Armenian opposition say over 250 arrested, “junta in its death throes”

Mediamax news agency
12 Apr 04

YEREVAN

MP Viktor Dallakyan, member of the opposition Justice bloc, said in
Yerevan today that “the Armenian authorities are deliberately
heightening tension in the country. It will be them who will bear the
responsibility for a possible negative outcome.”

Speaking at a briefing at the headquarters of the People’s Party
today, Dallakyan said that some 250 people had been “unlawfully
detained” over a sit-in and protests on Freedom Square.

Dallakyan said that Tatul Manaseryan and Vardan Lazarian, MPs of the
Armenia’s National Assembly from the Justice faction, were taken to
police station today. The two intend to get in touch with the speaker
of the National Assembly, Artur Bagdasaryan, and demand that measures
be taken to free them, Dallakyan said.

“Such acts by the authorities testify to the fact that the junta is in
its death throes,” he said. The leaders of the Justice bloc have sent
a letter to Council of Europe Secretary-General Walter Schwimmer, and
to the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe, Peter Schieder.

The letter mentions “illegal acts by the authorities against peaceful
demonstrators”.

Another member of the Justice faction, Shavarsh Kocharyan, today
accused the Armenian authorities of carrying out “the policy of state
terror against their own people”. He said that the authorities have
consistently ignored the constitution which entitles its citizens to
stage peaceful rallies and marches.

The speakers told the briefing that the opposition’s decision to stage
a rally and march to the presidential residence today at 1600 [0900
gmt] remains unchanged.

Armenian government’s commitments to be “clearly” defined under new procedure

Mediamax news agency
12 Apr 04

YEREVAN

A number of changes has been made to the procedure on the Armenian
government’s activities.

The minister and head of the Armenian government staff, Manuk
Topuzyan, said that the need for amending the president’s decree on
the procedure of the government’s activities emerged due to the fact
that the executive body’s powers and commitments are not clearly
defined. The Armenian government’s activities are not regulated by any
law.

In line with the introduced amendments the prime minister’s powers,
the juridical status of deputy ministers and heads of departments
under the government, including appointments made by the prime
minister, will be clearly defined, Manuk Topuzyan said.

OSCE representative goes to Armenian parliament

Noyan Tapan news agency
12 Apr 04

YEREVAN

The head of the OSCE office in Armenia, Vladimir Pryakhin, arrived in
the building of the Armenian National Assembly at 1725 [1225 gmt] on
12 April. In remarks to journalists about the purpose of his visit, he
said that he was here to discuss the internal political situation and
steps which are being taken with Armenian Speaker Artur Bagdasaryan.

He said that he also plans to discuss the adoption of the law on
rallies, meetings and marches.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Zanganeh Says Draft Contract for Gas Exports to Armenia Ready

Tehran Times
13 April 2004

TEHRAN (PIN) — Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh stated that
a draft contract for gas exports to Armenia was ready.

He added that Iran’s exports to Armenia will start at 500m cu. m. and
could be increased up to 1.5b cu. m.

The minister further told Petroenergy Information Network that the
contract would soon be signed by Armenian officials.

Zanganeh noted that general talks had been carried out with Indian
companies for developing some Iranian fields and negotiations on LNG
exports from Iran to India would parallel those talks.

`If the talks prove fruitful, implementation of ensuing projects will
not take long,’ he said.

Zanganeh noted that setting a deadline by the Indian side was
pointless and new reports sometimes sought to affect the process of
negotiations.

Some news services had reported that a senior official of the Indian
ministry of petroleum had announced a four-month deadline for Iran.

Based on the deadline, if Iran wanted to export 5m tons natural gas to
India, it should give development of a big field to Indian companies.

Armenians Hold Large Anti-Government March

VOA News
12 Apr 2004, 23:54 UTC

Opposition members protest holding Armenian flags in Yerevan, Monday,
April 12, 2004 Thousands of anti-government demonstrators marched in
downtown Yerevan Monday, demanding Armenian President Robert Kocharian
resign.Police kept the marchers away from the presidential palace.

Many of the demonstrators held signs calling Mr. Kocharian an
illegitimate president. They say he was re-elected in March, 2003 in a
rigged vote. They are also demanding the government allow a
no-confidence referendum on the Kocharian government.

International observers have said the presidential vote and a May,
2003 parliamentary vote fell short of international standards for a
fair election.

Armenian opposition leaders hope to launch a bloodless popular
uprising similar to the one in November in neighboring Georgia that
forced President Eduard Shevardnadze to resign.

Armenians march against president
By Chloe Arnold

BBC News
Tuesday, 13 April, 2004, 02:16 GMT 03:16 UK

Opposition supporters in Armenia have stepped up their demands for
President Robert Kocharyan to resign. Thousands of people staged a
march on the presidential administration in the capital, Yerevan.

Police used razor wire and road blocks to halt the protesters a few
hundred metres from the building.

The demonstration marked the start of a second week of protests by
opponents who blame Mr Kocharyan for poverty and unemployment in the
ex-Soviet republic.

Several thousand demonstrators marched along Bagramyan Avenue, one of
Yerevan’s main thoroughfares, determined to reach the presidential
administration and the residence of the Armenian leader.

They were stopped by police who used barbed-wire cordons to hold them
back.

Revolution hopes

The crisis in Armenia was sparked by last year’s presidential election
which opposition groups claim was rigged in Mr Kocharyan’s favour.

Western observers said the vote had fallen well short of international
standards.

Armenia’s opposition is hoping for an uprising similar to the
so-called Rose Revolution in neighbouring Georgia.

Last November thousands of Georgians marched on the home of their
President Eduard Shevardnadze, forcing him to resign in the wake of a
disputed parliamentary election.

Armenia’s opposition has vowed to continue their protests until Mr
Kocharyan steps down.

A1 Plus | 13:39:32 | 13-04-2004 | Politics |

ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES’ BLOODY FEAST

Republic party members including former defense minister Vagharshak
Harutyunyan were taken in police custody in a raid on the party headquarter
made Monday night.

Similar raids were launched by the police on National Unity and Democratic
Party. The parties’ offices were examined and activists arrested. National
Unity leader Artazshes Geghamyan was beaten.

Wife and son of member of Armenian Academy Raphael Ghazaryan were among
those badly injured in the attack.

A1 Plus | 15:41:29 | 13-04-2004 | Official |

MEDIA ORGANISATIONS’ JOINT STATEMENT

On early morning of April 13, journalists were also among the victims of the
rally dispersed by police forces on Baghramian Avenue in Yerevan.

Yerevan Press Club, Journalists Union of Armenia, Committee to Protect
Freedom of Expression state that law and order bodies have not yet revealed
and punished the perpetrators of April 5 violence against the journalists.
Moreover, this time the police themselves used force towards journalists on
their duty: several media representatives were exposed to beating, their
equipment was snatched away or crashed.

We once again stress that impeding journalist activity by any person even
the police is criminal offence.

We condemn this display of violence and declare that we will be consistent
in our demands, namely to track and punish, on Article 164 of RA Criminal
Code, the persons using violence against the journalists on both April 5 and
April 13 early morning, as well as to compensate the damage caused to the
media.

Yerevan Press Club
Journalists Union of Armenia
Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression
April 13, 2004

A1 Plus | 15:07:13 | 13-04-2004 | Politics |

INVESTIGATING JOURNALISTS’ STATEMENT

On Tuesday, Investigating Journalists organization came up with a statement
condemning violence committed by the police past night against Haykakan
Zhamanak newspaper reporter Hayk Gevorgyan and Russian ORT TV channel’s
cameraman Levon Grigoryan.

Deputy Police Chief Hovhannes Varyan personally snatched a camera from Hayk
Gevorgyan’s hands, Levon Grigoryan was brutally beaten and his camera broken
by the police, the statement says.

“We demand Armenian authorities to stop violence against journalists and
bring to justice those hindering their work as well as to pay compensation
for the damage inflicted”, the statement says.

A1 Plus | 14:03:42 | 13-04-2004 | Politics |

ARMENIAN PEOPLE HAVE LEARNED TO TAKE OFFICIAL STATEMENTS SCEPTICALLY

The police press service has spread a statement in a bid to justify the
night brutality against unarmed people saying the demonstrators have
paralyzed traffic by clogging Baghramyan Avenue.

The demonstrators threw stones and bottles with explosives at the police and
their actions grew aggressive and posed threat to people lives: that’s why
the law enforcement officers were reluctant to resort to force, the official
statement says.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress