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DAVIS IS WAITING FOR AN ANSWER FROM ARMENIA
06:23 pm 10 March, 2006

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe Terry
Davis has written to the Foreign Ministers of 37 of
the 46 Council of Europe member states as a follow-up
to his inquiry with the compliance of member states
with their obligations under the European Convention
on Human Rights in the context of the alleged secret
detentions and rendition flights in Europe.

The countries concerned are the following: Andorra,
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
Georgia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San
Marino, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, `the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia’, Turkey, Ukraine and United Kingdom. A
letter was sent to Albania on 22 February.

The governments concerned have been asked to complete
or clarify their replies in response to his initial
request of 21 November 2005. The deadline for the
replies to the follow-up letters has been set for 7
April.

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THE ATMOSPHERE MUST BE CHANGED FIRST

06:59 pm 10 March, 2006

The Helsinki Citizens Assembly Vanadzor office made
an announcement today declaring the restoration of
democratic principles during the realization of the
`Millennium Challenges’ program and the providing of
human rights defense by the Armenian authorities
extremely important.

«The Helsinki Citizens Assembly Vanadzor office
declares the necessity of the representation of a
program directed towards the holding of free and fair
elections and the supporting of the human rights by
the RA Government alongside with the solution of the
technical and organizational problems of the
realization of the `Millennium Challenges’ grant.

Otherwise the realization of large-scaled financial
investments in a non-democratic atmosphere is
meaningless as the financial means can be appropriated
because of the corruption making the position of the
non-legitimate authorities still firmer.

With this declaration we call on all the concerned
NGOs to represent their opinion about the issues on
the basis of which the civic participation and control
over the realization of the «Millennium Challenges»
program can be provided», the declaration says.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

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GABRIEL SARGSYAN AMONG LEADERS

07:03 pm 10 March, 2006

Armenian Grand Master Gabriel Sargsyan is playing
successfully in the Chess International tournament in
Reykjavik. After winning the first three games he tied
with Queynus in the forth and shares the first place
with eight other players.

102 chess players are participating in the Reykjavik
tournament. In the fifth round Sargsyan will play with
Pavel Tregubov from Russia.

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«ARMENTEL» WAS PUNISHED FOR LOW TARIFFS

07:33 pm 10 March, 2006

For the last eight years «ArmenTel» was never
punished for high tariffs. But today the Economic
Competition Defense State Committee punished the
company for establishing low tariffs.

During the Committee sitting the claimant was
«Gh-Telecom», while the respondent was `ArmenTel’. The
respondent was accused of giving all its subscribers a
number of free minutes as bonus which they can use
until April.

`VIvaCell’ complained that with this step ArmenTel
created anti-competition conditions. `VivaCell’
claimed that `ArmenTel’ made a discount of 95% as a
result of which `VivaCell’ was deprived of part of its
income and subscribers. «ArmenTel» proved with
grounded economic calculations that during a year they
made only a discount of 20% the possibility of which
«VivaCell» has too. But the Committee did not take
into account the counter facts of «ArmenTel».

By the final decision of the committee the Company was
fined by 1% of their whole income for the year 2005.
The respondent did not clear out whether they will
appeal the decision or not.

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CORRUPTION IS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN ARMENIA

08:38 pm 10 March, 2006

The Council of Europe’s Group of States against
Corruption (GRECO) has today published its evaluation
report on Armenia, with the agreement of the Armenian
authorities.The report concludes that in Armenia
corruption is considered a major problem.

The judiciary, the police, the customs service, the
tax inspectorate, education, healthcare, licensing and
privatisations are particularly affected. Despite the
adoption of a number of anti-corruption measures,
shortcomings still prevail in the existing
anti-corruption legislation and its implementation, as
well as in the organisation of the justice and law
enforcement systems.

The existence of serious obstacles to collecting
evidence, depriving offenders of the proceeds of
corruption together with the almost total absence of
significant results in prosecuting and indicting
individuals involved in serious cases of corruption
call for substantial efforts. In this respect, problem
areas include legislation on banking secrecy, special
investigative means, training for members of the law
enforcement agencies, witness protection, assets
declaration and the anti-money laundering regime.
Immunity enjoyed by judges, prosecutors, parliamentary
candidates, members of electoral commissions and even
candidate mayors and candidates for membership of the
council of elders (local council) is also a matter of
concern.

As for public administration, there is an urgent need
for implementing measures that deal with situations
where personal/financial interests or activities may
raise issues of conflict or partiality with regard to
public officials’ duties and responsibilities. It is
also necessary that public officials be informed and,
above all, trained on how and when to report instances
of corruption, or suspicions thereof, which they come
across in their duty and, to establish adequate
protection for public officials who report instances
of corruption (whistleblowers) in good faith.

The Armenian legal system does not provide for
corporate liability, so there is a need to establish
it for offences of bribery and money laundering and to
provide for effective, proportionate and dissuasive
sanctions, in accordance with the Council of Europe’s
Criminal Law Convention on Corruption.

GRECO has addressed twenty-four recommendations to
Armenia and invited the Armenian authorities to report
on their implementation by September 2007.

Panorama.am

16:25 10/03/06

JAPANESE PLAYGROUNDS IN ARMENIAN YARDS

Today the presidents of `Goris Youth Union’, `Human
Health’ and `Nor Hayastan’ public organizations and
the consulter of Japanese Embassy in Armenia Shigeiro
Mimori signed an agreement about small grants in the
Foreign Ministry.

As president of Goris Youth Union Karine Movsisyan
assured 4 schools in Vayots Dzor and 6 in Syunik will
have new furniture due to the official assistance of
Japanese Government. The latter will give 78.000 USD
to the organization to carry out the program. As
President of `Human Health’ PO Levon Movsisyan
mentions 90.042 dollars will be spent to furnish 15th
special school in Yerevan. 73.000 more USD will be let
to `Nor Hayastan’ which will be spent to build new
playgrounds, 2 in Gyumri and Charentsavan, 3 in
Yerevan Erebuni, Shengavit and Kanaker-Zeytun
communities. /Panorama.am/

Panorama.am

16:14 10/03/06

KEEP DOORS LOCKED NOT TO BE TAKEN TO POLICE!

`In general the number of crimes has decreased,’
informed the head of Board of Criminal Reconnaissance
of Police Hayk Militonyan in the Police. Thus, 1342
criminal cases have been recorded in our republic up
to March 1, 2006 while the number of crimes at the
same period last time was 1526. H. Militonyan also
mentioned that the number of murders, crimes against
sexual inviolability. With the decrease of number of
crimes the number of robberies and plunder has
increased.

`We have arrested a number of groups that told about
several 10s of crimes they committed.’ The Police
representative blamed the people for the above
mentioned robberies saying: `We have revealed about 40
crimes when people saw that the door of an apartment
is open, entered the house and took anything they
liked.’

H. Militonyan assured that the police pay great
attention to disclosing crimes that had been committed
before but not revealed.

In fact, the policemen lead an active struggle against
crimes connected with drugs as a result of which 80
cases have been revealed this year. What refers to
disclosure of cases with drug selling there were 12
suchlike cases this year, whereas no case has been
revealed last year.

In reply to one of the correspondents’ remark about
the fact that it is mentioned in the report of US
State Department that Armenian policemen torture those
arrested Mr. Militonyan said: `If there are any
concrete facts, please, let us know about them.’ /Panorama.am/

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“HERITAGE” PARTY AFFIRMS THAT AUTHORITIES UNDERTAKE ACTIONS FOR
PARALYSING ITS ACTIVITY

YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. An incident connected with unknown people’s
entering the office of the “Heritage” party, and then with changing the
locks on the party doors is one further link in the chain of a new campaign
of threats, intimidation, and introductory terror carried out by the
incumbent presidency and its security apparatus againts the “Heritage” party
and its leader Raffi Hovannisian. This is said in the press-release of the
“Heritage” party spread on March 9.

According to the press-release, ” this campaign has followed on the heels of
Raffi Hovannisian’s recent public activity, citizens’ initiatives and freely
expressed opinions, and has been launched through the use of large-scale
technologies of slander by the state-supervised propaganda machine and its
stooges against the long-standing institutions of high repute headed by
Raffi and Armenouhi Hovannisian. the “party of power” aims to paralyze
Heritage’s activities in advance of parliamentary elections and other
developments of interest.”
“It is not to be ruled out that the acting authority, based on its own fear
and lack of public legitimacy, will continue its policies of persecution
with imaginary, trumped-up charges to be made against the party and its
members,” is mentioned in the press-release.

To recap, three unknown people broke the door of the “Heritage” party office
on March 4 and changed the locks. The party representatives can’t enter
their office up to now.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenians of Georgia Ask Saakashvili Personal Control
of Investigation of Tsalka Incident

11.03.2006 18:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Public Movement Multinational
Georgia and Nor Serund Union of Georgian Armenians
have appealed to Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili, asking to take the investigation of the
case of attack against a group of Armenians in Tsalka
town under his personal control. As the Press Service
of the Multinational Georgia Common Civil Movement
union told PanARMENIAN.Net, a respective letter will
be sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of
Georgia. Besides, Public Movement Multinational
Georgia and Nor Serund NGOs demanded soonest possible
exposure of the murder case, identification of those
guilty and announcing their names, punishing them, as
well as admitting representatives of the NGOs to the
investigation.

To remind, On March 9, at about 06:00 p.m. local time,
in the city of Tsalka (regional center of Kvemo-Kartli
Region, Georgia) an armed attack was held against a
group of young ethnic Armenians. An Armenian,
23-year-old Gevorg Gevorgyan, died in the hand-to-hand
fight. The victims say, when they were getting into
the car, unidentified people suddenly attacked them.
Those attacking opened the door and slaughtered Gevorg
Gevorgyan absolutely without a reason. They also
injured other Armenians with knives. The victims say
that most of those attacking spoke the Svan dialect of
the Georgian language and that they did not know them
or have not seen in Tsalka before. Besides, the armed
attack did not have a cause – they had not even spoken
to those people.

Outraged with the incident, Tsalka Armenians held a
rally (some 500 persons) in front of the police
building. They demanded a fair punishment for the
murderers. The policemen batoned the protesting
Armenians. Witnesses say that along with police, local
criminal groupings took part in disseminating those
gathered. Eyewitnesses say that March 10 special
destination forces blocked roads, leading from
Armenian villages to Tsalka, as well as took under
control in fat all state institutions in the town.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I RECEIVES THE AMBASSADOR OF THE UNITED STATES

His Holiness Aram I received the Ambassador of the United States to Lebanon,
Mr. Jeffrey Feltman in his office in Antelias on March 8.

The two discussed issues related to the internal situation in Lebanon, the
national political dialogue and the role of the Armenian community during a
meeting that lasted about an hour and a half.

##
View photo here: tm#2
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.