PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE
by Emil Danielyan
Transitions Online, Czech Republic
March 13 2006
Young men refusing to serve in the armed forces for religious reasons
are again being prosecuted in Armenia, despite the introduction
nearly two years ago of a legal alternative to compulsory military
service. Conscientious objectors, mainly Jehovah’s Witnesses, are
refusing to enlist for alternative civilian service on the grounds
that it is controlled by the Armenian military. About 50 of them are
currently in jail or are awaiting trial.
Local and international human rights organizations have long criticized
the authorities in Yerevan for jailing conscientious objectors. In
2001, the Council of Europe made elimination of the practice a key
condition for admitting Armenia as a member. However, an Armenian
law on alternative service that came into force in July 2004 has so
far failed to address the problem. Council of Europe officials say
it does not fully meet European standards and should be amended.
The law gave male citizens who refuse mandatory military service
two options: to perform noncombat duties inside army bases for three
years or to spend three and a half years at civilian institutions.
After the law came into force, 22 Jehovah’s Witnesses opted for
the latter option and were assigned to special civilian hospitals,
including Armenia’s largest psychiatric clinic. But they soon
discovered that these facilities are essentially under military
control – the workers were regularly checked on by military police
officers, confined to the medical institutions for 24 hours a day,
and even fed by the army.
‘NOT AN OPTION’
“For young Jehovah’s Witnesses, to be attached to the military in any
form is impossible because that means cooperating with the military,”
said Andre Carbonneau, a Canadian lawyer representing the Jehovah’s
Witnesses in Armenia. That, he added, would run counter to one of
the main tenets of the U.S.-based Christian sect.
That also explains why all 22 men abandoned their places of service
before being arrested in August. Thirteen of the objectors were
tried and controversially sentenced to between two and three years’
imprisonment under articles of the Armenian Criminal Code that deal
with desertion from military units. The court sentences occurred before
the authorities enacted a law in January that declared abandonment
of civilian service a crime punishable by imprisonment.
According to Carbonneau, this constitutes a retroactive enforcement
of the law, illegal under Armenia’s constitution. Acting on the
attorney’s complaint, an Armenian appeals court recently overturned
virtually all of the Jehovah’s Witness convictions by lower courts.
However, it stopped short of ordering the release of the conscientious
objectors, only sending their cases back to prosecutors. The latter
are refusing to set the men free, pending another trial.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses have responded by lodging an appeal to
the European Court of Human Rights, which they hope will order the
release of the men, the only Armenians to date to perform alternative
service. But Carbonneau admitted that there is little they can do about
nearly 30 other Jehovah’s Witnesses who refused outright to perform
military-controlled civilian duty after the alternative service law
came into force. They are now being kept in pretrial detention. “The
law on alternative service is not an option for any conscientious
objector,” he said.
Council of Europe bodies monitoring Armenia’s compliance with the
country’s membership obligations appear to share this view. “The
Council of Europe and its monitoring mechanisms consider that the
commitments in this area have not fully been met with the current
legislation,” the head of the Strasbourg-based organization’s Yerevan
office, Bojana Urumova, told EurasiaNet. Urumova said it should be
amended “in a way which will meet European standards and resolve
this issue definitely.” Armenian authorities have to come up with a
“genuine civilian alternative to military service,” she added.
OBJECTS OF SUSPICION
The Armenian government, meanwhile, has drafted amendments to the law
on alternative service that will be debated by parliament later this
year. With government officials refusing to disclose the amendments’
content for the moment, it is not clear whether they will satisfy the
Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Armenian military has always feared that
alternative service could serve as a legal loophole for mass draft
evasion; hence, its desire to strictly regulate the process. In
a December 2004 directive, the chief of the Armenian army staff,
Col.-Gen. Mikael Harutiunian, ordered military officials to regularly
report to him about civilian compliance with regulations that, among
other things, require them to stay in their place of service 24 hours
a day and take leaves of absence only with official permission.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have long been viewed with suspicion by the
authorities and a large part of Armenia’s population, primarily due to
their strong opposition to military service. Many Armenian politicians
and ordinary people alike consider their pacifist doctrine a serious
threat to the national security of a country locked in a bitter
territorial conflict with one of its neighbors, Azerbaijan. The sect
had for years been denied official registration for that reason.
The government formally legalized it only in October 2004, in a move
that was condemned by the Armenian Apostolic Church. “The activities of
totalitarian religious organizations, including Jehovah’s Witnesses,
run counter to our national and state interests and aspirations,”
the church, to which over 90 percent of Armenians around the world
nominally belong, said in a statement issued at the time.
In the words of Tigran Harutiunian, a Jehovah’s Witness spokesman in
Armenia, apart from the renewed prosecution of its young male members,
the religious group has faced no government restrictions since then
and currently boasts more than 20,000 Armenian adherents.
“We are happy to be able to freely talk about our faith,” he said.

OSKANYAN: ARMENIA ALREADY MADE COMPROMISES ON ITS PART IN NK ISSUE
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 13 2006
The Nagorno Karabakh people’s right to self-determination is the key
issue of the Nagorno Karabakh settlement, and it is irreversible,
stated RA FM Vardan Oskanyan in an interview with Armenian Shant TV
Company. In his words, Baku will touch upon the problem, “as it is
an issue of the agenda, and Azerbaijan is being turned the heat on in
this connection”. Vardan Oskanyan added connection between the right
to self-determination and the moment of settlement of all the aspects
of the conflict should be determined. “If we manage to formulate the
connection correctly and come to a compromise decision, there will
be advance in the process; otherwise it will imply that Azerbaijan
remains on maximalist positions and there will be no shifts in the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement”, RA FM said. He stressed Armenia
had already made concessions on its part, which had not been easy. “I
do not know how our nation will perceive it”, noted V. Oskanyan.

SPANISH EX-FM ANNE PALACIO: “ARMENIA SHOULD FREE OCCUPIED AZERBAIJANI LANDS”
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 13 2006
“Russian military bases in the western Armenia and Georgia should
be closed, new Marshall Plan should be applied to entire Southern
Caucasus region and the Southern Caucasus countries should integrate
into Europe,” said Spanish ex-Foreign Minister Anne Palacio.
The US and Europe are called on to intensify attempts to fight
Russia’s shadow empire in the article by ex-foreign minister Anne
Palacio, the US representative of Marshall Foundation- Mr. Daniel
Twining. The Washington post article reads Russia still continues
imperialist policy against its neighbors.
“After the Cold War ended, Russian leaders created “empires” in the
sovereign countries and sponsor the “frozen conflicts” in Eastern
Europe and the Southern Caucasus”.
Spanish ex-minister touched upon Nagorno Garabagh conflict between
Azerbaijan and Armenia and stated that Russia has political and
military influence on this conflict.
“Western countries should support the agreement on settlement of the
Garabagh conflict. According to this agreement, Armenia should free
occupied Azerbaijani lands and autonomy status should be given to
Nagorno Garabagh till its status was determined through referendum.
Russian military bases in the western Armenia should be closed, new
Marshall Plan should be applied to entire Southern Caucasus region
and the Southern Caucasus countries should integrate into Europe”.

OSKANIAN: ARMENIA ALREADY MADE ITS PART OF COMPROMISES IN NK CONFLICT
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 13 2006
Armenia has made its part of concessions in the settlement of the
conflict. We are anticipating Azerbaijan to make concessions now,”
Armenian FM Vardan Oskanian stated (APA).
“Nagorno Garabagh people’s right to self-determination is the key
issue in Nagorno Garabagh settlement, Baku will touch upon the issue
willy-nilly, If Azerbaijan does not make compromise, it will mean,
that Azerbaijan remains on maximalist positions. Armenia has made
its part of concessions and it was not easy, he emphasized. “I do
not know how our people will take it,” Oskanian remarked.

REP. PALLONE EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED OVER REPORTS OF AMB. EVANS
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 13 2006
Co-Chairman of Congressional Armenian Caucus Demands Explanation
from the Secretary of State Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ),
Co-Chairman of the Armenian Issues Caucus, yesterday expressed his
extreme disappointment to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over
reports that the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans, is
being forced from office based upon truthful and forthright statements
last year about the Armenian Genocide.
In a March 10th letter, Rep. Pallone shared with the Secretary that
he is “outraged that the State Department is recalling Ambassador
Evans as retaliation for statements he made in recognition of the
Armenian Genocide.” He added that, “it is simply wrong for the State
Department to punish Ambassador Evans for statements he made that are
factually correct. Accordingly, I am asking you for an explanation as
to why Ambassador Evans was removed from his post. This is the wrong
message to send to the world. I look forward to a timely response
from your office.”
Speaking last year to an Armenian American gathering at the University
of California at Berkeley, Amb. Evans said, “I will today call it
the Armenian Genocide. I informed myself in depth about it. I think
we, the U.S. government, owe you, our fellow citizens, a more frank
and honest way of discussing this problem. Today, as someone who
has studied it. there’s no doubt in my mind [as to] what happened
. . . I think it is unbecoming of us, as Americans, to play word games
here. I believe in calling things by their name.” Referring to the
Armenian Genocide as “the first genocide of the 20th century,” he said:
“I pledge to you, we are going to do a better job at addressing this
issue.” Amb. Evans also disclosed that he had consulted with a legal
advisor at the State Department who had confirmed that the events of
1915 were “genocide by definition.”
Within days after his remarks and the conclusion of a speaking tour of
Armenian American communities, Ambassador Evans was apparently forced
to issue a statement clarifying that his references to the Armenian
Genocide were his personal views and did not represent a change in
U.S. policy. He subsequently issued a correction to this statement,
replacing a reference to the Genocide with the word “tragedy.”
Later last year, the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA),
in recognition of his honesty and commitment to principle, decided
to honor Ambassador Evans with the “Christian A. Herter Award,”
recognizing creative thinking and intellectual courage within the
Foreign Service. Sadly, as Washington Post staff writer Glenn Kessler
revealed on June 9th, AFSA withdrew its award following pressure from
“very serious people from the State Department.”
ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian, in a letter sent to Secretary Rice earlier
this week, wrote that, “the prospect that a U.S. envoy’s posting – and
possibly his career – has been cut short due to his honest and accurate
description of a genocide is profoundly offensive to American values
and U.S. standing abroad – particularly in light of President Bush’s
call for moral clarity in the conduct of our international affairs.”
The ANCA letter also urged Secretary Rice to respond in a timely manner
to the series of written questions on this matter submitted on February
16th by Congressman Adam Schiff during her testimony before the House
International Relations Committee. Among these questions was a specific
request that the Secretary assure the Committee that the Department
of State has not taken – and will not take – any punitive action
against Ambassador Evans for speaking out about the Armenian Genocide.

INCIDENT IN TSALKA: ONE DEAD AS OMBUDSMAN RULES OUT ETHNIC MOTIVE
The Messenger, Georgia
March 13 2006
A brawl which broke out in the multiethnic settlement of Tsalka on
March 9 left one person dead and two wounded. Gevorg Gevorkyan, 23,
died at the scene. The brawl participants and those suspected of
Gevorkyan’s murder have been detained, and the reason for the fight
has yet to be officially determined.
Rumor spread that the fight was the result of an ethnically motivated
confrontation between groups of Georgian and Armenian youths and
Gevorkyan’s death led to the formation of a mob outside the regional
police department on Friday, with participants demanding that one of
the murder suspects be lynched.
Meanwhile the Public Defender’s office issued a statement promising
to investigate the incident as a possible hate crime. On Saturday,
the Ombudsman ruled that the incident was the result of an act of
“ordinary hooliganism.” “Our representatives traveled there and looked
into the case. We can say that this dispute had nothing to do with
ethnic confrontation,” Ombudsman Sozar Subari announced on March 11.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced that the
situation has calmed down and that order has been restored.

AZERI MP TO TAKE PART IN COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL LIAISONS OF PACE
Author: H.Azizov
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
March 13 2006
Samed Seyidov, the head of Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation to
the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Council (PACE) has left
for Paris, the Azerbaijani parliament told Trend. The key objective
of the visit is to participate in the work of the PACE committee on
political liaisons in Paris on March 14.
A peaceful resolution of Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict in
Nagorno-Karabakh would be on focus along with other questions. It is
the 10th items of the preliminary agenda of the Committee. Head of
the PACE Ad Hoc Committee on Nagorno-Karabakh Lord Russell-Johnson
will also make a statement during the conference. A meeting of the
committee will be over at 17.00 [Baku time].
Additionally, next meeting of the committee on political liaisons
will take place during the spring session of PACE in Strasbourg on
April 10-13.

NUMBER OF BIRTHS IN KOTAYK MARZ REDUCED IN 2005
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
HRAZDAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. 3106 births were fixed in the marz
of Kotayk in 2005 what is by 68 less than the index of the previous
year was. This is provided by the reduction of births in the regions
of Hrazdan and Nairi.
According to data of January 2006, 263 births were fixed in the marz
what is more by 28 than the index of the same period of the previous
year was. 22 cases of death of children of 0-1 years old were fixed
in the marz of Kotayk the last year, what is lower than middle index
the republic is. In the marz separate maternity hospitals function
in Abovyan and Hrazdan, delivery rooms function in Charentsavan,
Yeghvard and Garni. The technical basis of the mentioned medical
institutions is provided with new equipment year by year. Particularly,
modern medical equipment of about 450 thousand evros was given to
the maternity hopital of Hrazdan recently by the grant allocated by
the Government of Japan.

MAMMEDOV: WE CAN’T ESTABLISH AN ELECTORAL COMMISSION IN THE THIRD COUNTRY FOR ARMENIANS WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN AZERBAIJAN
Author: S. Ilhamgizi
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
March 13 2006
There is no chance for Azerbaijani citizens of Armenian origin living
in Armenia or in any other country to participate in the second round
of parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, the Secretary of the Central
Electoral Commission (CEC), Natig Mammedov, told Trend.
The Armenian agency Arka, linking to other Armenian mass media
sources reports that a number of Azerbaijani citizens of Armenian
origin living in Armenia have showed interest in participating in
the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan and even put forward their
candidatures for nomination. They have contacted CEC and the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan with the same intentions. In case if
it is not possible for them to participate in elections in Azerbaijan,
they have suggested opening electoral commission in the third country.
Mammedov has noted that they [CEC] do not possess this sort
of information. He also added that according to the Azerbaijani
legislature it is not possible for persons living in other countries
to participate in elections. To do so, they first have to prove their
citizenship. On the other hand, both nominations for elections and
subscription lists submission stages have already finished on March
13. This means, that no citizen, irrespective of nationality can
participate in the electoral process at this stage.
The Azerbaijani legislature does not have regulations providing
creation of the electoral commissions in the third countries and
holding parliamentary elections there, the head of CEC also added.
“The Azerbaijani Constitution identifies rights of every citizen,
irrespective of his/her nationality to elect and be elected, even if
they are Armenians. These rights are accepted and protected by the
state. However, at this stage it is too late to register those Azeri
citizens of Armenian origin willing to participate in elections. They
had to address CEC in the identified by the law legitimate for
elections time span,” CEC Secretary said.

LEVON ARONIAN WINS IN LINARES TOURNAMENT
Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2006
LINARES, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Representative of Armenia Levon Aronian
had a perfect success in the chess super tournament held in the city
of Linares, Spain. The 23 years old grand master left all the rivals
behind and took the 1st place. In the 14th round held in 2 circles with
the 8 strongest chess players’ participation, L.Aronian got 8.5 points
leaving behind such famous rivals as world champion Vesselin Topalov
(Bulgaria), Temur Rajabov (Azerbaijan), Peter Leko (Hungary), Vasili
Ivanchuk (Ukraine), Peter Svidler (Russia), Ethien Bakro (France),
Francisco Valekho (Spain) are. When Levon Aronian won the world cup
late the last year, many specialists mentioned that he has a great
potential and may reach new and new successes in future. After that
he performed a deserving game in the city of Wejk ann Zee, Holland,
and now won the most authoritative world tournament in a perfect style.