ARMENIAN OMBUDSPERSON BACKS CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
By Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenialiberty.org, Armenia
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 12 2005
Armenia’s state human rights defender, Larisa Alaverdian, expressed
on Wednesday her support for draft constitutional amendments that
will be put to the referendum next month.
“I am not in a position to campaign for or against the amendments,”
she told RFE/RL. “But if you ask me whether the amendments contain
provisions which broaden a person’s capability to protect their rights,
I will say yes.”
The most contentious of constitutional changes sought by President
Robert Kocharian and his governing coalition concern a shift of powers
from the Armenian president to the government and parliament.
The Armenian authorities, backed by the Council of Europe, say they
would put in place a more effective system of checks and balances.
But their political opponents dismiss the proposed changes as cosmetic.
Alaverdian said she is only concerned with those provisions of
Kocharian’s draft that deal with human rights. She singled out a
provision empowering the human rights ombudsperson and ordinary
citizens to appeal to Armenia’s Constitutional Court. Under the
existing constitution, only the president of the republic, at least
one third of parliament members as well as election candidates have
such a right.
Alaverdian also pointed to another draft amendment that would restrict
the president’s controversial authority to appoint and sack virtually
all judges. The head of state would supposedly have no control over
Armenia’s Justice Council which has the exclusive right to make
judicial nominations.
The ombudsperson admitted that the proposed change can only
“theoretically” make Armenian courts independent of the executive
branch of government. “In practice, it will probably take a generation
to end their dependence,” she said. “Having said that, this is at
least half a step forward.”
Alaverdian also endorsed another amendment which would affect her
directly. She was appointed by Kocharian in accordance with the
current constitution. The amendment would transfer that prerogative
to the National Assembly. Its enactment would require the legislature
to either re-appoint her or name a new ombudsperson.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
OCTOBER 7-13, 2005
HIGHLIGHTS:
COURT OF APPEALS SECURED THE APPEAL OF “FEMIDA” CHAIRWOMAN
“THE OTHER HALF”: ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN RADIO TEAM REPORTING PROJECT
JOURNALIST CONVICTED FOR THREE YEARS FOR ATTEMPTED CHEATING
SUBSIDIES TO PUBLICATIONS FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
COURT OF APPEALS SECURED THE APPEAL OF “FEMIDA” CHAIRWOMAN
On October 11 the RA Court of Appeals secured the appeal of the chairwoman
of “Femida” NGO Julietta Amirkhanian, challenging the ruling of the court of
primary jurisdiction of Center and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan of
July 25, 2005. As it has been reported, in late May Julietta Amirkhanian
addressed the court with a suit against Lia Revazian to protect honor and
dignity. The plaintiff demanded to refute the invalid and discrediting
information, contained in the letter of Lia Revazian, addressed to the
senior officials of the country, editorial offices of several media and the
mission of some international organizations. The letter, in particular,
contained insulting remarks to the address of “Datakan Alik” (“Judicial
Channel”) program, hosted by Julietta Amirkhanian on the Second Armenian TV
Channel. On July 25 the court ruled to partially secure the suit of the
“Femida” Chairwoman. The information quoted in Lia Revazian’s letter was
recognized to be invalid. However, the demand of the plaintiff – to
disseminate the prepared refutation text among the recipients of the letter
– was rejected by the court (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, August 25 –
September 1, 2005).
At the session of October 11 the Court of Appeals obliged Lia Revazian to
refute the information that discredits Julietta Amirkhanian, by sending the
refutation to all addressees of the letter that was the reason for the
litigation.
“THE OTHER HALF”: ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN RADIO TEAM REPORTING PROJECT
On October 1-10 in Armenia a team reporting project of Armenian and Georgian
radio journalists was held by London-based Media Diversity Institute. The
events was organized under “Minority Empowerment and Media Development in
South Caucasus” program, supported by the European Commission and the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. The project trainers were
Lily Poberezhska and Tim Grout-Smith (Media Player International”
consultancy partnership, UK), Harutiun Mansurian (producer, Internews
Armenia), Akakiy Gogichaishvili (author and host of “60 minutes” program,
“Rustavi-2” TV Channel, Georgia), and its participants were 8
representatives of Armenian and Georgian radio stations, 4 from each
country.
During the first two days, on October 1 and 2, a seminar “Covering
Diversity: How to Make Difference” was held, during which an interactive
discussion of diversity reporting of various minorities and vulnerable
groups of society was held. The practical continuation of the seminar was
“Woman in Armenia and Georgia” radio magazine, made up of pieces that were
prepared by the participants of a team reporting project from two South
Caucasus countries. On October 10 this 25-minute radio program, titled “The
Other Half”, was heard and discussed.
JOURNALIST CONVICTED FOR THREE YEARS FOR ATTEMPTED CHEATING
On October 6 in Vanadzor the court of primary jurisdiction of Lori region
completed the trial on the case of employee of the press center of the
Armenian Writers Union, member of the Journalists Union of Armenia Theresa
Asatrian. The court convicted Theresa Asatrian to 3 years’ imprisonment and
a fine of 400,000 AMD (about $ 900) for attempted cheating (cl. 2 p. 2 Art.
34-178 of RA Criminal Code) and involvement in bribery (cl. 1 p. 3 Art.
38-312 of RA Criminal Code). As it has been reported, the hearings on the
case started on August 31 (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, August 25 – September
1, 2005). As reported in the press release of the General Prosecutor’s
Office, on May 17, 2005 Theresa Asatrian provoked the notary of Vanadzor
notary region Arusiak Azarian to give a bribe of $ 3,500 to prevent the
submission to the court of the materials against the notary gathered by the
RA National Security Service, and the publication of a revelatory article
written by the journalist herself.
SUBSIDIES TO PUBLICATIONS FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
On October 6 at the session of the Government of Armenia it was decided to
allocate subsidies to the RA Ministry of Education and Science to assist
newspapers and magazines for children and adolescents under the state budget
of 2005. According to the report of the Department of Information and Public
Relations of the RA Government, subsidies will be allocated to “Aghbyur”,
“Tsitsernak”, “Nakhashavigh”, “Armenian Language and Literature”,
“Lusapsak”, “Khatutik” magazines, “Mankants Yerkir” almanac and newspapers
“Kanch” and “Peri” for children and adolescents.
When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.
You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]
Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]
Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
____________________________________________
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
375002, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 10) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 10) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:

PRESS RELEASE
Office of Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi
Byron Tucker
Deputy Commissioner, Communications and Press Relations
Los Angeles, 213/346-6363
Sacramento, 916/492-3566
Cell phone, 213/399-8051
On October 5, 2005, California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi had
an audience with Pontiff His Holiness Aram I, Catolicos of the Great
House of Cilicia (pictured in the center) and Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western United States (pictured on the
right) at the Universal Hilton in Los Angeles, CA.
Their one-hour, wide-ranging discussion included Commissioner
Garamendi’s involvement in the $20 million settlement of a class action
lawsuit to resolve insurance claims stemming from the Armenian Genocide
nearly 90 years ago. The Commissioner played an instrumental role during
the final negotiations leading to the agreement with New York Life
Insurance Company.

PRESS RELEASE
Council of Europe Press Division
Ref: 537b05
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60
Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11
[email protected]
internet:
Le Congrès observe les élections locales en Arménie
Strasbourg, 13.10.2005 – Le Congrès des Pouvoirs Locaux et Régionaux
du Conseil de l’Europe observera, le dimanche 16 octobre, les
élections locales dans plusieurs régions d’Arménie : Armavir, Lori
et Tavush.
La délégation du Congrès, présidée par Sean O’Brien (Irlande,
SOC), rencontrera les candidats aux élections, le président de la
commission centrale électorale, les membres des commissions
électorales régionales, les gouverneurs des régions concernées,
la délégation arménienne auprès du Congrès ainsi que des
représentants des médias et des ONG, dont l’Institut national
démocratique pour les affaires internationales (IND).
La délégation se compose également de David Lloyd-Williams
(Royaume-Uni, GILD), John Biggs (Royaume-Uni, SOC), Christopher Newbury
(Royaume-Uni, PPE, rapporteur), Luca Ciriani (Italie, GILD) et de Marja
van der Tas (Pays-Bas, PPE).
Une conférence de presse finale aura lieu le 17 octobre à 15h à
l’hôtel Ani Plaza à Erevan.
Pour plus d’information, veuillez contacter :
Bureau de la Représentante Spéciale du Secrétaire Général,
Bojana Urumova
Tél : + 374 1 24 33 85 / 87, Email : [email protected]
Congress to observe local elections in Armenia
Strasbourg, 13.10.2005 – On Sunday 16 October, the Congress of Local and
Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will observe local
elections in several regions of Armenia: Armavir, Lory and Tavush.
The Congress delegation, led by Sean O’Brien (Ireland, SOC), will meet
election candidates, the Chairman of the Central Election Commission,
members of regional electoral commissions, the governors of regions
concerned, the Armenian delegation to the Congress, as well as
representatives of the media and NGOs, including the National Democratic
Institute for international affairs (NDI).
The delegation also includes David Lloyd-Williams (United Kingdom,
ILDG), John Biggs (United Kingdom, SOC), Christopher Newbury (United
Kingdom, EPP, rapporteur), Luca Ciriani (Italy, ILDG) and Marja van der
Tas (Netherlands, EPP).
A final press conference will take place on 17 October at 3 p.m at Ani
Plaza Hotel in Yerevan.
For further information, please contact:
Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General to
Armenia, Bojana Urumova ; Tel: + 374 1 24 33 85 / 87, E-mail :
[email protected]
To receive our press releases by e-mail, contact :
[email protected]
A political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe works to
promote democracy and human rights continent-wide. It also develops
common responses to social, cultural and legal challenges in its 46
member states.

BBC Radio 4 – 12 Oct 2005
The World Tonight
Sarah Rainsford in Turkey asks whether the prosecution of writers
and journalists there for raising the question of the Armenian genocide of
90 years ago raises questions over the commitment to freedom of speech.
Broadband needed to listen.
Fast forward to 22:23 for this report.
Listen to their nationalists with sinking heart (“I’ve got the human right
to ask for proof of the genocide”).
Also includes Hrant Dink interview.

Hetq On Line
Being Village Mayor is a Matter of Principle
October 10, 2005
“All those members of the community who wish to visit the mobile medical
groups must register beforehand with the village nurse.”
This announcement has represented medical treatment to ailing residents of
Ditavan for several years now. They say it helps to read it several times,
with a glass of water. Sadly, that’s the only option they have.
The village of Ditavan, 15 km from Ijevan and set deep in the forest, has a
history that spans 165 years. It was founded by seven families who had come
from Karabakh and settled in the Aghstev valley. The villagers mainly deal
in animal husbandry, although tobacco growing has also recently been
undertaken. According to Sevan Sargsyan, the mayor of the village, it is a
labor-intensive, but not very lucrative, occupation,
“The village has problems with irrigation. The people of Ditavan cannot
irrigate their fields. The only water they get is from rain. Villagers have
to fight nature to survive. Plowing or harvesting, villagers face a serious
dilemma – they have no money to rent machinery, but without it they won’t be
finished in time,” Sargsyan explained.
There are 490 residents, or 120 families, registered in the village, but
only a few families live there now. The village is drowning in troubles.
Sargsyan believes that all small villages face these problems, “Only the
relatives of the villagers know where it is located, so how would a
foreigner know? Ditavan has never been part of any international charity
program, because each such project requires local investment as well, which
is beyond our reach.”
Sevan Sargsyan has been mayor of Ditavan for three years now. Despite
numerous problems, he plans to run again this year. “There are unfinished
programs, I have to complete them. It’s a hard to be village mayor these
days, because everyone criticizes you – both those above you, and the
villagers as well. I think it’s easier to hold office in the city; as they
say, ‘the village priest is not blessed.’ I try to do so much, but they say
‘Of course you have do it, what did you think?’ When you realize that you
are not appreciated, it’s difficult to stay motivated. I’m sick of it, to be
honest.”
When asked why he was putting his candidature forward again, Sargsyan
replied, “It’s a matter of principle. I believe that if the villagers stand
united, then we can achieve a lot.”
Sargsyan proposes a few different plans to get Ditavan out of the difficult
situation it is currently in – either by encouraging foreigners to invest in
the village, or by using Ditavan’s own potential to attract interest. He
believes that young people have an important role to play in this process.
Sargsyan has three children. Asked whether he sees their future in the
village, he replied, “Not for my daughters, because you can never tell what
kind of men they will marry. But my son should definitely stay in the
village. Although I might be doing him harm, that’s my decision.”
Though not a campaign slogan, this is another reflection of Mayor Sargsyan’s
principles, perhaps pointing to his secret wish to pass his power on to his
son, just like fathers did in the times of the Arshakuni dynasty.
Lusine Balyan, Anahit Vardanyan
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkey hands over Ottoman land records to Palestinians
Haaretz
11/10/2005
By Danny Rubinstein
The Turkish government on Sunday gave the Palestinian Authority a copy
of the Ottoman archive containing all documents pertaining to land
ownership in pre-state Israel through 1916.
The PA requested the records to support Palestinian land claims. The
Palestinians say that these documents reflect the “true” ownership of
the land. One year later, in 1917, Britain drove the Ottomans out of the
country and issued the Balfour Declaration, expressing support for the
establishment of a Jewish state in what was then called Palestine. The
Palestinians say these evens represented the start of “a Zionist
takeover of their land, under the auspices of British imperialism.”
Even before 1917, Jewish and Zionist institutions had purchased large
tracts of land in Palestine from absentee landlords, who lived mainly in
Syria and Lebanon. These landlords had previously leased their property
to local farmers, but were happy to sell it for the right price, without
giving a thought to their tenant farmers. Nevertheless, Palestinians
view these sales as more legitimate than those that took place during
the British occupation that began in 1917.
Under Ottoman rule, a substantial portion of the land in Palestine was
registered as state land. Some of this land was later sold or
transferred to pre-state Jewish institutions. Other portions belonged to
the Muslim waqf (religious trust), and these, according to Islamic law,
cannot be sold. However, there was no orderly registration process;
ownership was determined primarily using records such as tax payments.
Ever since 1948, Palestinian institutions dealing with the refugee issue
have been trying to obtain accurate records on the land and property
that were lost when Israel was established. This effort has gained steam
in recent years, but no Palestinian institution has come close to
collecting all the relevant data. One reason for the lackadaisical
effort may be the Palestinians’ understanding that the data has little
practical value other than for public relations. At most, it will be
used in the bargaining over compensation for refugees, if and when such
negotiations take place.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

University of New Mexico Staff News #284 –
Wednesday, October 5, 2005
Albuquerque, New Mexico

UNM Staff Paul Akmajian and Dan Derksen were selected to present a
mini-workshop in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, during ‘The Network:
Towards Unity for Heath’ international conference in November.
Akmajian and Derksen will present “Creative Communication: Using Web
Logs and Other Tools to build Effective Collaborations” Their workshop
was one of only nine accepted from worldwide applicants.

;type=2

A Survey of the Paintings, Drawings and Prints of Garo Antreasian, Sept. 6
-October 30
Fresno Art Museum, Fresno, CA

Friday, October 27 Conversation with the Artist

The large works on exhibit include The Red Brigade (Plate 4 of
4). Acrylic on wood, 66 x 24″. Courtesy of the Artist and Gerald
Peters Gallery (Santa Fe) Its severity balanced by the use of
intensely rich color. The Memorial Series (Plates I – IV), 2004, is a
dramatic and somber reference to commemorate all martyrs and has been
created using charcoal on paper.

The name of Garo Antreasian has been synonymous with creative
lithography in the United States for the past fifty years. In 1994,
Antreasian was awarded Printmaker Emeritus by the Southern Graphics
Council and he also holds the Honorary Master Printer Certificate
awarded in 1969 by Tamarind Lithography Workshop, Los Angeles, where
he worked as Technical director. He was a Professor and Chairman of
the Department of Art and Art History at the University of New Mexico
from 1964 through 1987 as well as the Technical Director of the
Tamarind Institute of the University of New Mexico. Other honors,
among many, include fellowships for travel and study, and Visiting
Lecturer Fulbright Award from San Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
His work is a part of important collections including the Library of
Congress, Smithsonian Institute, and the New York Public Library.
“Conversation with the Artist” –5 pm, Friday, October 27.

Movie Review: Where The Truth Lies
Egoyan’s ‘Truth’ is hard to swallow
Despite all the bare flesh, Where The Truth Lies lacks passion
By BRUCE KIRKLAND – Toronto Sun
October 12, 2005
PLOT: In the 1970s, a young journalist investigates two singer-comics
who starred in the 1950s. A long-suppressed scandal — the dead body
in their bathtub after a night of drugs and sex — looms large.
Atom Egoyan’s latest opus, the sexually charged murder mystery Where
The Truth Lies, is an immaculate conception for all its naughty
content.
Lush, sleek, beautifully conceived and photographed, the film is a
glossy artifact of high cinema. With its intellectual conceits,
time-shifting story and challenging ideas, it is a film with a
mainstream sheen and an arthouse complexity.
But Where The Truth Lies is also cold and distant and sterile. All
despite the naked sexcapades that include orgies and plenty of bare
flesh, both male and female.
We are left with a contemporary film noir lacking the passion of the
noir genre of the 1940s and ’50s. Noirs used to rumble, bark,
grind. The grit in the characters was as abrasive as
sandpaper. Egoyan’s film is too clean for the dirty little lies it
hides. And only some of the characters belong here.
Colin Firth and Kevin Bacon do belong, and both give edgy performances
that toughen the film’s spine and make this flawed movie worth
watching.
In Firth’s case, his work may even be a shocker, given how venal his
character becomes. Mr. Darcy was never this mean, this callous.
As the ugly American Lanny Morris and the slick Briton Vince Collins,
Firth and Bacon portray singer-comics of the 1950s. They are a
star-studded duo, versatile entertainers like Dean Martin and Jerry
Lewis, although this is not their real-life story.
In the movie, Lanny & Vince command nightclubs, flirt with the babes
in the audience. They also host their own telethon, ostensibly to
raise money for needy children, really to raise their likability
quotient.
After-hours, off stage, they booze it up, do drugs and do every woman
willing to strip and perform sexual acts, sometimes in group
orgies. No rules, no limits, no morality. The film explores the
changing nature of celebrity and excess.
One night, one woman (Rachel Blanchard in a brave support role in
which her sexuality is used as a dangerous weapon) ends up naked and
dead in the bathtub.
Two decades later, a young journalist (Alison Lohman) with a
tangential connection to the duo is given the chance to write a
tell-all book about their mercurial past career. The film, written by
Egoyan and based on a novel by American Rupert Holmes, uses Lohman’s
awkward, often ill-advised investigation to expose the harsh truths
and the lies.
Lanny & Vince, like Martin & Lewis, split up long ago in weird
circumstances. In the 1970s era, each now has his own agenda, his own
memory of what really happened. And how did that woman end up naked
and dead?
Egoyan, as he often does, time shifts to re-create the story,
stripping away layers and forcing characters to reveal themselves in
fragments. In this case, however, he relies on a catalyst who is not
up to the task. This is where the film fails.
Lohman, looking like a teenager and carrying no weight on screen in
this role, is woefully miscast. She is impossible to believe as
anything but a flyweight, except in her surprising lesbian
encounter. No one would give this girlish woman a million bucks to
write an expose. She is no match for Firth’s character, so the plot is
unbalanced, even unhinged.
There is also a serious problem with the climax-epilogue of the
story. As Egoyan tells the tale, he changes the emotional emphasis of
the piece in the final scene. The film turns out not to be what we
thought it was about all along. Bad move.
BOTTOM LINE: Played at the Cannes and Toronto filmfests. While it
boasts many fine qualities, including Colin Firth and Kevin Bacon’s
lusty performances as a musical comedy duo, Atom Egoyan’s opus falls
short of satisfaction.
(This film is rated 18-A)
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress