Azeris may go to European Court against Armenia – human rights experts

Ekho, Baku
2 Dec 04

Text of R. Orucov and N. Aliyev report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho
on 2 December headlined “It is possible to demand compensation from
Armenia” and subheaded “The European Court of Human Rights recently
set a precedent for this”

The European Court of Human Rights [ECHR] has made an interesting
decision on the case of Ilascu and others against Moldova and Russia
(No. 48787/99). Ilascu and his friends from the Popular Front of
Moldova were held captive by Dniester separatists. Later, he was
recognized as a political prisoner, released under foreign pressure,
left the country and became a Romanian senator. The suit was accepted
although Moldova had disavowed responsibility for the violation of the
European Convention on Human Rights [and Fundamental Freedoms] in the
“Dniester Republic of Moldova”, while Russia had nothing to do with
Dniester territorially.

“The matter is that the Russian army, which was deployed in the region
and acted on the side of the separatists, had been involved in the
arrest of Ilascu. It means Russia was responsible,” the director of
the Human Rights Centre of Azerbaijan, Eldar Zeynalov, said.

The European Court issued a resolution to pay Ilascu 180,000 euroes
and other plaintiffs 120,000 euroes each.

“I think a precedent has already been set, which could be used against
Armenia and Russia in the Karabakh issue. One just needs to have a new
court ruling or prove that the chances to go to Armenian or Russian
courts are exhausted. The most relevant occasion for this are the
recent captives and missing persons (in this case, this is a
continuing violation),” Zeynalov noted.

It is clear that besides former captives, Azerbaijani refugees from
Armenia and internally displaced persons from the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan can also file similar lawsuits against Armenia and
Russia, because they were all victims of the aggression by these two
neighbouring states.

The deputy head of the working group of the Azerbaijani state
commission for prisoners of war, [hostages and the missing], Eldar
Samadov, told Ekho that “a good precedent” has been set,
indeed. Around 1,360 citizens who have been in Armenian captivity as a
result of the aggression by Armenia are living in Azerbaijan today, he
said.

“I think not only former POWs, but also all citizens who have in any
way suffered from Armenia’s invasive policy can file suits with the
European Court. Some have lost their relatives, others houses,
property and land plots,” Samadov said.

The renowned international lawyer, Erkin Qadirov, told Ekho that
besides the Ilascu case, the ECHR also examined the case of a Cypriot
citizen of Greek origin, (Luilidu?). “She used to live in Northern
Cyprus. Once she decided to go to the land she earlier owned, but was
denied entry on the border. After that, she filed a suit with the ECHR
against Turkey and won the case. Although Northern Cyprus doesn’t
officially belong to Turkey, it is controlled by the [Turkish]
army. Lawyers have been saying for quite a long time that Azerbaijani
nationals could file a number of suits with the ECHR against
Armenia. The problem is how to formulate these demands. One of the
refugees should make at least an attempt to go to the occupied lands
and get stopped there. In other words, th ere should be a story for
the case.”

“Under the current circumstances and especially against the background
of all recent diplomatic efforts, it would be more realistic and
useful for Azerbaijan to file an inter-governmental suit with the ECHR
against Armenia,” Qadirov said. “Inter-governmental suits also have
precedents. Their advantage is that unlike individual suits, they can
be abstract rather than specific. Azerbaijan can even bring an
inter-governmental suit against Armenia and accuse it of violating the
rights of its own nationals by compelling them to do their military
service in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. These are different
mechanism and Azerbaijan just needs to try them.”

Incidentally, the media recently circulated reports that a group of
Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons filed a suit
with the ECHR against Armenia, demanding that it pay compensation for
the damage inflicted. Thus, we can have another court precedent in our
favour in case of success.

Indonesia, Australia to co-host interfaith conference 6-7 December

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade web site, Canberra
2 Dec 04

Text of media release from the office of Foreign Affairs Minister
Alexander Downer, carried by Australian Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade web site on 2 December

I will co-host, together with my Indonesian counterpart Dr Hasan
Wirayudha, an “International Dialogue on Interfaith Cooperation” in
Yogyakarta on 6-7 December 2004.

Australia and Indonesia are determined to foster greater understanding
and build harmonious relationships between faith communities in our
region. Neither country wants to let extremists set the agenda with
their deliberate attempts to create discord and incite violence. We
want to do more to empower the moderate majorities who seek peace,
harmony and tolerance in all our communities.

The dialogue will involve 10 faith and community leaders and
interfaith experts from each ASEAN country, Australia, New Zealand,
Papua New Guinea and East Timor.

The Australian participants are: Cardinal George Pell, Catholic
archbishop of Sydney; Rev John Baldock, Anglican Church; Ms Wendie
Wilkie, Uniting Church; Rev John Henderson, general secretary of the
National Council of Churches in Australia; Archbishop Aghan Baliozian,
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand; Dr Ameer
Ali, president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils; The
Most Venerable Phuoc Hue, president, Buddhist Federation of Australia;
Sister Patricia Madigan OP, Catholic Church, Bishop’s Advisory
Committee (Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations); Ms Peta Jones
Pellach, Executive Council of Australian Jewry; and Dr Appupillay
Balasubramaniam, chairman of the board of directors, Hindu Council of
Australia.

Bringing together faith and community leaders from around the region
will promote mutual understanding. The dialogue will explore regional
case studies where communities have developed harmonious relations. By
promoting understanding and learning from each other’s experiences,
the dialogue will foster a common regional resolve to meet challenges
such as extremism.

This is the first joint Australia-Indonesian government organized
event of this type and will build on our strong record of cooperation
in organizing major regional meetings to facilitate cooperation on
counter-terrorism and people-smuggling.

Azeri chief cleric accuses Muslim countries of aiding Armenia

ANS TV, Baku,
2 Dec 04

[Presenter] There are some Islamic countries among those rendering aid
to Armenia, the head of the Spiritual Board of the Muslims of the
Caucasus, Allahsukur Pasazada, told a press conference today.

[Correspondent] Globalization has caused some debates in various
countries. However, it has been decided that it should be accepted
only on condition that local traditions are preserved, Pasazada
said. Otherwise, the unrestricted penetration of globalization into
the Islamic states will pose a threat to the future of small
countries.

As he has done during all his visits, Pasazada focused on the Karabakh
conflict during this visit [to Libya and Jordan].

[Pasazada, starts mid-sentence] To describe the Karabakh conflict, to
explain to them where Armenia is, where Karabakh is and where the
occupied territories are. Some countries are talking about Islam and
helping Armenia. We told them openly that this should not happen.

[Correspondent] After visiting Libya, Pasazada went to Jordan. In
addition to the aforesaid topics, Pasazada discussed with the king of
Jordan the opening of an Azerbaijani embassy there.

At the end of the press conference, Pasazada floated the idea that
except for two or three places, all 400 pilgrimage places in
Azerbaijan must be closed.

Agence France Presse — English
December 2, 2004 Thursday 6:25 PM GMT

Turkey condemns Slovak parliament resolution on Armenian genocide

ANKARA

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul Thursday denounced as
“unacceptable” a resolution by the Slovak parliament recognising the
1915 massacre under the Ottoman empire of hundreds of thousands of
Armenians as genocide.

On Tuesday, the Slovak parliament adopted a resolution saying: “The
Slovak parliament recognises the genocide of Armenians in 1915 during
which hundreds of thousands of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire were
killed and considers this act a crime against humanity.”

But Gul also sought to downplay the issue, saying the initiative was
spearheaded by the Slovak opposition and not the government.

The resolution was adopted in the same session as another one giving
the green light to opening negotiations on Turkey’s accession to the
European Union but were voted on separately, Slovak parliament
spokesman Michal Dyttert said.

“This is unacceptable… We will take the necessary (diplomatic)
steps,” Gul told reporters, but declined to elaborate.

“I think this development is the result of (Slovak) domestic
politics. Opposition parties sometimes behave irresponsibly… The
Slovak government did not support it,” he said.

The Turkish foreign ministry issued a strongly worded statement,
blaming the Slovak resolution on “a fait accompli by one political
party (to) accept as genocide the tragic events of 1915.”

“Passing judgment on the contested periods of another’s history
cannot be among the duties and responsibilities of national
parliaments,” it said.

“It is clear that this decision, taken for political profit by
distorting events that took place under the conditions of World War I
and caused great suffering to Turks and Armenians alike, does not
constitute a responsible course of action,” the statement said.

The massacres of Armenians during World War I is one of the most
controversial episodes in Turkish history.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kinsmen were massacred in
orchestrated killings nine decades ago.

Turkey categorically rejects any claims of genocide and says that
300,000 Armenians and thousands of Turks were killed in what was
civil strife during the dissolution years of the Ottoman Empire when
rebellious Armenians sided with invading Russian troops.

Ankara is also under pressure from the EU, which it is seeking to
join, to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia.

In 2001, France triggered a storm in its relations with Turkey when
its parliament passed a law acknowledging the massacres as genocide.

Ankara retaliated by sidelining French companies from public tenders
and cancelled several projects awarded to French firms.

Tajikistan: Central Asia to adopt unified law on earthquakes

ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
2 Dec 04

Dushanbe, 2 December: A special unified law “On earthquakes”, like the
one already in force in Armenia and China, will be adopted in Central
Asian states. A agreement on this was reached at the first Central
Asian consultative meeting on reducing the risk of natural disasters
which ended in Dushanbe today, the Tajik deputy minister of emergency
situations and civil defence, Islom Usmonov, has told an ITAR-TASS
correspondent.

He said that all countries in the region were in a high seismic
activity zone. Each of them is potentially exposed to sudden
earthquakes. “However, joint efforts are needed to clean up the
aftermath,” Usmonov said.

He said that representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
and Uzbekistan had also agreed to draw up a joint plan on reducing the
risk of natural disasters. It is planned to develop the necessary
legal base and to conduct constant monitoring and train people in how
to act in the event of an emergency situation.

According to the data from the European Community Humanitarian Office,
natural disasters, including floods and earthquakes, claimed the lives
of 2,500 people and caused damage to 5.5m people in Central Asia over
the last decade, that is, to 10 per cent of the total population of
the region.

Russia: Moscow hosts first international antiterrorist Media Forum

Channel One TV, Moscow
2 Dec 04

[Presenter] The inaugural plenum of the international antiterrorist
Media Forum is taking place in Moscow today. Its founders include the
secretariat of the Collective Security Treaty Organization [CSTO
members are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan], the Nezavisimaya Publishing Group, the National
Association of Television and Radio Broadcasters and the Russian Union
of Journalists.

In the opinion of Nikolay Bordyuzha, CSTO secretary-general, the Media
Forum should be a staunch ally to the law-enforcement bodies in
fighting terrorism and the drugs threat.

[Bordyuzha] As I see it, we need to set up a single information field
to counter these challenges, but across all the area covered by the
CSTO which is, as you know, six states. All these states are worried
by the same problems: political and religious extremism, terrorism and
drugs. We can now take a coordinated approach to work to consolidate
society against these.

As I understand it, the most important issue is having a very firm
link between the information departments of the law enforcement bodies
and the media community.

Azeri defence official dismisses Russian concerns over US presence in Caspian

Zerkalo, Baku
2 Dec 04

Excerpt from C. Sumerinli and C. Bayramova report by Azerbaijani
newspaper Zerkalo on 2 December headlined “Russia will hold joint
exercises with Azerbaijan in the Caspian” and subheaded “The Russians
intend to strengthen their military positions in the Caspian in order
to annoy the Americans”

“It cannot be ruled out that Azerbaijan and Russia will hold joint
naval exercises soon,” the commander of Russia’s Caspian navy,
Vice-Admiral Yuriy Startsev, said in an interview with Krasnaya Zvezda
yesterday [30 November].

The military-political situation in the Caspian region is not stable
because of the protracted settlement of the legal status of the
Caspian, he said. “Theoretically, it allows the littoral states to
define their borders within the water basin.”

The vice-admiral also focused on the aggravation of relations between
the coastal states over the hydrocarbon deposits of the Caspian. He
said Russia is not happy at all with the efforts of the Caspian
nations to set up their own naval forces. The reason for concern is
the fact that these forces are being built with material and
military-technical support from the USA.

Meanwhile, Startsev said that the Russian side is continuing the
dialogue with Kazakhstan to provide its naval forces with two vessels
of the Russian navy. Besides, he said, within the framework of the
“Save the Caspian” programme, Russia intends to conduct joint naval
exercises with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. The Russian military is
expected to visit Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan shortly to realize this
idea.

[Passage omitted: irrelevant details]

Our northern neighbour also has plans to test its state-of-the-art
vessels in the Caspian, the commander-in-chief of the Russian navy,
Vladimir Kuroyedov, said. The vessels that were manufactured in 2000
and meet the interests of the navy will be tested in 2006. Occupying a
special place among those vessels is the Korvet warship.

It is interesting that Russia’s military presence in the Caspian is
gradually increasing. Quite recently, official Moscow decided to
construct a military facility on the Russian-Azerbaijani border, while
[Russian President] Putin said yesterday that more than 70 border
checkpoints, several border headquarters and training centres would be
set up to ensure security in the North Caucasus.

[Passage omitted: irrelevant details]

In the meantime, experts believe that the establishment of checkpoints
on the Russian-Azerbaijani border is military pressure on
Azerbaijan. However, the head of the press service of the Azerbaijani
Defence Ministry, Ramiz Malikov, doesn’t agree with it, saying that
aggression against our country comes from nowhere but Armenia.

The ministry has no information on the forthcoming naval exercises, he
said. He added that this issue will be clarified shortly.

No agreement was reached at the latest meeting of the defence
ministers of the CIS member states to conduct joint
Russian-Azerbaijani exercises, he said. Nevertheless, he noted that
the exercises of this sort have long become a tradition in the two
countries’ navies.

Besides, Malikov stressed that Russia’s concern about the formation of
naval forces with the financial and technical assistance of the USA is
groundless. Azerbaijan is an independent state and has the right to
decide which country it should cooperate with, he said.

The ‘NKR’ will hold a population census in 2005

Ekho, Baku
20 Nov 04

By E. Alakbarov

The government of the unrecognized “Nagornyy Karabakh Republic” [NKR]
(quotation marks inserted by us here and throughout – author) has
decided to conduct a population census in 2005 (RIA
Novosti). According to the national statistics service of the “NKR”,
as of 1 October 2004 the population of Nagornyy Karabakh was 146,592
people. The last population census in the “NKR” was carried out in
1989.

The State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan has told Ekho that
according to the last census, the “NKR” population was 120,000
people. The source said that the Karabakh separatists had distorted
the real figures.

“The indicated figure has been deliberately blown out of
proportion. The figures suggest that about 20,000 people have moved to
Karabakh over the last five years. It is hard to believe that the
‘NKR’, an economically backward region, is being settled
voluntarily. The indicated figures are most likely to be wide of the
mark,” the source at the State Statistical Committee said.

While commenting to Ekho on the separatists’ intention to conduct a
population census in 2005, the head of the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry’s press service, Matin Mirza, said Azerbaijan was against the
artificial settlement of the Azerbaijani region. A population census
cannot be held in Nagornyy Karabakh as long as the Karabakh conflict
remains unresolved. He said the separatists are flouting international
law and the principles of the Geneva convention. The head of the press
service added that this was why Azerbaijan had insisted that the issue
of the situation in Nagornyy Karabakh be included in the agenda of the
UN General Assembly session.

Military expert Uzeyir Cafarov, who visited the occupied Nagornyy
Karabakh several years ago, has told Ekho that the Karabakh population
figures are not accurate. He said the Karabakh population had sharply
fallen as compared to the pre-conflict period.

“The current figure is several times lower than that. The Armenians
understand very well that the cease-fire will end sooner or later, and
therefore, they are trying to leave. Those remaining in the ‘NKR’ live
in ramshackle and slightly refurbished houses and buildings. I didn’t
see any densely-populated areas,” Cafarov said.

He believes that by making such statements the Karabakh separatists
are trying to create the impression that people are moving to the
region. In this way, they want to “fish” assistance out of
international humanitarian organizations.

“If the Armenians show the real figures, the humanitarian assistance
will be reduced,” the expert said.

ARKA News Agency
Dec 2 2004

Nagorno Karabakh should not become subject to speculations

Azerbaijan in panics as seriously looses on diplomatic scene

Because of crash on Rostelecom line Armenia deprived of Internet
access

*********************************************************************

NAGORNO KARABAKH SHOULD NOT BECOME SUBJECT TO SPECULATIONS

YEREVAN, December 2. /ARKA/. Nagorno Karabakh should not become
subject to speculations, RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian stated
today in the inteview to Public Television of Armenia. According to
him, opposition tries to use the topic of Nagorno Karabakh conflict
for achievement of their political goals.
Mentioning statements of Armenian opposition members that authorities
of the country delay the adoption of decision on Karabakh conflict on
purpose, Oskanian said that `the problem will be delayed just as long
as the settlement won’t come from the interests of Armenian people.
We will not cease controlled territories, without corrections in the
issue on self-determination of Nagorno Karabakh’. Oskanian called to
opposition to join efforts in the issue of Karabakh settlement.
Karabakh conflict started in 1988 when Nagorno Karabakh predominantly
populated with Armenians stated about its independence from
Azerbaijan. Military actions ceased after Armenia and Azerbaijan
signed armistice on May 12 1994. The cease-fire regime has been
observed up to date. L.D. -0–

*********************************************************************

AZERBAIJAN IN PANICS AS SERIOUSLY LOOSES ON DIPLOMATIC SCENE

YEREVAN, December 2. /ARKA/. Azerbaijan is in panics as it seriously
looses on the diplomatic scene, as Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanian said in his interview to Public TV of Armenia. In his words,
today Azerbaijan became quite aggressive. `This aggressiveness is
explained by our success achieved during the last 5-6 years. New
Azerbaijani authorities visit different institutions and they do not
know what institution to include in the settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict. Meanwhile many of these states are not aware of
the essence of the conflict and with the support of these countries
Baku is attempting to depart the attention from the issue essence’,
he added. In his words, the previous Azerbaijani President Heydar
Aliyev would not have made obstacles for Georgian cargo thru
Azerbaijani territory by supposing that part of them can go to
Armenia. `Detention of the cargo on the Georgian border, application
to the UN – all these are steps dictated by desperate state’, he
added. T.M. -0–

*********************************************************************

BECAUSE OF CRASH ON ROSTELECOM LINE ARMENIA DEPRIVED OF INTERNET
ACCESS

YEREVAN, December 2. /ARKA/. Since 3 p.m. the majority of Armenian
providers were deprived of Internet communication. As CEO of Arminco
provider company Andranik Alexanyan told, the reason of this was
crash on Rostelecom’s line. In his words, it is difficult to forecast
when Armenia will be able to re-connect to the world wide web. `We
have no idea what the reason of the crash and when it will be
repaired, however we can assure that our lines work uninterruptedly’,
he added. T.M. -0–

PanArmenian News
Dec 2 2004

ARMENIAN POLITICIAN SUPPOSES ISSUE OF RETURN OF ARMENIAN TERRITORIES,
OCCUPIED BY AZERBAIJAN, MAY APPEAR

02.12.2004 18:56

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ ARMENIAN POLITICIAN SUPPOSES ISSUE OF RETURN OF
ARMENIAN TERRITORIES, OCCUPIED BY AZERBAIJAN, MAY APPEAR “If the
question of return of territories being controlled by Armenians in
the security belt around the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is raised, the
question of return of Armenian Shahumian and Getashen territories may
appear,” leader of the parliamentary faction of the Republican Party
of Armenia Galust Sahakian supposes. At today’s press conference
leader of the parliamentary faction of the Republican Party of
Armenia Galust Sahakian reminded that the international community was
not able to prevent the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey and the
slaughter in Sumgait (Azerbaijan). He stated it within the context of
the question of the PACE draft report on Nagorno Karabakh, being
discussed lately. Galust Sahakian called the political forces of the
country not to use the Nagorno Karabakh issue in the internal
political struggle and not to “scare the people.” He also noted that
if the question of return of territories being controlled by
Armenians in the security belt around the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
is raised, the issue of return of Armenian territories of Shahumian
and Getashen, occupied by Azerbaijan, may appear. It should be
reminded that being part of the NKR, Getashen and Shahumian regions,
which had been populated by Armenians, were seized by Azeri forces in
1991-1992 with the support of the Soviet and Russian armies. The
Armenian population was either deported or annihilated.