A JOINT STATEMENT PRESENTED TO THE GOVERNMENTS

A1+
[06:41 pm] 02 May, 2006

On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, the media freedom
watchdogs of four of the world’s leading international organizations
have issued a joint statement urging governments not to let violence
against media personnel go unpunished and commending the vital role
the press plays for democracy.

“We take this opportunity to call upon all governments to combat
impunity with regard to violence against journalists and media
personnel, by bringing to justice those responsible for attacks
against them, and by taking measures that enable journalists
and media personnel to continue providing information freely and
independently. All journalists detained on the grounds of their
media-related activities should be released immediately,” the
statement reads.

“It is a grave sorrow to remind ourselves that in the year 2005 the
world recorded the highest number of journalists and other media
professionals, killed or injured in the line of duty.”

“The media constitute the foundation of a democratic society where
individuals and groups are encouraged to exchange information and
express opinions freely.

Nourishing media diversity is essential for maintaining pluralism,”
the four reporters stressed.

The joint statement was signed by: the Special Reporters of the United
Nations Commission on Human Rights on the promotion and protection of
the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the Representative on
Freedom of the Media of the Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe, the Special Reporter for freedom of expression of the
Organization of American States and the Special Reporter on Freedom
of Expression of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights.

THERE SHOULDN’T BE DISCRIMINATION IN FOREIGN TERRITORY

A1+
[06:55 pm] 02 May, 2006

The bill referring the problems of the RA national minorities and the
legal mechanisms regulating them is already in effect. The author of
the bill is the RA Government Board representative dealing with the
issues of national minorities and religion.

The bill is an urgent need as in 2000 the RA signed the convention on
the rights of national minorities which prescribes certain privileges
and first of all the existence of an adequate law. The bill is still
being discussed by various ministries. Later it will be presented to
the Government.

A seminar was organized in the hotel “Congress” on this score. The
representatives of Assyrian and Ezdi communities as well as the
representatives of the Government corresponding boards and interested
persons participated in it.

Hranush Kharatyan, the Chief of the RA Government Board on national
minorities and religion, mentioned that there are many legal acts
in all the laws on national minorities, but “their rights aren’t
distinctly formulated in any law, and there is no mention about
the characteristics according to which this or that group may be
considered a national minority. Even the Convention doesn’t define
their status as each country is to decide it itself.”

According to the bill, national minorities must be protected and
financed by the RA State budget.

Only the ethnic communities providing certain number will be
financed. “We attempted to be democratic in connection with
Armenia. Only those communities will be financed where at least two
generations lived, which weren’t aggressive and had no problems with
the local inhabitants. According to the second condition, they will
form 15% of the urban or rural population.

Their number must be 200 000 people, both adults and juveniles, so
that they could have at least 3 – 4 pupils in each class and would
be able to educate them,” noted Hranush Kharatyan.

Vigen Kocharyan, the member of the European Convention on ethnic
minorities, stated that national minorities fall into 4 groups;
existence and identity preservation, discrimination protection and
provision of engagement into public and state affairs. He mainly
underlined the exclusion of discrimination the provision of which is
very vital in a foreign territory.

TWO COALITION PARTIES COMPLAIN OF ANTI-PREACHING

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[08:22 pm] 02 May, 2006

Only 22 NA deputies were registered for making announcement. Most of
them were the oppositional representatives.

Deputy Arshak Sadoyan suggested setting up “Political Veterans’
Club.” According to him, it is essential to gather Armenian veterans,
regardless of the fact which party they present, and “they will explain
to younger political figures what a country is with joint efforts.”

The Coalition parties seized their opportunity and declared that mass
media organizations hold anti-preaching against them. Secretary of
“Dashnaktsutyun” fraction Hrayr Karapetyan is sure of it and names it
“aspersion against their party.”

Deputy of “Orinats Yerkir” party Hovhannes Margaryan is of the
same opinion and deems it “a black preaching against Arthur
Baghdasaryan.” The Deputies of “Orinats Yerkir” also referred to
their meetings with electorate and the deposit return. Deputy of the
“Armenian Republican” party Hranush Hakobyan stated that she always
seizes her opportunity to make announcements as she turns to the
Government every week to solve the problems of population and doesn’t
wait for 20 days or a month in order to make announcements. Today
Hranush Hakobyan aroused the question of the state of Armenian
regions. She suggested making a strategic program on “rural development
and restoration” which will draw political attention.

Deputy of “Justice” fraction Stepan Zakaryan spoke of the human
rights protector. He claimed that the first Ombudsman was designated
by President Robert Kocharyan and added that the 1st Ombudsman’s
review on the year 2005 was already ready. There are many cases
of human rights violations in it, and nobody seems to be concerned
with them. “Human rights protector is a facade, a bridge to Europe,”
concluded Stepan Zakaryan.

As for other speeches, the deputies were indignant at the fact
that Robert Kocharyan praises electronic mass media. The leader of
“National Unity” fraction Artashes Geghamyan referred to Ilhalm Aliev’s
visit to the USA. Then he spoke of Armenia. “We must realize how the
President of the neighboring country is received, and what questions
he is asked. Mr. Kocharyan, you had better resign. The Coalition will
make adequate conclusions after your resignation.”

113 KILLED IN BLACK SEA PLANE CRASH

Guardian Unlimited
Press Association
Wednesday May 3, 2006 6:28 AM

An Armenian passenger jet crashed in bad weather off the Black Sea
coast while trying to make an emergency landing in Russia, killing
all 113 people aboard.

The Airbus A-320, which belonged to the Armenian airline Armavia,
disappeared from radar screens late on Tuesday night, about 3.7 miles
from the shore, and crashed after making a turn and heading toward
Adler airport, near the city of Sochi, Viktor Beltsov, a spokesman
for Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry, said.

The ministry’s southern regional branch said all 113 people aboard
the plane, including five children, were killed.

Wreckage from the plane was found not far from the shoreline,
Beltsov said. Search and rescue teams have pulled 11 bodies from
the water. Boats and divers were involved in the search, which was
hampered by rough seas and driving rain.

The plane disappeared from radar screens during a flight from
Yerevan to Sochi, a resort city on the Black Sea in southern Russia,
Beltsov said.

He said the plane went down while trying to make a repeat attempt at
an emergency landing.

The Armavia representative said the crew had communicated with Sochi
ground controllers while the plane was flying over the Georgian
capital, Tbilisi.

The controllers said there were poor weather conditions but the plane
could still land, according to the representative.

But just before the landing, they told the crew to make another circle
in the air before approaching the airport. Then the plane crashed.

He said weather conditions were “certainly” the cause.

A NEW NUCLEAR POWER STATION WILL HARDLY BE BUILT

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[08:53 pm] 02 May, 2006

The USA Government is not that concerned with the construction of a new
nuclear power station in Armenia. The American officials informed the
Armenian journalists about their country’s position after the session
of the Armenian – American working group on economic cooperation. They
claimed that there are not delighted by the prospect of a new Armenian
nuclear power station.

Tom Adams, the coordinator of the American Government on European and
Asian assistance, the chief of the USA delegation and the co-chair of
the Armenian – American working group noted, “At present our position
is the following; there is a better alternative for the 2nd nuclear
power station, we are against the construction of the new one taking
into account the seismic instability of Armenia and the earthquake
which occurred not long ago.”

The American Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia
John Evans expressed his concern on this score, “We realize that
Armenia needs urgent diversification.” Then referring to the Iranian
issue, he ensured that the USA will punish the countries which will
make extra investments in Iranian nuclear programs.

RA Minister of Finances and Economy Vardan Khachatryan who was
the Armenian head of the working group, urged that all matters were
really discussed with the USA “freely, openly and compassionately.” He
made announcements contradicting his American partners. The deputy
Minister of Energy was also present at the session. He assured the
American side that the new nuclear power station must be exploited
on the day of closing the 2nd bloc. The Minister claimed that a new
bloc of 1000 MWt will be built instead of the current bloc of 440 MWt.”

It was the 12th session of the Armenian – American working group. The
group was set up 6 years ago and convenes two sessions annually in
Yerevan and in Washington. Two other sessions are likely to be convened
in Armenia as a result of which the budget expenditure will curtail;
this was Vardan Khachatrian’s prediction.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

25 BODIES RECOVERED FROM BLACK SEA AIR CRASH SITE

RIA Novost
09:55 | 03/ 05/ 2006

MOSCOW, May 3 (RIA Novosti) – A total of 25 bodies have been recovered
from the site of an air crash near Russia’s Black Sea coast, emergency
services said Wednesday.

More than 100 people are feared dead after an Airbus liner flying
from the capital of Armenia, Yerevan, to the resort town of Sochi
crashed in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Airline Armavia said
113 people were on board.

The Airbus sunk 400 meters into the sea and 23 vessels, including
13 Russian Emergency Situations Ministry vessels, are working at
the scene.

Viktor Beltsov, an official with the ministry, said the cause of the
crash would only become known after the A-320’s flight recorders were
recovered and the data deciphered.

“The flight data recorders have not been discovered so far,” he said.

Beltsov said the nationality of the passengers who were on board the
airliner was being identified at the moment. He added, citing the
flight plan, that most of them were Armenian citizens.

Earlier reports suggested at least 23 Russians had died, but Russian
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said there were at least
26 Russians on board.

Beltsov said the airliner had disappeared from radars at 2:15
a.m. Moscow time (10:15 p.m. GMT) and rescuers spotted it at 04:05
a.m. Moscow time (12:05 GMT). The airliner is thought to have crashed
when it was making another attempt to land.

Russian investigators are studying all versions and have refused to
rule out any possibility.

“The aircraft fell into the sea from an altitude between 30 and 40
meters,” prosecutors said.

Prosecutors in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar said
the airliner was making its approach to land, but the air traffic
controller suggested it return to Yerevan due to stormy weather. Later,
however, two runways were made available to the aircraft with
visibility of 100 and 360 meters.

“Visibility was poor, but it was possible to land in such visibility,”
a representative of the local prosecutor’s office said.

Another 22 Emergency Situations Ministry rescuers, including seven
divers, have arrived in the region.

COMPLETE LIST OF A-320 PASSENGERS ISSUED

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.05.2006 20:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The list of the 113 passengers and 8 crewmembers
killed in the A-320 plane crash near Sochi was published in
Yerevan. There were 26 Russian citizens, one Ukrainian and one Georgian
citizen aboard. The rest were Armenian citizens.

The number of the Yerevan hotline is (+37-410) 28-63-56. In case of
calling from Russia 8-10-37410-28-63-56 should be dialled.

The number in Moscow (+7 495) 624-37-45 and the numbers in Sochi
(+7 8622) 44-00-88 and 44-12-32.

Here is the complete list of the A-320 passengers

1. Abgaryan Hamlet 2. Avagyan Khachatur 3. Avetisyan Albert
4. Avetyan Grisha 5. Avetyan Meline 6. Azaryan Albert 7. Hakobyan Hayk
8. Hakobyan Aram 9. Hakobyan Zara 10. Hakobyan Seyran 11. Amayakyan
Stepa 12. Hambartsumyan …

13. Antonyan Hayrapet 14. Arakelyan Karine 15. Harutyunyan Ararat
16. Harutyunyan Galina 17. Harutyunyan Spartak 18. Harutyunyan
Usik 19. Asrshakyan Varazdat 20. Baghdasaryan Albert 21. Badalyan
Armen 22. Badalyan Lusine 23. Badoyan Manuk 24. Badoyan Khachatur
25. Balasanyan Rudik 26. Vahanyan Mariam 27. Vardanyan Vardan
28. Galechyan Arshak 29. Galstyan Avik 30. Galstyan Hripsime
31. Gasparyan Sergey 32. Ghdikyan Grigor 33. Gevorgyan Ruben
34. Grigoryan Marine 35. Gyuregyan Mariam 36. Danelyan Lusine
37. Dubrovin Alexey 38. Yeghiazaryan Marina 39. Yerangulyan
Vladimir 40. Yeranyan Abram 41. Zargaryan Zhora 42. Indjigulyan
Eduard 43. Ghazaryan Mariam 44. Karapetyan Albert 45. Karapetyan
Vahan 46. Karapetyan Varsenik 47. Kirakosyan Armenuhi 48. Knyazyan
Grigor 49. Kondakchyan Albert 50. Kostanyan Atom 51. Kochainyan
Artem 52. Kyulyan Marta 53. Kyurekhyan Vagharsh 54. Mailyan Gagik
55. Malkhasyan Margar 56. Mamvelyan Askanaz 57. Mamikonyan Sanasar
58. Mangasaryan Ararat 59. Manukyan Aharon 60. Manutova Elvina
61. Margaryan Arpine 62. Martirosyan Aram 63. Martirosyan Manuk
64. Meliksetuyan Ashot 65. Menagarova Lyusya 66. Mirzoyan Sasha
67. Mirzoyan Elichka 68. Mkrtumyan Manyak 69. Lazarian Artur
70. Lazarian Levon 71. Lazarian Margarit 72. Lazarian Margar
73. Lazarian Flora 74. Mogrovyan Karen 75. Molkhasyan Karapet
76. Nalbandyan Silva 77. Hovakimyan Hovik 78. Hovhannisyan Vram
79. Panoyan Elen 80. Paruyryan Mais 81. Petrosyan Aram 82. Petrosyan
Khumar 83. Piliposyan Mesrop 84. Poghosyan Ruzanna 85. Sahakyan
Lavrenti 86. Sakulyan Anatoly 87. Samsonyan Emma 88. Sargsyan
Gevorg 89. Sevanyan Zemfira 90. Srtlyan Ella 91. Tatevosyan Sirvard
92. Tonakyan Lyusya 93. Torosyan Julietta 94. Tumasyan Artur
95. Khalajyan Susanna 96. Khalatyan Hamest 97. Khachtryan Anahit
98. Khachatryan Beniamin 99. Khachtryan Maria 100. Khachatryan Taron
101. Tsatinyan Gevorg 102. Chinoyan Aida 103. Ebzimyan Harutyun
104. Ebzimyan Nazar 105. Yaralov Vyacheslav

ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA DEPARTED FOR CRASH SITE

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.05.2006 20:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Ambassador to Russia Armen Smbatyan
suggested to wait for the outcomes of the investigation of
Yerevan-Sochi flight crash. “The investigation has not been carried
out yet and I do not want to do premature conclusions. I had a phone
conversation with the Russian party at night. They say the weather
conditions were very bad,” the Ambassador told Armenian journalists
in the airport before departing for Sochi, reported Novosti-Armenia.

RA PROSECUTOR GENERAL OFFICE INITIATED CRIMINAL CASE ON A-320 CRASH

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.05.2006 20:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The RA Prosecutor General’s Office has initiated
a criminal case on the A-320 Armavia-owned plane crash exercising
Yerevan-Sochi flight, Spokesman of the RA Prosecutor General’s
Office Gurgen Hambaryan told PanARMENIAN.Net. He said preliminarily
the criminal case was initiated in compliance of Article 241 of the
Armenian Penal Code (violation of security rules and operation of
railway, air and water vessels).

ARKADY GHUKASIAN CONVEYED CONDOLENCES TO RELATIVES OF A-320 PASSENGERS

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.05.2006 20:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ NKR President Arkady Ghukasian conveyed condolences
to the relatives of the passengers and crewmembers of A-320 plane that
crashed into the Black Sea near Sochi. “I convey my deepest condolences
to the relatives of the killed passengers and crewmembers. In this
mournful hour I wish them firmness and patience,” the NKR President’s
message says.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress