Armenpress
USAID LAUNCHES NEW DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH STUDY
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS; Armenian health experts have launched
an extensive demographic and health study among 7,500 women of reproductive
age between 15-49 and as many males. The study is being conducted in
cooperation and financial assistance of the USAID that will cover 97 percent
of all expenses.
This is the second such project. The first was implemented back in 2000.
Anna Grigorian, USAID health projects coordinator, said the focus will be
put on women-related issues. The study is supposed to be over and published
in 2006. She said field work was underway already.
The study is supposed to update relevant data and outline health
priorities for future. A special emphasis will be also on mother and child
health problems.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARKA News Agency
Sept 22 2005
ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MEETS WITH VIOLINIST SERGEY KHACHATRYAN
YEREVAN, September 22. /ARKA/. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
has held a meeting with the young violinist Sergey Khachatryan, who
won the first prize at the Queen Elizabeth contest in Brussels.
During the meeting, the President congratulated the musician on his
victory and said that his success is the pride of all Armenians.
Robert Kocharyan wished Sergey Khachatryan new achievements and
yearly performances in Armenia.
The victory in the contest allows Sergey Khachatryan to play Antonio
Stradivari’s violin “Hagins”. On September 24, at the Aram
Khachatryan concert hall, Sergey Khachatryan is to give a concert
together with the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia.
The winner of numerous musical contests Sergey Khachatryan resides in
Germany. P.T. -0–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARKA News Agency
Sept 22 2005
STATE PROGRAM OF STRUGGLE AGAINST SMOKING FOR 2005-2009 APPROVED IN
ARMENIA
YEREVAN, September 21. /ARKA/. RA Government approved state program
of struggle against smoking for 2005-2009, press-service of the RA
Government reported ARKA News Agency. The program of the priority
actions regarding the sphere was approved as well. The program
envisages complex actions directed to the decreasing of the
population demand for tobacco products. A.A. -0–

AsiaNews.it, Italy
Sept 22 2005
Turkish court blocks a conference on the Armenian genocide

This is the second time the meeting has been called off: among
participants are several academics critical of the official
government version about what happened in World War I.

Ankara (AsiaNews) – An Istanbul court yesterday ordered that a
university conference about the Armenian massacre during the Ottoman
era be cancelled. At the meeting, which should have been held today
in Istanbul, scholars and academics discussing the delicate question
were expected to criticize the official government version of events.
Between 1915 and 1923, more than one and a half million Armenians
were killed. Turkey does not accept the definition of `genocide’: the
Ankara version is that 300,000 Armenians and thousands of Turks were
killed in a `civil revolt’ during the World War I, when the Armenians
rebelled against Ottoman rule. Accusations of ethnic cleansing are
defined by the Turkish government as `an invention to weaken the
nation’.
According to some western diplomats, forces within the state opposed
to Turkey’s membership in the European Union were probably behind the
ruling. Negotiations over Turkey’s entry in the EU are scheduled to
start on 3 October. Yesterday’s verdict was an embarrassment for the
Turkish government. Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, condemned
the court ruling and said the decision did not conform to what he
called freedom and modernity in Turkey. He said the right to free
speech was an essential part of democracy.
The conference entitled “Ottoman Armenians of an Empire in Decline”
was to have opened today at the Bosporus University in Istanbul. It
was originally scheduled to take place in May but it was postponed
after the Turkish Justice Minister said its purpose was to stab
Turkey in the back.
The case to halt the conference was brought by the Turkish Lawyers
Union and other lawyers. However, the details of their complaint have
not been made clear. The conference participants have declared they
will launch an appeal and they are determined to go ahead with their
work in the coming days.
The Armenian massacre has long been a taboo subject in Turkey: until
recently, even talking about it was illegal. Recently, a small circle
of Turk scholars started to cast doubt on the government version, an
unwelcome move in the eyes of many.
The internationally acclaimed Turkish author, Orhan Pamuk, is due to
appear in an Istanbul court on December 16 to defend himself against
serious charges of `insulting Turkey’s national dignity’ by telling a
Swiss newspaper that `one million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds had been
killed in Turkey’. If found guilty, he faces three years in prison.
EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn warned Turkey earlier this
month that the legal persecution of Pamuk raised `serious
preoccupations’ about negotiations with Turkey.

;art=4179

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway
The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief
================================================
Friday 23 September 2005
ARMENIA: NEW WAVE OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESS SENTENCES BEGINS
Shaliko Sarkissian became the first Jehovah’s Witness who abandoned
alternative service because it remains under defence ministry control to
be punished. On 15 September a court in the capital Yerevan imprisoned him
for two and a half years for “desertion”. The trial of another, Garik
Bekjanyan, is imminent, while a further dozen await trial. An OSCE
official expressed alarm to Forum 18 at the “growing number” of Jehovah’s
Witness prisoners. The Council of Europe and the OSCE have condemned
Armenia’s failure to introduce a genuine civilian alternative to military
service. But Sedrak Sedrakyan of the Defence Ministry’s legal department
rejects all complaints, insisting that his ministry has “no control” over
the alternative service. He dismisses all concerns about the Jehovah’s
Witnesses. “We believe all this has been organised to make a show,” he
told Forum 18.
ARMENIA: NEW WAVE OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESS SENTENCES BEGINS
By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service
All 22 Jehovah’s Witnesses who abandoned their alternative military
service because it remains under defence ministry control and does not
provide a genuine civilian alternative to military service now face severe
punishment. First to be punished was Shaliko Sarkissian, sentenced to two
and a half years’ imprisonment on 15 September by a court in the capital
Yerevan, Jehovah’s Witness sources told Forum 18 News Service on 20
September. Most of the others have already been arrested and are awaiting
trial. But Lieutenant Colonel Sedrak Sedrakyan, head of the Defence
Ministry’s legal department, dismissed concern about their fate. “We
believe all this has been organised to make a show,” he told Forum 18 from
Yerevan on 21 September. “We did all we could to allow them to serve their
alternative service quietly.” He denied categorically that the alternative
service is under military control, an assertion rejected by the Jehovah’s
Witnesses and the Yerevan office of the Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Sarkissian was one of two Jehovah’s Witnesses doing his alternative
service at Nork infectious diseases hospital and one of thirteen Jehovah’s
Witnesses to abandon their alternative service in August. He was found
guilty by Yerevan’s Nork-Marash District Court of violating Article 365(1)
of the Criminal Code, which punishes “desertion”.
“Shaliko Sarkissian was one of our people who had accepted alternative
service but left when he realised that alternative service came under the
control of the military,” Jehovah’s Witnesses told Forum 18. “These
conscientious objectors are prepared to perform genuine alternative
civilian service.”
An official of the OSCE in Yerevan expressed alarm at the “growing number”
of Jehovah’s Witness prisoners. “This is a worrying trend as their
imprisonment violates Armenia’s Council of Europe commitment,” the
official, who preferred not to be named, told Forum 18 from Yerevan on 20
September. “This certainly will not help Armenia’s international
reputation.”
On joining the Council of Europe in 2001, Armenia committed itself to
adopting a genuine civilian alternative to military service for those not
able to serve on grounds of conscience, but failed to meet this
commitment. “The recent steps taken by the Armenian government certainly
are alarming and show blatant disregard for their adopted obligations
before the Council of Europe,” the Jehovah’s Witnesses complain.
The alternative service law – which came into force on 1 July 2004, and
was amended by parliament on 22 November 2004 and again on 24 December
2004 – provides for “alternative military service” of 36 months and
“alternative labour service” of 42 months, both under the ultimate
oversight of the defence ministry, thus failing to meet its commitments.
The OSCE official expressed concern about the law. “We think the
alternative service law was not drafted and implemented in good faith. The
OSCE was involved in the drafting process but the Armenian authorities
disregarded our views.” The official said the law must ensure a genuine
civilian alternative to military service and must not be punitive in
length.
The Council of Europe agrees. “We believe there should be a clear civilian
alternative to military service in Armenia,” Krzysztof Zyman of its
directorate general for human rights told Forum 18 from Strasbourg on 20
September. He regretted that repeated requests to the Armenian government
and its representation at the Council of Europe for copies of the latest
amendments to the alternative service law have been ignored. “We are
urging the Armenian authorities to cooperate with the Council of Europe so
that the alternative service law meets European standards,” Zyman added.
Article 6 of the law states that issues related to alternative service are
dealt with by the military. Article 13 mentions that workers are assigned
by the Military Conscription Committee. Article 14 says that the
alternative service call-up is organised and supervised by the military.
Those doing alternative service are required to wear uniforms, are clothed
and fed by the armed forces, have identity cards reading “Armed Forces of
the Republic of Armenia”, are under military supervision and control and
subject to military punishment if they fail to meet their obligations.
However, Sedrakian of the defence ministry denies this. “Those doing
alternative service are under the control of the Social Care Ministry and
the Health Ministry,” he claimed to Forum 18. “The Defence Ministry has no
control over them and has nothing to do with them. Passports are routinely
taken off conscripts when they are called up and the same goes for those
doing alternative service. But their identity cards make no reference to
the armed forces. That is impossible.” He denied that those doing
alternative service are fed or clothed by the army, insisting that the
defence ministry receives no financial allocation for these purposes.
Sedrakian insisted that army officers have no right to give orders or
instructions of any sort to those doing alternative service. “In the first
few days as the system was being established there were contacts with the
Defence Ministry, but no control,” he maintained. “We simply checked where
they were housed to make sure everything was OK.”
He claimed that for the autumn call-up due shortly, each applicant for
alternative service will be considered by a commission. “Only one member
of this commission will be from the Ministry of Defence – the rest will be
officials of the government administration.”
The first Jehovah’s Witnesses to abandon the alternative service quit in
May (see F18News 17 May 2005
<;). Of the other Jehovah's Witnesses who abandoned their alternative service in August, on 17 August the Republic Court of Appeal reversed the decision of the Centre-Marash District Court to release Garik Bekjanyan and ruled to arrest him. He faces charges under Article 361(1) of the Criminal Code and his trial is expected imminently. On 17 August the Gegarkunik Region Prosecutor's Office charged Vagarshak Margaryan, Baris Melkumyan, Gagik Davtyan and Artur Chilingarov under Article 361(5). They were arrested the same day. On 22 August, the Gegarkunik regional prosecutor's office instituted criminal cases against seven more, Tigran Abrahamyan, Garazat Azatyan, Vahe Grigoryan, Hayk Khachatryan, Gegarin Melkonyan, Henrik Safaryan, and Karlen Simonyan. All were charged under Article 361(4). Other regional prosecutor's offices have summoned other Jehovah's Witnesses who had refused to continue the alternative civilian service to which they were assigned. Meanwhile, other Jehovah's Witnesses called up since the extent of military control over the alternative service became clear continue to be sentenced. In the town of Talin in western Armenia, Hakop Muradyan was sentenced on 15 September to one and a half years' imprisonment under Article 327 of the Criminal Code, which punishes refusal to perform military service. Muradyan, who was arrested on 2 August, does not intend to appeal against the sentence. Other such sentences earlier this year include two years' imprisonment handed down to Yenok Ivanyan on 1 July and a prison term of one and a half years handed down to Hrachya Sarkissian on 16 August. Both were sentenced under Article 327. A printer-friendly map of Armenia is available at <;Rootmap=armeni>
(END)
© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved. ISSN 1504-2855
You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News
Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at

ARKA News Agency
Sept 22 2005
THE CBA CHAIRMAN LEAVES FOR WASHINGTON TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ANNUAL
SESSION OF THE BOARD OF THE IMF AND WB GROUP
YEREVAN, September 22. /ARKA/. The CBA Chairman Tigran Sargsyan left
for Washington to participate in the annual session of the Board of
the IMF and WB Group. According to the CBA Press Service, Sargsyan
will participate in a conference devoted to the reforms of IMF, in a
meeting of the member countries of the IMF Netherlands Group, a forum
of administrators of the reserves department, a session of the
international monetary and finance commissions, a session of the
development commission, as well as in the regular session of the
Armenian -American work group.
In the course of the visit Sargsyan is going to meet the Netherlands
Minister of Finance Gerrit Zalm. A.H. –0-

ARKA News Agency
Sept 22 2005
ARMENIAN MEDICAL OFFICERS PARTICIPATE IN NATO TRAINING
“MEDCEUR-RESCUER – 05”
YEREVAN, September 22. /ARKA/. A medical rescue training
“MEDCEUR-RESCUER – 05” of NATO member-countries and of countries
involved in the Partnership for Peace program was held at the
Department of Military Medicine, Yerevan Medical University, on
September 8-19, 2005. Colonel Seyran Shahsuvaryan, Press Secretary to
RA minister of Defense, reported that it is the first training of
this type in Armenia. The “academic” and “field” part of the training
were held in Georgia. Ten Armenian officers and students of the
Department of Military Medicine participated in the training as well.
In Yerevan, a staff circle of a computer military game “Responce
Cell” was organized. The work plan of the game was fulfilled 100%.
The work was controlled by two officers and two 1st-class specialists
of the US Armed Forces. Armenia was represented by a senior officer
of the Military Medical Department, three officers of the Emergency
Department, and three officers of the Department of Military
Medicine. US military specialists made a high appraisal of Armenian
officers. The “RESCUER – 06” part of the “MEDCEUR-RESCUER – 06”
training is most likely to be held in Armenia. P.T. -0–

ARKA News Agency
Sept 22 2005
ARMENIAN DELEGATION TO TAKE PART IN 49TH IAEA CONFERENCE
YEREVAN, September 22. /ARKA/. An Armenian delegation is to take part
in the 49th conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, on September 26-30, 2005. The delegation
is to be headed by RA Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan. The
delegation will include RA Ambassador to Austria Jivan Tabibyan,
Advisor to the Armament Control and International Security
Department, RA Foreign Office, Varduhi Asaturyan, Chairman of the RA
Atomic Energy Inspection Ashot Martirosyan and Chief Engineer of the
Armenian nuclear-power plant (NPP) Movses Vardanyan.
At the conference, Arman Kirakosyan is to deliver a report on global
problems, including the possibilities of atomic energy development.
Armenia intends to continue developing atomic energy and to construct
a new nuclear-power plant, assuming nonproliferation commitments. The
report will contain information on inspections conducted at the
Armenian NPPby various organizations to raise its safety level. P.T.
-0–

Los Angeles Times, CA
Sept 23 2005
Turkish forum on Armenians halted
Issue seen as key to membership process for EU
By Amberin Zaman, Los Angeles Times | September 23, 2005
ANKARA, Turkey — A court yesterday ordered the cancellation of a
conference at which Turkish academics were expected to challenge the
official history of the events surrounding the mass deaths among the
nation’s Armenians during and after World War I.
The gathering scheduled to be held today in Istanbul had been seen as
a first and important step in Turkey’s efforts to confront its
troubled past as it seeks membership in the European Union.
The case to block the conference was brought by the Turkish Lawyers
Union and other lawyers. Court officials declined to comment on why
the conference was canceled. But several conference participants and
Western diplomats in Ankara, the capital, said the decision was part
of a broader campaign by ultranationalist elements within the state
who oppose Turkey’s membership in the EU.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey swiftly condemned the
ruling. ”I cannot approve of this decision, especially at a time
when we are seeking a more democratic Turkey,” he said.
Hrant Dink, managing editor of the Armenian language weekly Agos, who
had been scheduled to address the gathering, said: ”The aim is
clear: It is to derail the EU process. But they will fail.”
Armenians say 1.5 million of their people died between 1915 and 1923
in a genocide carried out by Ottoman Turks. Turkey has instead
maintained that several hundred thousand Armenians died of starvation
and exposure during forced deportations after they collaborated with
invading Russian forces in eastern Turkey.
Turkey is expected to open EU membership negotiations on Oct. 3, a
process that would probably continue for at least a decade. The EU
has long cited Turkey’s human rights record as an obstacle to
membership and there are growing calls within the European bloc for
Turkey to set aside its prickly nationalism and apologize for the
annihilation of its once thriving Armenian community.
The state-run Anatolian news agency reported that the court had
demanded various documents from conference participants, including
their resumes and proof that they were competent to address the
Armenian issue. The court also reportedly sought details on the
financial backers of the conference. ”The demands are so laughable.
I am left speechless,” said a prominent Ottoman historian, Halil
Berktay, who is among organizers.
Conference organizers said they would appeal the rule and hope to
proceed with their work as early as Sunday.
The forum was originally set for May but had to be postponed after
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek denounced participants, saying they were
”stabbing Turkey in the back.”

RIA Novosti, Russia
Sept 23 2005
Turkish PM disappointed over court’s cancellation of Armenian
genocide conference
12:45 | 23/ 09/ 2005

ANKARA, September 23 (RIA Novosti, Andrei Palariya) – Turkish Prime
Minister Erdogan said Friday he regretted an Istanbul court’s
decision to cancel a planned academic conference on the Armenian
genocide.
“I do not welcome the court’s decision. It goes against democratic
and civilized society,” Erdogan told a news conference.
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said he saw the decision as an
attempt of some political forces to sabotage Ankara’s integration
with Europe.
The European Commission also said it was disappointed with the
decision.
The Shishi district court of Istanbul ruled to cancel the conference
Thursday on security reasons.
Several hundreds of scholars and intellectuals were expected at the
unprecedented conference due to discuss events of 1915 when up to a
million of Armenians have been killed.
Armenians want the killings classified as genocide, but Turkey
refuses, pointing to casualties on both sides.
It is the second time the conference has been called off.