ASSEMBLY POSITION ON GENOCIDE DENIAL CASE REINFORCED BY SIXTH CIRCUIT COURT RULING
ArmrRadio.am
18.04.2006 11:53
A recent US Sixth Circuit Court decision virtually echoed the language
used by the Armenian Assembly in its amicus curiae (“friend of the
court”) brief in the Massachusetts Genocide Denial Case, when it
ruled that a state, has in effect, broad discretion in determining
the appropriate framework on policy issues of public interest.
Ruling that the state of Tennessee can put on its license plates any
message it chooses, the Court said that the tags are “government
speech” and “not a public forum,” and that nothing in the First
Amendment prohibits it.
It went on to say: “Although this exercise of government one-sidedness
with respect to a very contentious political issue may be ill-advised,
we are unable to conclude that the Tennessee statute contravenes the
First Amendment,” Judge John M. Rogers said in his ruling.
To remind, last month, the Assembly filed an amicus brief in response
to a lawsuit brought by the Assembly of Turkish American Associations
(ATAA) and others who are attempting to rewrite history with respect
to the Armenian Genocide. The brief states in part: “There is no
First Amendment basis for objecting to the government’s choice in a
curricular guide simply because it expresses a viewpoint with which
the plaintiffs disagree. Indeed, the fundamental flaw in plaintiffs
suit, and the reason why it must be dismissed, is that the Curricular
Guide is government speech and there is no First Amendment basis for
objecting when the government chooses to speak.”

PROFANATION OF ARMENIAN MEMORIAL OF LYON
ArmrRadio.am
18.04.2006 11:37
Monday April 17, 2006, seven days before the commemorations of the
Genocide of 1915, the steles of the Armenian Memorial set up in the
town of Lyon (France), which must be inaugurated by President Jacques
Chirac, were profaned with inscriptions of insults and negationnists:
“There never was genocide of the Armenians”.
This act of vandalism followed upon the consecutive racist drifts
with the ultra nationalist Turkish demonstration of 18 March.

US MEDIATOR TO VISIT ARMENIA ON 20 APRIL
ArmrRadio.am
18.04.2006 12:30
April 20 US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Steven Mann will arrive
in Yerevan, MEDIAMAX Agency was told at US Embassy in Armenia.
The French mediator Bernard Fassier told last week in Yerevan that
his American colleague is planning to visit Armenia and Azerbaijan
before the joint meeting of the Co-Chairs scheduled early May.
To remind, in March Steven Mann was accompanying US Assistant Secretary
of State Daniel Fried during the latter’s visits to Baku and Yerevan.
March 16 Daniel Fried said in Yerevan that the negotiations on
settlement of the Karabakh conflict have not entered a deadlock. Steven
Mann noted that the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are
“interested in progress” and “the US is ready to assist them in all
possible ways.”
Late March – early April Steven Mann met Armenian and Azeri Defense
Ministers in Washington.

LOCAL SELF-GOVERNANCE TO TURN MORE TRANSPARENT
ArmrRadio.am
18.04.2006 13:05
Permanent Coordinator of the UN Armenia Office, UNDP Resident
Representative to Armenia Consuelo Vidal and representative of
the Social Investments Fund of Armenia Ashot Kirakisyan signed a
memorandum today.
The parties expressed readiness to cooperate in the framework of the
” Performance Budgeting on the Level of Communities” program.
Having as target the improvement of socio-economic conditions –
infrastructures and services – in urban communities, the parties
agreed to cooperate in accomplishment of basic investment suggestions
in marzes and cities.
The major aim of the program is to promote further decentralization
in the country and to strengthen the Local Self-Governments.

ARMENIAN MEMORIAL VANDALIZED IN FRANCE AHEAD OF GENOCIDE ANNIVERSARY
AP Worldstream
Apr 18, 2006
A memorial in southeast France honoring those killed in what Armenians
call a genocide by Ottoman Turks was vandalized just a week before
it was to be unveiled, Armenian organizations said.
The memorial in Lyon was scrawled with graffiti reading, “There was no
genocide,” according to the Committee for the Defense of the Armenian
Cause, and the Council of Armenian Organizations in France.
The groups expressed indignation at the incident, which occurred
Monday, and demanded tight security for the unveiling of the monument
April 24 and for other commemorations that day around France.
April 24 is when Armenian communities around the world mark the
killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923. Turks
claim the number of deaths is inflated and say the victims were killed
in civil unrest.

AZERI POLICE FOIL DEMO PROTESTING AT HUNGARIAN VERDICT
Turan news agency
17 Apr 06
Baku, 17 April: A group of young people today attempted to stage an
unauthorized demonstration in support of [Azerbaijani army officer]
Ramil Safarov convicted in Hungary [of killing an Armenian officer].
Police foiled the attempt.
Several hundred students attempted to march along Huseyn Cavid Avenue
towards the Martyrs’ Avenue. However, numerous police officers stopped
the protesters and dispersed them. The students made several attempts
to break through police lines, which led to clashes with the police.
The bitterest clashes took place near Space TV company. Several
protesters sustained serious injuries.
Traffic on Huseyn Cavid Avenue was suspended because of the clashes
which caused traffic jams. Police detained about 20 protesters.
On 13 April, a Hungarian court sentenced Azerbaijani officer Ramil
Safarov to life in prison for killing an Armenian officer on 19
February 2004.

THE FRENCH UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA WISHES ITS GRADUATES TO BE OF USE FOR ARMENIA
Yerevan, April 17. ArmInfo. ‘We want our graduates to be of use for
Armenia,’ said in an interview to ArmInfo correspondent Paul Rousset,
rector of the French University of Armenia Foundation (Fondation
Universite Francaise en Armenie).
The University was founded in 2000 by the initiative of the French
Embassy in Armenia and the present Speaker of the National Assembly
of Armenia Arthur Bagdasarian. In 2003 the university assumed status
of an international foundation. It has an Administrative Council,
consisting of 4 representatives from each side – Armenia and France.
The President of the University (office held by Arthur Bagdasarian
at present) is elected by the Administrative Council. The candidate
for rectors office must be a professor of any French university
and is suggested by the French side. Third-year students of the
French University become also students of the ‘Jean Moulin Lion 3’
university, France and get a double graduation diploma – a French
and an Armenian one.
Mr. Rousset said that the baccalaureate of the University has three
faculties – juristic, management and trade and marketing. The
university has 700 students at present. 20 students from abroad
study at the university, half of them are from Iran. Last year the
French University had its first graduates and some of the graduates
continued their education in the magistrate. Education at eth French
university also implies perfect apprehension of foreign languages –
English, French, Russian and also German.
Paul Rousset informed that a number of French educational programs
serve as grounds for the educational process, as the University’s
regulation envisages passing the French educational experience to
the Armenian side. In particular, such programs are being applied at
the law department. In response to the question whether the Armenian
graduates of the University may get jobs abroad, particularly in
France, Mr. Rousset emphasized that they prepare good specialists for
Armenia. At the same time, he added that their best students undergo
practical courses in France. For example, 40 students were sent to
France, last year.
Mr. Rousset emphasized that till now not a single student of the
University had to leave it because of financial problems. “The tuition
fees amounts to AMD 400-500 thousand per a year,” he said. He added
that the university provides a system of flexible tuition fees,
that helps to decrease the volume of the tuition fees thanks to the
good progress of the students. The University collaborates with the
Armenian Association for Social Aid and the Yerevan Brandy Factory
to render financial assistance to the financially insecure students,
including disabled students and the students from the regions.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IRAQI FUNDAMENTALISTS MAKE ARMENIAN WINNER OF “MISS IRAQ” CONTEST RENOUNCE HER TITLE
Yerevan, April 17. ArmInfo. Tamara Goregyan, Armenian by origin,
had to renounce her Title “Miss Iraq” threatened by the Islamic
fundamentalist grouping. A second Armenian winner of the Title “Miss
Iraq” Silva Sahakyan also has to hide herself from fundamentalists.
Referring to the Associated Press, RFE/RL reports that 4 days
after the secret beauty contest “Miss Iraq” on April 9, the winner
Tamara Goregyan had to renounce her title and find shelter in Jordan
threatened by Islamic fundamentalist organizations. Then, “Miss Iraq”
title was proposed to a second and a third winners – Muslims.
However, they also had to refuse from the crown. At last, the title
was conferred on the Armenian Silva Sahakyan, who occupied the fourth
place in the contest. Now, she is also threatened. The source reports
that Silva Sahakyan is currently hiding herself, but she has not
renounced her title.

FILMS TELLING ABOUT ECOLOGY PROBLEM OF ARMENIA TO BE DEMONSTRATED IN YEREVAN
Yerevan, April 17. ArmInfo. Two documentary films “City Turning into
Desert” and “Threads of Hope” telling about Armenia’s ecological
problems will be demonstrated at Yerevan Experimental-Innovative
Center of Art on April 18, Armenia Tree Project told ArmInfo.
Both the films ( by 25 minutes each) were shot by the “Vem Media Arts”
Studio. The film “City Turning into Desert” brings an unbiased picture
of the liquidating green areas of Yerevan and the effect on the public
health. The second film “Threads of Hope” is devoted to the problem of
Lake Sevan waterlogging and the disastrous consequences of uncontrolled
fishing. The films aims to attract the public attention to the
ecology problems of Armenia. A number of international organizations,
including WWF, funded the films and intend to continue the action of
shooting similar films. They think that documentary facts can become
a specific counteraction to the idleness of officials.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT MAKES DECISION TO LIQUIDATE YEREVAN K. DEMIRCHYAN SPORT AND CULTURE CENTER
Yerevan, April 17. ArmInfo. On April 13 the Armenian Government made a
decision to liquidate Yerevan K. Demirchyan Sport and Culture Center,
which bears no relation to the deal on the sale of K. Demirchyan
Sport and Concert Complex (SCC) to the company “Bamo,” reliable
sources told ArmInfo.
The procedure connected with registration of the SCC property
privatization and liquidation of the earlier operating state
non-commercial organization is in question. The given governmental
decision proceeds from the Law “On state non- commercial
organizations.” The news agency ArmInfo misunderstood the above
decision. Hence, the information that the deal with “Bamo” was
broken allegedly for non-fulfillment of the contractual commitments
by the company does not correspond to reality. ArmInfo presents its
apologies for the inaccuracy in the information to “Bamo” company
and to its readers.