Armenian president appoints adviser
A1+ web site
10 Apr 04

[Armenian President] Robert Kocharyan on 9 April signed a decree
appointing Garnik Isagulyan as presidential adviser.

Opposition held sit-in Armenian capital ahead of another rally
Mediamax news agency
10 Apr 04
YEREVAN
The Armenian opposition does not see any more opportunities to realize
the change of power in the country by means of holding a referendum on
confidence in the president, one of the leaders of the opposition
Justice block, Albert Bazeyan, said in Yerevan today.
The opposition leaders met today their adherents, who are staging a
sit-in on Freedom Square in Yerevan, Mediamax’s correspondent
reports. About 150 opposition activists are on Freedom Square at
present.
Albert Bazeyan said that the opposition had practically refused the
idea of holding a referendum on confidence in the authorities and
demanded the unconditional resignation of Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan. According to him, this decision was made after the ruling
coalition, which has a majority in the Armenian National Assembly,
rejected yesterday the opposition’s proposal to put the issue of
holding a referendum on confidence in the authorities on the agenda.
The regular meeting of the Armenian opposition will be staged on
Freedom Square at 1800 today. The leaders of the Justice block and the
National Unity party stated that mass protest actions will continue
unless the president resigns.

CIS security chief, Armenian official discuss cooperation
Arminfo
9 Apr 04

YEREVAN
The head of the Armenian National Security Service, Karlos Petrosyan,
the secretary- general of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO), Nikolay Bordyuzha, and the CSTO deputy secretary-general,
Valeriy Semerikov, discussed regional security today.
The press service of the Armenian National Security Service told
Arminfo news agency that the meeting had discussed military and
political issues, changes in the operational situation and the
development and intensification of military cooperation within the
framework of the CSTO.

Turkey not to open Armenian border without Azerbaijan’s consent – minister
ANS TV, Baku
10 Apr 04
[Presenter] [Visiting] Turkish State Minister Besir Atalay has said
that without Azerbaijan’s consent, Turkey will not open its borders
with Armenia.
[Atalay in Turkish] In relations with Armenia, Turkey never forgets
Azerbaijan’s interests. Our foreign minister proposed that meetings be
held between the Azerbaijani, Armenian foreign ministers and Turkey to
discuss these issues.
We will never discuss any issues with Armenia without Azerbaijan’s
involvement. Our government wants to build peaceful relations with all
our neighbours and to discuss the existing problems.
[An unspecified correspondent] Do you want to say that Turkey can take
a decision only after Azerbaijan gives consent.
[Atalay] Yes, Azerbaijan’s interests will be taken into account in
taking decisions.
As you know, esteemed President Ilham Aliyev is coming to Ankara on 13
April. These issues will be discussed there. I cannot add anything
else to that.

Armenia opposition leader says dozens detained after Friday rally
Interfax news agency, Moscow
10 Apr 04
Yerevan, 10 April: The Armenian law-enforcement agencies detained
several dozen opposition activists following an opposition rally in
Yerevan on Friday evening [9 April], the leader of the opposition
Justice bloc and member of parliament, Albert Bazeyan, told Interfax.
The detainees have been indicted for the violation of public order, he
said.
Interfax has so far been unable to receive confirmation of this
information from the Armenian police.
At the present time, opposition members are continuing a
round-the-clock sit-in demonstration on Freedom Square in downtown
Yerevan. The organizers of the demonstration said they would not stop
their action until the authorities resign.
The number of the people taking part in the demonstration varied from
several dozens to several hundreds depending on the time of day.
In addition, two opposition parties Justice and National Unity, which
have temporarily joined for political purposes, plan to hold another
major rally on Freedom Square on Saturday evening.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Different figures given for Armenia opposition Saturday rally
Interfax news agency, Moscow
10 Apr 04

YEREVAN
Two opposition parties held a rally in central Yerevan on Saturday [10
April] which was one in a recent series of meetings to demand the
removal of Armenia’s leadership.
“The current Armenian regime is doomed as it is impossible to keep
power by force,” the leader of the Justice party, Stepan Demirchyan,
told the meeting, whose number of participants was put at about 20,000
by the organizers but at a maximum of 2,500 by the law-enforcement
agencies.
It was announced at the rally, organized by the Justice and National
Unity parties, that there would be an opposition procession on Monday
along the street in Yerevan where the presidential residence and
parliament stand.
Opposition leaders told the rally that several dozen opposition
activists had been detained since Friday and that the arrests were
illegal.
A police spokesman told Interfax that “there have been arrests of
citizens for breach of peace but not for participation in an illegal
rally.” He said he could not name the exact number of those arrested.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia expects no change in Karabakh talks with new US mediator
Arminfo
9 Apr 04

YEREVAN
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has said that the
replacement of the US co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group on the
settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict will have no impact on
the talks. This was announced by Vardanyan in an interview with an
Arminfo correspondent.
According to him, the individual’s degree of activity and persistency
of his actions is important. “But, on the whole, I think that there
will be no specific changes from the political viewpoint,” Vardanyan
said. He added that the new OSCE Minsk Group co-chairman would
continue the policy which to some extent reflects the foreign policies
of the co-chairs of the Minsk Group.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri media end protests against opening of Turkey’s border with Armenia
Azadliq, Baku
10 Apr 04

Azerbaijani journalists continued their campaign of protests against
the possible opening of the Turkish-Armenian border in Ankara
yesterday. Our correspondent Sahla Abusattar, who took part in the
campaign, reported that first the journalists visited the grave of
[founder of the Azerbaija ni Democratic Republic in 1918-20] Mahammad
Amin Rasulzada. Then they held a news conference for Turkish
colleagues at the journalists’ centre.
At a meeting with the ninth Turkish [former] president, Suleyman
Demirel, the journalists said that the Azerbaijani people are
concerned about the possible opening of the border. Demirel said in
turn that although such reports appear from time to time, Turkey will
never change its policy on Azerbaijan and the border will not be
opened until our country’s problem with Armenia is settled.
[Passage omitted: Demirel calls for dialogue between the Azerbaijani
opposition and authorities]
The journalists have finished their protest and left Ankara. They are
back in Azerbaijan today. [Passage omitted: the paper will publish
detailed reports on the journalists’ trip to Turkey]

Some 100 Armenian opposition activists detained after rally
Azg, Yerevan
10 Apr 04

Large numbers of people packed Freedom Square in downtown Yerevan
yesterday. According to independent sources, from 10,000 to 15,000
people were there. [Passage omitted: repeated details of the rally]
The event, though, was quite an interesting show for those who like to
watch, as well as for journalists who looked for an extra chance to
snatch an interesting story. The policemen seemed quite nice to
journalists after the 5 April rally when the journalists were
physically harassed by unknown men believed by many to be anonymous
law enforcers, hence the cameras and recorders were flashing
everywhere.
Anyway, while for some the rally was a matter of life and death, the
contrast amid the people in the first lines of the crowd and those in
the last seemed incomparable. An elderly woman uttered in a heartfelt
squeaky voice “Kocharyan, go away!”. This was supported by teenage
shouting. They were waving flags and anti-government posters in front
of cameras. These sounds were funnily accompanied with laughter of
groups of well-fed young men standing just several lines behind the
elderly woman.
Although the authorities have “installed” their men in the crowd, it
was not only them who were indifferent towards what’s going on. As the
last line of the crowd were thinning at the end of the square towards
the green territory where the open cafes are situated, one would have
difficulty to say who is who there.
Next to several Europeans gazing quite keenly at the crowd with their
digital cameras working non-stop, there was a long haired Armenian
from abroad with a bottle of cola in his hands. A little further three
beautiful ladies were pushing their way through the crowd, in an
obvious attempt to attract the attention of young men. At a cafe next
to the square one would have a great difficulty finding a vacant table
to sit at. All the cafe tables were occupied, mostly by plump men who
helped themselves to beer and salty peanuts, watching the
demonstration and discussing politics from a comfortable angle.
Though the law-enforcers seemed to be tolerant of journalists, the
harshness was yet to be displayed. The lower-rank policemen in
civilian clothes were tracing down the most active members of the
opposition on orders from their bosses standing further away on
sidewalks going round the Opera and Ballet Theatre’s green
area. Having received a wink, three sporty men twisted the hands of
one activist and rushed him out of the crowd and forced him into a
Soviet Gaz 2106 vehicle which immediately drove off at high
speed. This, though, was the debut of the mass arrests.
By 2300 an estimated 100 activists were detained. However, there were
people who came here with the sole purpose to help oust the current
authorities from their posts. Among the protesters were people from
all over Armenia [Passage omitted: names of areas from which
protesters came and that rallies to continue until the president
resigns]

Armenian web site says 30 demonstrators arrested
A1+ web site
10 Apr 04
The leaders of the united opposition – [ex-Prime Minister] Aram
Sarkisyan, [Justice bloc leader] Stepan Demirchyan, [National Unity
Party chairman] Artashes Gegamyan, MPs Smbat Ayvazyan, Albert Bazeyan
and Arshak Sadoyan and representatives of the political council spent
the night with participants in a sit-in on Freedom Square [central
Yerevan].
According to various calculations, between 500 to 1,500 people were on
the square. Although the police said that 10 people were detained
after the rally yesterday [9 April], we have information that 30
people were taken to police stations. As soon as a participant in the
sit-in moves away from the crowd, he immediately finds himself first
in an unknown vehicle and then at a police station.
The head of the Armenian police press service said yesterday that two
Makarov pistols had been seized from protesters. According to
representatives of the opposition, the two people holding the pistols
are not their supporters, and if someone went to the meeting with MPs
with the pistols, let they be punished in accordance with law.
Incidentally, we learnt today that refuse collection vehicles had been
instructed not to remove rubbish from the square.