Author: Nahapetian Lilit

PanARMENIAN.Net

U.S. House of Representatives passes Genocide Accountability Act
07.12.2007 14:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Assembly of America welcomed the
passage of the Genocide Accountability Act (S. 888) yesterday as a
crucial step forward in closing a legal loophole that prevents the
Justice Department from punishing perpetrators of genocide who find
safe haven in the United States, the AAA reported.

The vote in the House of Representatives allows non-U.S. nationals who
have entered the United States to be prosecuted for genocide committed
outside the country. Under current law, genocide is only a crime if it
is committed within the United States or by a U.S. national outside of
the country. Conversely, laws regarding torture, material support for
terrorism, terrorism financing, hostage taking and other federal
crimes allow for extraterritorial jurisdiction for crimes committed
outside of the United States by non-U.S. nationals.

`The Genocide Accountability Act is an effort to ensure that our
United States’ laws provide adequate authority to prosecute acts of
genocide,’ said Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), chairman of the House
Judiciary Committee. `We should not have a situation where
perpetrators of genocide are allowed to enter, or reside in the United
States and use this country as a safe haven from prosecution.’

`This cannot be the last step,’ Conyers added. `If we’re going to
fulfill our role in the world as the beacon for basic human rights and
freedom from persecution we must continue to develop the humble
legislative beginning we have begun today.’

`We are proud to have supported this legislation through the process
and concur with Chairman Conyers that this is not the last step,’ said
Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. `The next critical step is
to confront denial of genocide by approving H. Res. 106, which
reaffirms the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide.’

Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) said the 20th century has
been called `the Age of Genocide,’ adding that the genocides in
Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia, Cambodia, Germany, and the Ottoman
Empire have shown the world `the monstrous potential of totalitarian
regimes determined to annihilate entire ethnic, racial and religious
groups.’

Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), who introduced the House version
(H.R. 2489) of the Genocide Accountability Act, said that the purpose
of the measure is to ensure that the perpetrators of genocide are
accountable under U.S. law.

`S. 888 will strengthen the reach of U.S. laws to prosecute any
individuals found in our country, who have taken part in acts of
genocide, in Darfur or anywhere else,’ Berman said.

`Genocide continues to be a threat in the world and we should attack
it wherever we find it,’ said Congressman Robert C. `Bobby’ Scott
(D-VA).

Others who spoke in favor of S. 888 on the House floor yesterday
included Representatives Stephen Cohen (D-TN), Randy Forbes (R-VA),
Mike Pence (R-IN) and Christopher Shays (R-CT).

The Senate bill, introduced by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Tom
Coburn (R-OK), is the first piece of legislation produced by the
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law. In
February, the Assembly called on Congress to strengthen international
legal protection against genocide and its denial in testimony
submitted for the Subcommittee’s hearing on `Genocide and the Rule of
Law.’

Ardouny also commended Durbin, along with Senator John Ensign (R-NV),
for spearheading legislation in the U.S. Senate (S. Res. 106) that
would reaffirm the historical fact of the Armenian Genocide.

In addition to the Assembly, the Genocide Accountability Act has been
endorsed by numerous organizations including African Action, the
American Jewish World Service, Amnesty International USA, the Armenian
National Committee of America, the Genocide Intervention Network,
Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, Physicians for Human Rights,
Refugees International and the Save Darfur Coalition.

NATIONAL REVIVAL PARTY SELF-LIQUIDATED

Noyan Tapan
Dec 5, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The second congress of the National
Revival party was held on December 5. The congress with majority of
votes made a decision on party’s self-liquidation and amalgamation
with the Ramkavar-Azatakan Party of Armenia.

"Founding the National Revival party, according to me, we had
overestimated our abilities. The public was not so much enthusiastic
about us, and people did not join the party intensively. We did
not manage to find financial means, either, to keep the party,"
Albert Bazeyan, the Chairman of the National Revival party, stated
in his speech.

He said that already in spring 2006 it was obvious that the party
with limited abilities cannot play a serious part in country’s home
political life. At the same time, according to A. Bezeyan, some members
of the National Revival were against party’s liquidation. They said
that they should become more active, find sources, open offices,
become stronger for taking part in political processes. "I think that
being guided by narrow political interests and continuing acting
as an individual party, we cannot have such a possibility in the
foreseeable future. That is why we reached an agreement of principle
with the Ramkavar-Azatakan Party of Armenia to start a process of
three parties’ amalgamation," A. Bazeyan said.

REPORT ON POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN ARMENIA PRESENTED IN KAPAN

armradio.am
06.12.2007 10:17

Armenian women are underrepresented in public and economic life,
says an OSCE-supported report presented yesterday in Kapan, the
capital of Syunik province.

The report notes that there is no united women’s movement in the
country, that men control the important economic and political
networks, and that they take the most important decisions on behalf
of women. In rural areas, women are often unaware of their rights,
and lack economic resources and networks allowing them to become
active in business and politics.

"We hope that this report will further contribute to the discussion
about gender equality in Armenia, and promote the role of women in
political and economic life both in Syunik and at the national level,"
said Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, the Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

The report offers ways to improve the situation, particularly by
setting up resource centres for local women interested in pursuing
business and political careers.

"Support for a forum that brings together active women who are
interested in change, activities with the media to raise awareness
of gender issues and stereotypes, and greater efforts to provide
better gender-based statistics would help to empower Armenian women,"
said Birgitta Wistrand, a gender expert from Sweden and former Member
of Parliament.

Wistrand prepared the report together with Armine Mkhiratyan, the
Head of the Department of Social Support at the Armenian Institute
of Labour and Social Research.

Since 2006, the OSCE Office in Yerevan and its Programme Implementation
Presence in Kapan have been involved in activities aimed at empowering
women.

8 CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENCY NOMINATED AS OF 14:30, DECEMBER 6

Noyan Tapan
Dec 6, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The deadline of nominating
candidatures for the February 19, 2008 presidential elections is 18:00,
February 6. Eight candidates had been nominated as of 14:30. As Noyan
Tapan correspondent was informed by CEC Secretary Abram Bakhchagulian,
non-partisan Arman Melikian, the former Adviser to the NKR President
for Foreign Political Affairs, submitted documents necessary for
nomination the same day. He was nominated by the self-nomination order.

The following candidates had been nominated before: first RA President
Levon Ter-Petrosian by the self-nomination order, RPA Chairman, Prime
Minister Serge Sargsian, NDU Chairman Vazgen Manukian, National Unity
party Chairman Artashes Geghamian, ARFD Bureau member, NA Vice-Speaker
Vahan Hovhannisian, Chairman of People’s Party Tigran Karapetian,
and OYP Chairman Artur Baghdasarian, by their parties.

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE
December 7, 2007
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY CALLS ON THE ‘GENOCIDE PREVENTION TASK FORCE’
CO-CHAIRS TO ENSURE THE LESSONS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ARE NOT
FORGOTTEN

Washington, DC – In a letter to the Co-Chairs of the newly-created
Genocide Prevention Task Force, the Armenian Assembly of America
questioned how the goals of prevention can be achieved without proper
recognition of previous genocides – specifically, the Armenian
Genocide.

While the Assembly is encouraged by the establishment of such a task
force, it is troubled by the fact that its Co-Chairs, Madeleine
Albright and William Cohen, have failed to properly recognize the
tragic events of 1915. The Assembly is all the more concerned that
Albright and Cohen sent letters to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA),
opposing passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, H. Res. 106.

"Until the Co-Chairs are willing to affirm the Armenian Genocide, thus
drawing upon the lessons of the past to confront future crimes, we
doubt that the objectives of the Task Force will be adequately
achieved," said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.

The Assembly letters to Albright and Cohen also emphasized the
importance of recognition by pointing out that, "the lessons of the
Armenian Genocide teach us about the dangers of denial and the
consequences of failing to unequivocally affirm the truth in the face
of such denial."

The Task Force was formed by the United States Holocaust Memorial
Museum, the American Academy of Diplomacy, and the United States
Institute of Peace, in order to develop recommendations on how the
U.S. Government can prevent genocide.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public
understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt membership organization.

###
NR#2007-140

Editors Note: The Armenian Assembly letter to the Genocide Prevention
Task Force Co-Chairs can be viewed on the Assembly’s Web Site at the
following link:

ges/PRESS_RELEASES_2007/PDFs_for_releases/AAA_Lett er_to_GPTF_Co-Chair_Albright.pdf

2000 TONES OF TANGERINE TO ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

Panorama.am
17:47 04/12/2007

Georgia has already exported 2,000 tones of tangerine to Armenia and
Azerbaijan, Georgian deputy agriculture minister Alexander Tsintsaze
told GHN agency. He said there are no problems connected with the
consumption of citrus plants. Ukraine is considered the largest market
for the consumption of Georgian tangerine.

According to the source, Georgian agriculture minister is now in
Byelorussia which is also a big market for Georgian citrus fruits.

According to estimates, citrus fruits will total 100,000 tones this
year and 80 percent comes from Ajaria. Last year, Georgia collected
a harvest of citrus fruits of only 25-30 thousand tones.

Former prime minister of Georgia Zurab Noghaideli assigned to create
a shop for accepting citrus fruits so that the population has no
problems with realization. It is expected that 40% will exported to
Byelorussia, Ukraine, Armenia and Kazakhstan, 20-25 % will be realized
in the internal market and the rest will be processed.

Russia & CIS Business and Financial Newswire
December 5, 2007 Wednesday 4:06 PM MSK

Armenia could join Eurasian Development Bank in 2008

Armenia could join the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) in 2008,
Armenian Deputy Energy Minister Iosif Isaian told journalists on
Wednesday.

A political decision has already been passed on Armenia’s accession
to the EDB, but the official procedure will take some time, he said.

Armenia has put forward projects in several strategic industries for
EDB consideration, particularly projects related to energy and
industry, he said. Isaian declined to provide specific details of the
projects because they are still under discussion.

Russia and Kazakhstan formed the EDB at the beginning of 2006. The
bank was set up with the purpose of facilitating the robust
development of the two countries’ economies, sustaining high rates of
economic growth, expanding mutual trade, developing other forms of
economic relations, and encouraging direct investment, including on
the basis of private-state partnership. The bank’s charter capital
amounts to $1.5 billion.

TURKISH PUBLISHER FACES JAIL OVER ARMENIA BOOK
By Gareth Jones, Reuters

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Dec 4 2007

A Turkish publisher could receive a jail sentence on Wednesday of up
to three years for insulting national identity under a law the European
Union says unfairly restricts freedom of speech and wants scrapped.

"Tomorrow’s hearing may bring a final verdict in my trial, which
began in 2005. The prosecutor wants the maximum penalty," publisher
Ragip Zarakolu told Reuters on Tuesday.

Prosecutors accuse Zarakolu of insulting "Turkishness" under
article 301 of Turkey’s penal code for publishing a Turkish language
translation of a book by London-based author George Jerjian called "The
Truth Will Set Us Free". The book urges reconciliation between Turks
and Armenians and covers the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks during World War One, a highly sensitive issue for Turkey.

Armenia, backed by many Western historians, says as many as 1.5 million
of its people suffered systematic genocide at Turkish hands at that
time. Turkey denies there was genocide and says many Muslim Turks as
well as Christian Armenians were killed in inter-ethnic conflict as
the Ottoman Empire collapsed under pressure of war.

Affirming that the killings amounted to genocide is a criminal offence
in Turkey. Nobel Literature Laureate Orhan Pamuk is among writers
prosecuted for his comments on the events of 1915-16, though he was
acquitted on a legal technicality.

"I am against all forms of restriction on free expression… I did
not even write this book, but Turkish people have a right to know
what Armenians think," said Zarakolu, head of the Belge International
Publishers.

Zarakolu said he would appeal against any conviction. He has often
been a target of Turkish prosecutors over the decades for his stance
on freedom of expression and for publishing books the authorities
have disapproved of.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s conservative government, under heavy
EU pressure, is mulling ways of amending article 301, though analysts
say the real problem lies not in the text but in the conservative
mindset of many judges and prosecutors.

"The government could have changed the law already. It is a very
dangerous article. If accusations depict writers and journalists as
traitors or enemies of Turkey, it is not so simple to be in front
of Turkish public opinion," said Zarakolu. "It opens the door to
our being lynched or killed by ultra-nationalist gangs," he said,
citing the example of prominent Turkish Armenian editor Hrant Dink
who was shot dead in Istanbul in January by an ultra-nationalist youth.

Dink had been handed a suspended jail sentence under article 301 for
his comments on the Armenian issue. Tens of thousands of people marched
through Istanbul at his funeral to protest against ultra-nationalist
violence.

Members of the European Parliament visiting Turkey this week said
article 301 was harming Turkey’s bid to join the EU. "This latest case
underlines that the Turkish government’s promise to reform article
301 cannot come too soon," Richard Howitt, a British Labor MEP,
said in a statement.

"Authors expressing peaceful views should never lead to imprisonment.

The Turkish government has understood this and it is now for the
Turkish parliament to pass, and for the Turkish courts to respect,"
he said.

TURKISH PRESIDENT, FRENCH PRIME MINISTER DISCUSS THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISSUE

armradio.am
28.11.2007 17:40

While in Paris for the Bureau of International Exhibition (BIE)
General Assembly Tuesday, Turkish President Abdullah Gul met with
the French prime minister to discuss terrorism, the Armenian issue
and the European Union, the Turkish Daily News reports.

On the question of the Armenian genocide, which was on the agenda of
the French Parliament, Gul said, "This is the business of historians
and scientists, not politicians. Turkey has opened its archives to
research on this issue."

Referring to Turkey’s EU membership bid Gul said that Turkey
should enact reforms. "We should enact these reforms for
ourselves. Negotiation with the EU is not only political, it is also
a technical issue. Turkey’s road map is very clear. We should take
care of our business. We should do all this because it is for the
benefit of the Turkish people," he said.

Answering a question about Sarkozy’s Mediterranean Union proposal,
Gul said, "Turkey is a Mediterranean country. The Mediterranean Union
is not an alternative to Turkey’s EU membership."

TWO ARMENIAN CHESS PLAYERS IN ROUND 3 OF THE WORLD CUP

armradio.am
29.11.2007 15:41

Armenian Grand Masters Levon Aronyan and Vladimir Hakobyan have
proceeded to Round 3 of the World Chess Cup underway in the Russian
city of Khanty Mansiysk.

The third-round games are stet for November 30. Levon Aronyan will
compete with Dmitri Yakovenko (Russia), Vladimir Hakobyan – with
Alexander Onishchuk of the United States.