Author: Zakarian Garnik

MYSTERY OF CHERYOMUKHA 7 UNVEILED

A1+
[06:51 pm] 23 January, 2009

It turns out Cheryomukha 7 over-sized, gas powered special device can
be identified with its bullets. At least, the fact enables to detect
people opening fire at three civilians in central Yerevan on March 1.

Until recently, the Special Investigation Service (SIS) and the
Prosecutor General’s Office claimed gas cartridges couldn’t be
identified. Their opinion was supported by Russia’s Research Centre
for "Special Technique and Connection."

Today the Chairman of the NA ad hoc Committee looking into the events
of March 1-2, Samvel Nikoyan read out the Centre’s answer to the
SIS. The Centre is not entitled to make a ballistic examination and
doesn’t master the methods of identifying bullets with weapons. It is
advisable that you apply to the special centre of Russia’s Interior
Ministry."

Both the Committee Chairman and its members agreed that "in fact,
the identification is impossible;" while Aram Karapetyan noted that
the Centre dodged responsibility and pointed at the relevant body."

The authorities used to say the special devices were out of date,
therefore we had victims on March 1. Russia’s answer seems to be more
logical: "In case of long preservation, the bullets of Cheryomukha 7
and Cheryomukha 7-M can undergo technical changes accompanied with
a reduction of tear gas and distance of fired bullet. Such bullets
are not harmful to human beings."

The last sentence made Committee member Naira Zohrabyan suspicious,
and she posed a question: "I see a contradiction here. What was the
cause of the deaths, then?" Leader of the New Times Party (NZhK) Aram
Karapetyan immediately answered: "People didn’t die of gas. They died
of bullets."

Today Samvel Nikoyan informed the Committee members that Russia’s
deputy Interior Minister hasn’t answered their letter yet. Aram
Karapetyan said the RA authorities had done their best to linger
long-awaited answer and advised that the Committee ask Russia’s
special centre for help.

ARF Dashnaktsutyun member Artsvik Minasyan noted that as long as
they don’t have the carbines, they should apply to the CIS and the
Persecutor General. Minasyan’s suggestion was accepted unanimously,
and it was decided to send letters to these bodies on Monday.

The murder of the three people is a fact that can no longer be
denied. And today Alexander Arzumanyan is charged with the murder of
Gor Kloyan who turns out to have been killed by law-enforcers as a
result of an illiterate appliance of Cheryomukha 7.

YERVAND MANARIAN: ARMENIA SHOULD FULFILL ITS COMMITMENTS TOWARDS COUNCIL OF EUROPE

Noyan Tapan

Jan 23, 2009

YEREVAN, JANUARY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The issue of depriving or not
depriving the Armenian delegation of the vote in PACE is really
important, but there are more serious problems in Armenia, and solving
them is much more urgent.

Actor and producer Yervand Manarian expressed confidence at the January
23 joint press conference with poet Razmik Davoyan. As to fulfilling
Council of Europe demands, Y. Manarian said that when undertaking some
business a person should know what will be required from him then and
fulfill those requirements. According to him, if Armenia has assumed
some commitments towards Council of Europe on its own initiative,
it should fulfill them.

R. Davoyan also touched upon the PACE demands mentioning that it is
unintelligible for him how Council of Europe studied the problem
of people imprisoned on the March 1 case and found out that they
are political prisoners, while Armenia’s justice fails to find it
out. "Council of Europe should contribute to preservation of stability
in our country and not make a mess in our domestic life," he said.

The poet also spoke about the problems within the Union of Writers
of Armenia stating that there are no arguments and intrigues in the
union: they are only rumors spread by media and not corresponding to
reality. According to him, just a group of writers collect signatures
to make the union chairman convene a meeting.

YEREVAN SAYS ARMENIA AND TURKEY CLOSE TO ESTABLISHING DIPLOMATIC TIES

Hurriyet
Jan 21 2009
Turkey

Armenia on Wednesday said it was "close" to establishing diplomatic
relations and opening borders with neighboring Turkey to end decades
of enmity.

"I share the opinion of my Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan that we
are close to establishing diplomatic relations and the opening of
borders," Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian was quoted by
AFP as telling reporters.

"We can make a new step forward if Turkey, like Armenia, accepts a
settlement without preliminary conditions."

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations and their border
has been closed for more than a decade, as Armenia presses the
international community to admit the so-called "genocide" claims
instead of accepting Turkey’s call to investigate the allegations,
and Armenia’s invasion of 20 percent territory of Azerbaijan.

A warmer period began in relations when Turkish President Abdullah
Gul paid a landmark visit to Yerevan in September to watch a World Cup
qualifying football match between the two countries on the invitation
of his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan. The two countries have
been holding contacts at the minister level since.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA RECEIVES OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS

ARMENPRESS
Jan 20, 2009

YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS: President of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan received today OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Yuri Merzlyakov
(Russia), Matthew Bryza (USA), Bernard Fassier (France) and personal
representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office Andrzej Kasprzyk. At
the meeting present was Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan.

Presidential press service told Armenpress that during the meeting
the interlocutors discussed issues on the current round of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict regulation.

The co-chairs informed the head of the country about the results
of their meetings in Baku. During the meeting an agreement has been
reached over the organization of meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents in near future.

ARMENIAN EXPERT SAYS SEPARATIST KARABAKH NEGLECTED IN TALKS WITH AZERBAIJAN

Aravot
Jan 13 2009
Armenia

Political experts Manvel Sargsyan and Yervand Bozoyan discussed
issues connected with the Karabakh settlement and the possibility
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe depriving the
Armenian delegation of its right to vote at its January session.

Both experts believe that settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
is very complicated. According to Manvel Sargsyan, Nagornyy Karabakh
is not a side of the conflict at present and, what is more, it stopped
being a factor, because the Armenian government wished so 10 years
ago. He believes that at present the Karabakh government is obeying
the orders of the Armenian government. The expert said that Karabakh
is perceived as such even in the OSCE Minsk Group.

"Nagornyy Karabakh cannot agree or disagree with anything during the
negotiations as no one takes it into consideration", Sargsyan said. He
believes that the Karabakh government does not express the opinion of
the people and "the Karabakh public does not have alternative sources
of information, and is suppressed by the army. All this leads to a
situation when the Artsakh [Karabakh] people perceive the reality in
a wrong way and react inadequately".

Political expert Yervand Bozoyan had a different opinion. He said
that although the Karabakh issue is quite complicated, this does
not mean that Karabakh does not exist as a factor and that the
Karabakh government is obedient to the Armenian one. He believes
it is important that the public be a part of these processes and
the people will say their decisive word at the fateful moment for
the country. Both experts agree that the Karabakh conflict will be
settled only when, besides Armenia and Azerbaijan, the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chair countries, as well as Iran and Turkey, find a common
denominator regarding the matter.

Speaking about the fate of the Armenian delegation in PACE, Bozoyan
said it is unlikely that the Armenian delegation will lose its right of
vote, at the same time emphasizing that application of this sanction
would be a great blow to Armenia: "The Armenian government should
send real messages to Europe that it will go by the path of real
reforms". Answering the question of journalists on why the government
is so calm, the expert said the government shows that it is calm to
conceal its anxiety.

Manvel Sargsyan recalled the statement of Galust Sahakyan, the leader
of the [ruling] Republican Party of Armenia faction, in this context
:"If Europe deprives us of vote, we will move towards the Muslim
world." As opposed to Bozoyan, who dismissed the statement as not
serious, Manvel Sargsyan believes that this is not only Galustyan’s
opinion but also that of the government, which will start searching
for money in other places, even in the Muslim world, in case it gets
shut out of Europe. The political expert said: "The issue for the
government is just finding money."

PROSECUTOR GENERAL OF ARMENIA MEETS WITH CO-RAPPORTEURS OF PACE MONITORING COMMITTEE

Noyan Tapan

Jan 15, 2009

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Issues related to the investigation
process of the criminal case opened in connection with March 1-2 events
in Yerevan, the charges against the persons involved as accused in
the case and the legal assessment of their actions were discussed at
the January 15 meeting of the RA prosecutor general Aghvan Hovsepian
and the co-rapporteurs of the PACE Monitoring Committee John Prescott
and Georges Colombier.

The prosecutor general informed the co-rapporteurs that during the
first 6 months of the investigation into the criminal case opened in
connection with the March 1-2 events, the investigation concerning
all the accused persons under preliminary arrest was completed and
90 criminal cases on 111 persons were sent to court. In his words,
the investigation was conducted within a reasonable period, with all
the necessary conditions for exercise of the rights of the accused
persons being ensured.

At the co-rapporteurs’ request, he spoke about the charges brought
under the RA Criminal Code’s Article 300 Part 1 and Article 225 Part
3 against 7 persons in the criminal case examined by the Yerevan
Criminal Court.

According to the prosecutor general, the eveidence collected by
investigators shows that the disorder in Yerevan was not an end in
itself for the organizers but a means of usurping state power by
violence. By the information of the investigation, the 7 accused
persons in this criminal case: Alexander Arzumanian, Hakob Hakobian,
Myasnik Malkhasian, Sasun Mikaelian, Shant Harutyunian, Grigor
Voskerchian and Suren Sirunian played a key role in the organization
of the above mentioned disorder. A. Hovsepian explained that the
indicated persons are charged not with committing murders but with
organizing mass disorder accompanied by murders. It was mentioned that
the disorder and the rallies held prior to it cannot be considered
peaceful as the investigation collected enough proof that their
participants were armed.

The proof collected by the investigators was considered by the
prosecutors in control of the investigation as well-founded and
sufficient to be sent to court where it will be examined at a public
trial. The prosecutor general said that the trial has not begun
yet and it is difficult to predict its outcome. In his words, the
prosecutors are not constrained by the evidence collected during the
investigation and their final position will form during the trial as
it is not ruled out that new evidence may emerge in the process of
the trial on this case – evidence that may justify or aggravate the
actions of the accused persons.

Speaking about the deaths as a result of the use of special
antiriot weapons by the police, the prosecutor general noted
that the prosecuot’s office applied to a number of international
organizations with the request to help with investigation into this
issue, however, all these bodies, including the UN Office in Yerevan,
the OSCE Office in Yerevan, the U.S. embassy in Armenia have refused
to provide experts, saying that they have no such practice, experts
and equipment. The prosecutor’s office entered into correspondence
with the expert proposed by the CE Commissioner for Human Rights
Thomas Hammarberg and sent the necessary materials to him but the
latter also stated that it is impossible to make an identification.

TIGRAN SARKISYAN: "CONCESSIONS IN THE SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT WILL NOT DIVIDE ARMENIA"

Azeri Press Agency
Jan 14 2009
Azerbaijan

Yerevan-APA. "I discussed the OSCE Minsk Group activity toward the
settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict with Vice President Richard
Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington.

Both said it was the best format and they supported the Minsk
Group’s activity", said Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisyan
in his interview with Interfax, APA reports. He said US officials
thought that there was mutual understanding between the Minsk Group
co-chairs. "Condoleezza Rice said she talked with her Russian
counterpart about the Minsk Group’s activity and they reached
full understanding on this issue. It means that all the United
States, Russia and France consider this format more effective and
acceptable. We agree with these evaluations because it coincides with
our views".

Tigran Sarkisyan said he didn’t believe that possible concessions to
be made by them in the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict would
lead to dividing Armenia. "Our position is that any decision should
be acceptable for Nagorno Karabakh at first. If the concessions don’t
meet interests of Nagorno Karabakh people, we will not accept these".

Tigran Sarkisyan said talks on normalization of relations with
Turkey were going on usefully. "There is a significant progress in
the Turkish-Armenian relations. Armenia is interested in peaceful
neighborhood relations with the neighbor countries, including Turkey
and Azerbaijan. Regarding the opening borders, it will not be a
problem, if political and economic relations are normalized with the
neighbor countries.

SHAHAN KANDAHARIAN: TURKEY BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP SEA

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.01.2009 17:32 GMT+04:00

Lebanon is concerned over the escalating conflict in Gaza. The panic
spread among the population when northern Israel was bombarded from
Lebanon’s territory, said a member of Hay Dat office in Beirut.

"After a response fire, Hezbollah denied its participation in
hostilities strongly condemned by the Lebanese army and Defense
Ministry," Shahan Kandaharian told PanARMENIAN.Net.

Touching on Turkey’s position, he said that Arab states appreciated
official Ankara’s stand. "Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan labeled
resumption of hostilities as crime against humanity. It was harsh
message to Tel Aviv from a non-Arab country. Nevertheless, I think this
statement was meant to calm down the Turkish public which protested
Israel’s actions in Gaza," he said.

"Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said resumption of hostilities
is disrespect for Ankara, which undertook mediation between Syria
and Israel. Turkey is between two fires. On the one hand it should
please its strategic partner, Israel. On the other hand, it should
smooth internal tensions," Mr. Kandaharian said.

On December 27, 2008, Israel launched a military campaign codenamed
Operation Cast Lead, targeting the members and infrastructure of
Hamas. As of 12 January 2009, 13 Israelis and 898 Palestinians are
estimated to have perished in the conflict. All but three of the
Israeli casualties have been soldiers, while 333 of the Gaza casualties
have been women and children. 257 children in Gaza have been killed,
making up a third of Palestinian casualties.

ARMENIA DENIES RECEIVING $800 MLN WORTH OF RUSSIAN ARMS

RIA Novosti
14:43 | 12/ 01/ 2009
YEREVAN

Armenia’s Defense Ministry on Monday denied a report from Baku alleging
that Russian arms had been handed over to Yerevan.

Azerbaijani media previously reported that arms worth a total of $800
million had been transferred to Armenia from a Russian military base
in the country.

"That is yet another piece of disinformation by Azerbaijani
propaganda. I don’t think there is a need to comment on it," said the
Armenian defense minister’s press secretary, Col. Seiran Shakhsuvaryan.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said earlier on Monday that it was
studying the report.

"As soon as the necessary information is obtained, the Foreign Ministry
will formulate its position," said Elkhan Polukhov, first secretary
of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia became strained when Nagorny
Karabakh, a region in Azerbaijan with a largely Armenian population,
declared its independence from Azerbaijan to join Armenia in 1988. The
enclave has been a source of conflict ever since.

Turkey probes massacre petition

Story from BBC NEWS:
europe/7821159.stm

Published: 2009/01/09 18:37:06 GMT

A Turkish prosecutor has opened an investigation against the authors of
an online petition that apologises for the World War I massacres of
Armenians.

It could lead to charges under the law against "insulting Turkishness".

Turkey’s prime minister has criticised the petition, launched by more
than 200 Turkish academics and newspaper columnists last month.

Hundreds of thousands of Armenians died at the hands of Ottoman Turks
in 1915. Turkey denies that it was genocide.

Discussion of the issue is taboo in Turkey and has led to prosecution
in the past.

The intellectuals behind the petition say they want to challenge the
official denial and provoke discussion in Turkish society about what
happened.

The petition is entitled "I apologise".

Police said on Friday they had information that a man arrested this
week was gathering intelligence and planning an attack against one of
the organisers of the apology campaign.

Police said he had recently travelled to several cities and made it
known that he was planning an action that would "shake Turkey", the BBC
was told by a source who did not want to be named.

The man’s uncle was reportedly among more than 30 people arrested on
Wednesday in connection with an alleged ultra-nationalist coup plot.

Documents found in the raids led to the discovery of weapons and
explosives in the forest outside Ankara, police say.

Some Turkish writers, who have promoted more open discussion of the
Armenian issue, have been targeted by ultra-nationalist Turks.

The Turkish-Armenian writer Hrant Dink was killed last year for openly
saying that the events of 1915 were genocide.

Previously he had been tried for "insulting Turkishness" for his
comments on 1915.