Author: Karabekian Emil

NAMES OF OFFICIALS AND OLIGARCHS WERE HANDED OVER TO FACT-FINDING GROUP

Lragir.am
17:49:23 – 22/12/2008

The founder of the Armenian National Congress Levon Ter-Petrosyan
stated December 21 that shoplifting, arson of cars and other
provocations on March 1 were perpetrated by certain gangs whose members
counted 950. Those gangs were created, equipped and provided to the
center which coordinated the clampdown by five high-ranking officials
and four oligarchs.

In a news conference on December 22 at the Friday press club the
representative of the Armenian National Congress Levon Zurabyan stated
that the names of those five officials and four oligarchs, as well
as the document from which they got the information were handed over
to the fact-finding group which will study this fact. Levon Zurabyan
said they know the names of people but they will not reveal them
to reporters, noting that the fact-finding group must study, which
was provided with information and the names of those 9 through the
representative of the ANC to the fact-finding group.

As to participation of the ANC in the fact-finding group in future,
Levon Zurabyan said the obstacles about which they announced persist
and have not been eliminated. At the same time, however, Levon Zurabyan
said certain work is done even in that situation, and progress is
obvious. The ANC will continue to work as long as it is possible,
and if a hindrance is created, and=2 0the fact-finding group’s work
turns into imitation, the ANC will not stay in the fact-finding group,
Levon Zurabyan stated.

By the way, Levon Zurabyan said it is notable that the famous
recommendation of the PACE monitoring committee does not mention
anything about the parliamentary committee to study March 1. Levon
Zurabyan said in previous documents the committee was mentioned,
this time it was not mentioned. Levon Zurabyan says it means nobody
cares for the parliamentary committee anymore, not even Europe.

Associated Press Worldstream
December 19, 2008 Friday 7:12 PM GMT

Armenian election violence trial begins

YEREVAN Armenia

A former foreign minister and three lawmakers have gone on trial for
their role in riots that broke out in the Armenian capital after the
February presidential election.

Demonstrators protesting alleged vote fraud clashed with police in
Yerevan, leaving 10 people dead, hundreds injured and prompting a
sweeping state of emergency.

Prosecutors have charged ex-Foreign Minister Alexander Arzumanian,
three parliament members and three others in connection with the
violence.

Western observers gave an overall positive assessment of the vote, but
noted serious flaws. Serge Sarkisian, an ally of outgoing President
Robert Kocharian, won the election.

The trial is being closely watched by Armenia’s political elite, as
well as foreign observers.

OPERATOR OF LAKE BLUFF HOME CHURCH FACES MORE LEGAL PROBLEMS
By Susan Kuczka

Chicago Tribune
hi-lake-bluff-church-19-dec19,0,211749.story
Dec 19 2008
IL

A Lake Bluff man who gained notoriety when he got an $80,000
property-tax break on his North Shore mansion when he converted it
into a church faces more legal woes as he fights to keep his tax
exemption on the books, court records show.

NorStates Bank of Waukegan recently filed more than a dozen foreclosure
lawsuits against George Michael, a Chicago banker and real estate
company owner who won the property-tax break on his home in June. He
told state officials that he set up an Armenian church in his $4
million residence after his online ordination through the Church of
Spiritual Humanism.

Michael also recently appeared in federal court to defend himself in
a Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. lawsuit that claims mismanagement
at the Chicago bank he operates with his brother, Robert, a retired
Chicago police officer. Testimony in the case recently wrapped up
in U.S. District Court in Chicago. A ruling is expected next spring,
an FDIC spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, Lake Bluff’s village attorney, Peter Friedman, said the
village’s bid to overturn an Illinois Revenue Department decision to
award George Michael the property-tax break on his lakefront home is
moving forward.

Michael and his wife, Susan, gave depositions this month about the
activities at their residence, where the family says the Armenian
Church of Lake Bluff holds Sunday religious services for themselves
and close friends. Michael previously said he opened the church so his
physically disabled wife would not have to travel to observe her faith.

Friedman said he believes that the Michaels’ recent statements may have
damaged their own cause. George Michael admitted in the deposition
that his church "is not functioning in any kind of organized way,
its finances are very informal, bylaws are not complied with, and
there’s no minutes, or anything like that," Friedman said.

"I think this informality will help a lot because they have to meet
their burden that this is a real, live operating church, and all that
lack of structure, I think, will be hard for the administrative law
judge to ignore," Friedman said.

Michael’s attorney, Mark Belongia, disagreed.

"We’re comfortable with our position," he said, declining to make
additional comment.

It was after Michael obtained an online pastor’s degree that he asked
the Revenue Department to grant him an exemption from paying his tax
bill. The Revenue Department granted the exemption in June after Lake
Bluff and Lake County officials rejected it, saying the home served
primarily as a residence–not a church.

If the village loses its appeal with the Revenue Department, Michael
could still have to pay more than $100,000 for violating the village’s
zoning ordinances. Village officials maintain that Michael needs a
special permit to hold religious services in his home. A lawsuit to
decide whether Michael will have to pay the fine is pending in Lake
County Circuit Court.

The FDIC took Michael to court in connection with the operation
of Citizens Bank and Trust Co. of Chicago. The FDIC suit said the
Michael brothers misused the bank’s assets in personal real estate
transactions.

GEOGRAPHY OF VISITORS TO NKR KEEPS ON EXPANDING

De Facto
Dec 19, 2008

YEREVAN, 19.12.08. DE FACTO. In 2008, tourists from dozens of countries
of the world visited the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

According to the data by the NKR MFA Consular Service, most of them
are the citizens of the USA, France, Canada, Russia, Iran and Great
Britain. As compared with 2007, the number of tourists increased
approximately by 15%.

The geography of the visitors to the NKR keeps on expanding. Tourists
from Pakistan, Singapore and Somali visited Nagorno Karabakh for the
first time this year.

Besides ethnic Armenians, people of various nationalities, in
particular the youth, visit the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. The most
visited places are the historical-architectural monuments and monastic
complexes: Amaras (4-19c.), Dadivank (4-13c.), Gandzasar (13c.), etc.

In 2008, about 70 journalists from 25 countries and a dozen of film
crews visited Nagorno Karabakh to prepare reportages on various
spheres of life of the NKR.

SANCTIONS MOST PROBABLY NOT TO BE IMPOSED
Gevorg Harutyunyan

Hayots Ashkharh Daily
17 Dec 2008
Armenia

Today the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe will convene its regular session. The discussion of
the report assessing the process of the implementation of resolutions
1609 and 1620 on the activity of the democratic institutions in
Armenia and the related bill is in the agenda of the session.

It is well known that the co – rapporteurs on Armenian issue
George Columbie and John Prescott will cover in their reports
the conclusions of the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner
Tomas Hammarberg. The before mentioned bill will be submitted to the
discussion and confirmation of the PACE during the winter session to
take place on January 26-30 in Strasburg.

And how do our political figures assess the process of the
implementation of resolutions 1609 and 1620?

Victor Dallakyan

"It is evident that our authorities are taking certain actions to
meet the requirements of PACE resolutions 1609 and 1620. But in my
view these actions are of imitative character.

Anyhow I don’t think they will impose serious sanctions on Armenia.

Based on my observations I can state that in case Armenia remains
Council of Europe member country, and in case we are not deprived of
the right to vote and avoid harsh sanctions, Armenia will have rather
weighty influence. In this regard the Council of Europe can use more
serious sanctions, with rather serious consequences and have more
effective influence on the activity of the democratic institutions,
than depriving of the right to vote and quitting the membership.

Galust Sahakyan

The fact that we usually stipulate Armenia’s relations with the
international structures, especially Council of Europe, by secondary
factors, foreign interference, and sanctions is explained by our
adoration towards the foreigners. I’m sure that our country has not
only implemented the proposals made by PACE resolution, but we have
also moved forward, and made essential reforms.

After all Tomas Hammarberg has built his conclusions and impressions
on the basis of the data and the opinions submitted by our political
figures. He will most probably repeat the ideas speculated by certain
political figures in Armenia.

The opinions and the approaches of our people must comply with the
speeches and the assessments of our delegations. In this case there
will be no artificial obstacle between the relations of our country
and the Council of Europe.

Aram Safaryan

If the monitoring committee of the Council of Europe, on December
17 and PACE, at the end of January come to a decision to deprive
Armenia of the right to vote, the consequences for our country will
be very sad and unpleasant. I mean the positions o f those political
figures in our internal political domain, who have always encouraged
our cooperation with international and European structures and have
been the champions of the implementation of the demands made by the
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, will become weak.

Instead the positions of the political factions and individuals,
who are the champions of harsh policy and stance towards the foreign
forces, will strengthen.

I would like to abstain from predictions. Meanwhile I hope that the
process of the reforms underway is continual and the Council of Europe
will perceive its necessity. And if they do the opposite than it will
give reasons for profound meditation on why did the Council of Europe
adopt this harsh stance towards our country and to what extent is it
conditioned by political interests and pan-European principles.

Armen Martirosyan

I don’t attach any importance to the PACE sanctions. The most important
thing for me is the general and political developments taking place
in my country. I strongly believe that Armenia has all the necessary
pre-conditions to comply with the highest scale of democracy.

In the context of the PACE resolution, certain actions are already
taken in terms of the improvement of the Electoral Code. But
unfortunately the interested discussions of all the parliamentary
political forces didn’t have logical effect, because the reforms of
the code were not submitted to the discussion of the parliament.

Instead we recorded regress. I assess negatively the existence of
political prisoners and the process of the political trials in our
country. The delay in finding the culprits of the post election
developments, as well as the imperfect activity of the state,
legislative and justice structures is also negative.

Anyhow in my view they will not impose sanctions, especially strict
sanctions towards our country.

TURKISH PM SAYS DOES NOT SUPPORT ARMENIAN APOLOGY CAMPAIGN

Dec 17 2008
Turkey

PM Erdogan criticised a public apology by some 200 Turkish
intellectuals and academics for Armenian allegations over World
War One.

Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that he did not
accept or support the campaign recently launched by a group of Turkish
intellectuals and academicians aiming to apologize to Armenians for
the incidents of 1915.

The Internet campaign coincides with a diplomatic rapprochement
between Turkey and Armenia to end almost 100 years of hostility.

"They might have committed such a crime themselves, as they
are apologizing now. Republic of Turkey does not have such a
concern. One can apologize if there is a crime necessitating such
an apology. Neither my country, nor my nation has such concerns,"
Erdogan said, replying to questions following his meeting with
Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov in Istanbul.

Turkey accepts that many Armenians were killed during the waning
years of the Ottoman state, but strongly denies Armenian claims it
was genocide, saying that Armenians also killed Muslim Turks.

The apology describes the events as a great catastrophe.

Erdogan said that it was unacceptable to support such a campaign just
because it was launched by intellectuals. "I personally do not accept,
support or participate in this campaign," he said.

Erdogan also said that he could not understand the approach of the
intellectuals, adding that such kind of initiatives could only create
chaos and destroy peace. "I find it unreasonable to apologize when
there is no reason," he said.

Organisers said the initiative, posted on the Internet along with a
non-binding petition to gather signatures, was meant to allow Turks
to offer a personal apology and to end an official silence.

President Abdullah Gul became the first Turkish leader to visit
Armenia in September as Turkey has sought to improve ties. Several
meetings between Turkish and Armenian officials have followed and
the two countries have expressed hopes of restoring full diplomatic
relations soon.

PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT MEETS INTERESTS OF ALL SIDES, CLAUDIO BISOGNIERO

BSANNA NEWS
Dec 17 2008
Ukraine

BAKU, 17 December. (AzerTAj). A peaceful resolution of
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict meets interests of
all parties, NATO Deputy Secretary General Claudio Bisogniero told
journalists after his meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov.

NATO supports process of negotiations within the OSCE Minsk Group,
he said.

Deputy Secretary General said NATO attaches great importance to
relationship with Azerbaijan and is keen to boost it.

Bisogniero said the Alliance welcomes achievements Azerbaijan has
gained in various spheres, including defense sector and is ready to
further support the reforms being carried out in the country.

He also praised Azerbaijan`s active participation in NATO`s
peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan.

NUMBER OF CRIMES GROWS, CRIME DETECTION INDEX DECLINES IN ARMENIA IN FIRST 11 MONTHS OF 2008

Noyan Tapan

Dec 15, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The number of crimes grew by 7.4%
in Armenia in the first 11 months of 2008: 8,192 crimes were recorded
in the indicated period.

The number of grave crimes grew by 15.3%, that of especially grave
crimes – by 6.9%, the head of the Main Criminal Search Department
of the RA Police Hovhannes Tamamian announced at the December 12
press conference.

According to him, in the total number of crimes against man, a growth
was recorded in murders, attempted murders, infliction of heavy damage
to health, rapes and attempted rapes. The number of crimes against
property increased by 11.8%, including a growth in burglaries (12.6%),
robber attacks (76.1%), and robberies (78.2%). In the total number of
crimes against property, there was a decline in the number of frauds
(by 10% or 37 cases) and crimes committed with the use of fire-arms
(16.3%), while the number of autothefts increased by 70 cases.

In the 11 months of 2008, 665 units of fire-arms were either seized by
the police or handed over voluntarily by citizens, which, according to
H. Tamamian, is the highest index since 1993. The police representative
said that the growth in the number of crimes is mostly conditioned
by the activation of supervisory work done by the police heads with
respect to territorial sub-units, especially the registration carried
out by these sub-units in recent period.

A fall in the crime detection indices was recorded in parallel with
the growth of recorded crimes.

WORKS CARRIED OUT TOWATDS EXPANSION OF ARMENIAN-SYRIAN TRADE AND BUSINESS TIES

ARMENPRESS
Dec 12, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Commerce and Industry
Chamber is carrying out events for the expansion and consolidation
of trade and business ties with Syria.

The chairman of the Armenian Commerce and Industry Chamber Martin
Sargsyan said today at a press conference presenting the results of
December 2-9 Armenian-Syrian business exhibition and business forum
that currently the annual trade turnover between the two countries
is around 3 million USD of which 2 million 250,000 is import.

He assessed the volume of export as unsatisfactory, noting that it
is necessary to activate the representation of Armenian products in
Syrian market which is quite important for Armenia.

He said it suggests quite favorable conditions for Armenian businessmen
and the Armenian product is well accepted there.

The products of 35 Armenian companies presented at the exhibition
were almost immediately bought, a number of arrangements have been
reached and business ties have been established.

M. Sargsyan said that an agreement has been reached with Aleppo
Commerce and Industry Chamber to organize exhibition of Syrian
products in Armenia in June 2009. It is also expected to open a hall
of exhibition-sale of Armenian-Syrian products.

On March 8 of the coming year meetings of the business women of the
two countries is expected to take place

NO POLITICAL FORCE IN ARMENIA QUESTIONS THE GENOCIDE
Naira Khachatryan

Azat Artsakh Daily
10 Dec 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR

The Person in Charge of Armenian Cause and Political Issues of ARFD
Bureau Kiro Manoyan was the guest of "Pastark" club yesterday.

>From the events dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Convention
on the "Prevention and Punishment of Genocides" he separated the
report made yesterday by the special working group formed by the US
authorities, where they demand to be more active in preventing and
punishing genocides.

His said certain activeness is noticed in Turkey as well: "According
to the available information the collection of signatures initiated
by the Turkish intellectuals will become more active in January. The
intellectuals express sorrow for what happened in 1915 (though
instead of genocide they call it "great massacre") they apologize
to Armenians. Anyway I don’t question the sincerity of these people,
though they seem to be a bit scared."

The open letter of the Armenian intellectuals addressed to the Turkish
President is another significant event: "They remind the Turkish
President that they have no other alternative to the recognition
of the Genocide. They must recognize the Genocide not only to have
progress in Armenian-Turkish relations but also Turkey will finally
release itself from the heavy load=2 0of the past. In my view this
letter was also important because it was Armenia’s initiative and
expresses the opinion of our society."

Kiro Manoyan says the world community has actually recognized the fact
of the genocide. "The states, the public organizations formulating
public opinion only enshrine the fact. For example not to allow
the publication of articles denying the Genocide, or to include the
Armenian Genocide in the textbooks.

As regards the recognition of the Genocide by the states, in my
view we have approached the refuge where the Turkish society finally
recognizes its history. The main goal of the process of recognizing
the Genocide is that Turkey itself must recognize it.

Though Turkey is far from recognizing the fact of the Genocide,
"Turkish society has already started to speak about recognizing their
history, though Turkey continues to create obstacles to the free
examination of their history. Lots of people are detained or even
convicted only because their approach differs from that of the state."

As regards the probability of the recognition of the Genocide by the
USA: "It is based on the promises made by the President-elect Barrack
Obama, his commitments and, why not, his political appointments. He
has already announced the name of the new US Ambassador to the UN
who is the champion of condemning not only Armenian but also all the
other genocides. Samantha Power is also in his surrounding, who is
one of the active supporters of reconfirming the Armenian Genocide.

Besides that Obama repeated in his promise when Turkey sent a
delegation to warn Obama not to recognize the Genocide. So all the
before mentioned gives grounds to think that Obama will use the word
"Genocide" in his speech delivered on April 24."