AZG Armenian Daily #068, 16/04/2005

Concern

CONDITION OF BLACK BEACH PRISONERS IS ‘NORMAL’

Equatorial Guinean Authorities Assure

The authorities of Equatorial Guinea completely refuted the claims of
Amnesty International that at least 70 prisoners held in Equatorial Guinea’s
Black Beach prison in Malabo are at imminent risk of starving to death.
According to information received by Amnesty International, in the last six
weeks conditions have drastically deteriorated with the authorities halting
the provision of prison food and blocking all contact with families, lawyers
and consular officials.

Many of those detained at Black Beach prison are already extremely weak
because of the torture or ill-treatment they have suffered and because of
chronic illnesses for which they have not received adequate medical
treatment.

“Such near starvation, lack of medical attention and appalling prison
conditions represent a scandalous failure by the Equatorial Guinea
authorities to fulfill their most basic responsibilities under international
law. Unless immediate action is taken, many of those detained at Black Beach
prison will die,” said the Director of Amnesty International’s Africa
Program Kolawole Olaniyan.

Prisoners and detainees are now dependent on food handed to prison guards by
families. This means that the 11 foreign nationals and dozens of Equatorial
Guinean political detainees arrested on the mainland are particularly at
risk of starvation because they do not have families in Malabo to support
them.

The provision of food by the authorities was reportedly reduced from a cup
of rice daily in December 2004, to one or two bread rolls and since the end
of February 2005, provision of any prison food at all has been sporadic.

All those incarcerated are kept inside their cells 24-hours-a-day and the
foreign nationals are also kept with their hands and legs cuffed at all
times.

Radio Liberty quoted the special adviser of this despotic country’s
president as saying that the prisoners get enough food. He suggested the
International Amnesty to go and make sure themselves, as representatives of
the Red Cross did. The adviser said also that the International Amnesty is
attempting to put pressure on authorities in Malabo.

For recollection, 6 Armenian pilots are serving their sentence (14-24 years)
in Black Beach charged with a coup d’etat attempt last November.

The foreign minister of Armenia, Vartan Oskanian, visited our compatriots in
February. Ara Abrahamian, head of the World Armenian Congress, rendered
medical support and $500 to each of them lately.

By Tatoul Hakobian

AZG Armenian Daily #068, 16/04/2005

Armenian Genocide

TRUSTWORTHY TESTIMONIES FROM FOREIGN MINISTRY OF GERMANY

“The trustworthiness of the German testimonies concerning the Armenian
Genocide is grounded by the strong political and military cooperation that
united the Imperial Germany and the Imperial Turkey during the years of the
World War I. The network of the German diplomats and military
representatives that were in Turkey had the exclusive opportunity to send
testimonies without any censorship. “The trustworthiness of the testimonies
that were send to Germany entitles “Top Secret” are conditioned with the
factor that they were envisaged for “inner” usage and not for publication,”
Professor Vahagn Tatrian, from Zorian Institute stated, on the occasion of
the publication of the volume that includes the diplomatic documents as of
1915-16, belonging to the German Foreign Ministry and concerning the
Armenian Genocide.”

Besides the Americans, that occupied a neutral position in the war till
April 6, 1917, the German officials (including those who worked on the
construction of Baghdad railway or in various missionary organizations) were
free to travel in Turkey and enter whatever place they wished. Their
testimonies are very precious as ones given by foreign witnesses.

“We are glad to see the results of the efforts taken by Wolfgang and Sigrid
Gusts and we are proud that we can support such researches, the translation
and edition of the testimonies, particularly, with the active assistance of
Zorian Institute and Professor Vahagn Tatrian,” Greg Sargsian, chairman of
Zorian Institute said.

“Armenian Genocide, 1915-16. Documents from the archive of the German
Foreign Ministry” volume has 675 pages and contains 218 telegrams, letters
and references of great importance. Today, the German society displays
serious interest for Germany’s responsibility in the sphere of the human
rights violation, when in the beginning of this academic year, “The Armenian
Genocide” subject was excluded from the educational program under the
pressure of the Turks in Brandenburg region. And, finial, there are huge
contradictions in the country concerning Turkey’s membership to the EU. The
opposition parties demand from the parliament to recognize the Armenian
Genocide.

George Shirinian, head of Zorian Institute, said they had to work hard to
translate the documents from the old Suderlin and Gothic variants of the
German language, praising the research made by Gust.

It’s worth adding that Wolfgang Gust is the former editor of the
international news section of a famous German weekly Die Spiegel. He is also
the author of two books dedicated to the Armenian history and genocide.

By Hakob Tsulikian

AZG Armenian Daily #068, 16/04/2005

Armenian Genocide

TCHGNAVORIAN BACK WITH A PROGRAM

Loris Tchgnavorian who has been absent from Armenia for 5 years now will
arrive in Yerevan with a special program for the 90th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide. “Christ’s Life” midnight concert will open his program at
the Chamber Music Hall at 00:00, April 24. Sharakans (Armenian spiritual
music) in Tchgnavorian’s working will be performed by a male chorus. After
the concert, a procession of candle bearers will take its way to the
Monument of Genocide Victims. The chorus will sing “Morning Prayer”
sharakans of Nerses Shnorhali at the monument at sunrise.

The maestro informed about the coming events during a briefing at the Home
of Journalists yesterday. Loris Tchgnavorian, who considers himself only
half Western Armenian (his mother was from Erzrum and fled to Iran during
the Genocide and father was from Ashtarak), did not talk much but said that
since his sad childhood he had a sensitive attitude towards proscription.

His first composition dedicated to the Genocide was written in 1965 on the
50th anniversary and the third one will be an oratory on themes from the
Bible book of Revelation for the 100th anniversary. In several days, a
25-minut-long film issued in 1000 copies due to the maestro on historic
evidence of the Genocide accompanied with the music of “Havatamq” symphony
will be shown.

“Christ’s Life” oratory was first performed in London in 1975.

“Lucid choral performance of Armenian spiritual music in the quiet room of a
church. Loris Tchgnavorian’s ‘Christ’s Life’ presents 70 minutes of
wonderful experience”, Austrian Kronen Zeitung wrote.

By Melania Badalian

Pan Armenian News

EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE 90-TH ANNIVERSARY TO BE HELD IN
COPENHAGEN

15.04.2005 06:46

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On the initiative of Momik cultural center and with the
assistance of the Armenian community of Denmark an exhibition of 12 Armenian
painters will be held in Copenhagen April 21-24, Yerkir online reports. The
event is dated to the 90-th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. During the
period of its activities Momik has organized about 40 exhibitions in Armenia
and abroad, where the works of over 50 Armenian painters and masters of
applied art were represented. Since 2002 the center has published a magazine
titled `Armenian Art’ and spread in the Armenian communities of 15
countries. This autumn Momik is going to organize an exhibition dedicated to
the 1600-th anniversary of the invention of the Armenian alphabet.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pan Armenian News

RELEASE OF AZERI POWs EXPECTED THIS WEEK, MEMBER OF AZERI PRESIDENT
ADMINISTRATION REPORTED

15.04.2005 05:30

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The release of the Azeri POWs is expected this week, head
of the department for public and political affairs of the Azerbaijani
President Administration Ali Gasanov stated adding that the negotiations are
being held between the State Commissions on Missing, POWs and Hostages. To
remind, three Azeri soldiers were captured by Karabakh servicemen when
trying to cross the border on February 15.

Pan Armenian News

SWISS POLITICIAN URGES TURKEY TO ACKNOWLEDGE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

15.04.2005 04:53

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During an event organized by the Armenian community of
Switzerland in Bern Chairman of the Christian Democratic Party of the Swiss
Federal Council (Bundesrat), co-author of the resolution on the Genocide
recognition Dominique de Buman called the Turkish government to recognize
the Armenian Genocide. With acknowledging the Armenian Genocide Turkey will
not compromise itself, he stated. To note, December 15, 2003 the Busdesrat
with 107 votes `for’, 67 `against’ and 11 abstainers passed the resolution
on the Genocide recognition, which says that Switzerland gives due to the
Genocide victims, the survivors and their descendants and contributes to the
prevention of other crimes against humanity. The Federal Council hopes that
the adoption of this resolution will contribute to the establishment of
lasting peace between Turks and Armenians if they come to common
understanding of the historical truth.

Pan Armenian News

AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA FAR FROM SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH PROBLEM, AZERI FORMER
FM CONSIDERS

15.04.2005 04:27

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan and Armenia are far from the settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, as the Armenian FM considered it premature to
speak about package and stepwise settlement of the conflict, ex-Foreign
Minister of Azerbaijan, to date independent political scientist Tofik
Zulfugarov said when commenting on the statement by Vardan Oskanian that the
present stage of negotiations does not allow a package variant of
settlement, Trend news agency reports. `Proceeding from the words of the
Armenian FM it becomes clear that only general parameters of the settlement
are discussed at the negotiations, while concrete definitions are absent’,
Tofik Zulfugarov stressed. In other words, in the opinion of the former
Azeri FM, Vardan Oskanian gave to understand that the negotiations have not
reached the stage of concrete definitions of the variants of the problem
solution.

Pan Armenian News

VARDAN OSKANIAN MET WITH OSCE MINSK GROUP

15.04.2005 07:56

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian met in
London with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia), Steven Mann
(US) and Bernard Fassier (France), RA MFA press service reported. During the
meeting the parties discussed the Prague process. The purpose of the meeting
was the preparation of the possible meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani
Presidents envisaged in mid-May. Tonight the Armenian FM will return to
Yerevan.

Pan Armenian News

MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS CALLED ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN TO REFRAIN FROM ANY
PUBLIC STATEMENTS THAT COULD LEAD TO COMPLICATION OF CONFLICT

15.04.2005 06:25

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today in London OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Yuri
Merzlyakov, Steven Mann and Bernard Fassier adopted a statement. The full
text of statement was gently provided to PanARMENIAN.Net by the French
Embassy in Armenia. The statement says: The Minsk Group Co-Chairs, concerned
by the growing tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan as result of the
significant increase, during the recent weeks, of cease-fire violations,
resulting in higher numbers of causalities, as well as by public statements
about the possibility of war, deem it appropriate to recall that -these
violations are causing needless loss of life and jeopardizing the
cease-fire; -references to war are complicating current efforts to elaborate
a peaceful settlement of the conflict, re fueling feelings of hate in the
populations of both countries, and are not preparing the people to live as
neighbors rather than enemies. As this sensitive juncture, where a first
step towards an agreement mediated by the Co-Chairs could be at hand in the
framework of the discussion between the parties, the Co-Chairs strongly urge
them: -according to the obligations undertaken by the sides in February
1995, to reinforce the cease-fire on the contact line and refrain from any
public statements that could lead to the complication of the conflict; -to
recognize that a renewal of hostilities cannot provide a lasting solution to
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict but would be disastrous for the population of
both countries, resulting in loss of life, more destruction, additional
refugees and displaced persons, and enormous financial costs that would
undermine the economic development of both countries; -to prepare their
populations for a balanced negotiated agreement that will require compromise
on both sides. The Co-Chairs encourage the sides to focus their efforts on
the ongoing discussions of the Foreign Ministers with the Co-Chairs during
today’s meetings in London and forthcoming meeting in Frankfurt at the end
of April, in preparation for the next meeting between the two Presidents
envisaged in mid-May.

Armenpress

GEORGIA RESOLUTE TO FOIL SEPARATISTS SENTIMENTS IN JAVAKHETI

TBILISI, APRIL 15, ARMENPRESS: Georgia’s defense minister Irakly
Okruashvili said in a yesterday’s interview to Georgian Times newspaper that
the government is resolute to thwart all attempts aiming to destabilize the
situation in the predominantly Armenian populated region of Javakheti.
“We shall work to ensure jobs for local population when the Russian
military base is removed. We shall not allow any separatists sentiments
there,” he said.
Okruashvili also said conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia could be
resolved with the help of “friendly nations.” “The world is changing rapidly
and Georgia’s significance in international politics is also changing.
Georgia is able now to take its voice to friendly nations and solve the
conflicts with their help,’ he said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress