooting in Gyumri. The incident occurred in the
territory of the station. According to our preliminary data, there
is one wounded man.
According to non-refined data of some sources, the sufferer was
immediately taken to Gyulbenkyan hospital of Gyumri. The investigation
of the incident is under way.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SHOOTING SOLVES MATTERS
Armenuhy Minasyan
A1+
[07:07 pm] 14 September, 2006
Today at about 12:00 Gevorg Avetisyan, born in 1985, was taken to
surgical hospital of Gyumri after Galoust Gyulbekyan with a bodily
injury.
According to the data of the Gyumri police forces, a few unknown
fellows started a heated argument near the Gyumri station in
connection with speedy driving. Then the fellows parted without further
quarrel. In half an hour they met again and decided to settle their
matter with the help of shooting. According to another official source,
the incident happened near the local cemetery N2.
Hamlet Margaryan, chief of department N1 of the surgical hospital,
claims that the sufferer’s state is normal at this moment. His large
intestine and rectum are hurt. Gevorg Avetisyan was taken to Yerevan,
Erebuni medical centre.
Gevorg Avetisyan is a student and lives in Gharibjanyan village,
Shirak region.
The representative of the Gyumri police investigation department
maintains that they have already identified the criminal. They take
drastic measures to arrest the suspect.

DOES AZERBAIJAN WANT TO WITHDRAW?
A1+
[07:40 pm] 14 September, 2006
“It is obvious that Azerbaijan is trying to divert the attention of the
international community from the OSCE Minsk group,” claims RA Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian and illustrates the recent example, when
the UNO general Assembly rejected to enter the initiative presented
by CUAM into the agenda.
But yesterday the general Assembly changed its decision and accepted
that very initiative. “This is the case which can divert the attention
form the Minsk group procedure. Thus, unless we know what direction
the UNO procedures will have, the meeting of the Foreign Ministers
will be put in question,” added Vartan Oskanian.
The Armenian Foreign Minister shares his concern that Azerbaijan
uses all its measures and efforts to divert us and to reject the
preliminary agreements. Mr. Oskanian says, “It seems that Azerbaijan
wants to withdraw from the contents of the document (including
the referendum, issue of self-determination, etc) made by the Minsk
group Co-chairs, and on the basis of this document they try to divert
the attention from the Minsk group and to focus on the UNO. We must
properly assess the current situation and take further steps according
to the results of our assessment.”
At present the Co-chairs are discussing the possibility of the
presidents’ next meeting. “We are ready to meet any time but the
general atmosphere must be favorable so that the meeting will give
proper results,” added Mr. Oskanian.

UKRAINE IS AZERBAIJAN’S RELATIVE: CRIME WAS AN AWARD TO UKRAINE
A1+
[08:36 pm] 14 September, 2006
Victor Yushchenco, president of the Ukraine, made a rough announcement
during his last visit to Azerbaijan on behalf of the Azeris. He said
that in his opinion the Karabakh conflict can be settled within the
territorial integrity and wholeness of Azerbaijan.
After this announcement RA Foreign Minsitry expressed our position
towards the Ukrainian authorities through the ambassador.
While answering the question of A1+, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
said, “Though we are in close relations with the Ukraine, we still
counter problems in political sphere. The announcement of the Ukraine
President is inadmissible for us. We have told the Ukrainian side
about our position on this score. We assume such announcements pursuit
certain specific aims.”
Vahan Hovhannesyan, NA deputy speaker says he wasn’t caught unawares by
such announcement. “Khrushchov presented Unkraine with the Crime just
the way Stalin presented Azerbaijan with Nakhijevan and Karabakh. ”
Let us put Yushchenco aside. Tomorrow Putin, Bush and many other
presidents may come up with such announcements. In answer to our
question that Ukraine supplies Azerbaijan with weapons can this
violate the balance of powers in the region, Aram Sargsyan, member
of Democratic Party of Armenia, answered, “The Ukraine has supplied
them with weapons for a long time, even since the war and has got no
problems on this score.
We must blame ourselves as Armenia has taken no measures to prevent
it.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN SUMS UP 6 MONTH IN OFFICE
Panorama.am
12:37 14/09/06
Human Rights Ombudsman Armen Harutunyan summed up his 6-month work
in office in a press conference today.
The office received 1794 application-complaints with 854 of them
in writing.
The written applications raised complaints against courts (106),
Yerevan municipality (95), Police (71), ministry of justice (61),
prosecutor’s office (55) and other institutions.
Reporters asked about qualitative differences as compared to past
experience, to which Harutunyan answered, “In the past 2 years there
were 2600 written complaints with 58 positive replies whereas during
these 6 months we received 854 complaints and 121 received positive
reply.”