Saturday 31 May 2008

News from Armenia


ARMENIAN WAR VETS STILL IN JAIL
Karabakh war veterans' association under pressure after arrests.
By Diana Markosian in Yerevan

One of the lingering consequences of the political crisis in Armenia is that dozens of members of the influential veterans' group Yerkrapah remain in custody, creating a division between between the authorities and men who fought in the Nagorny Karabakh conflict.

The Yerkrapah members were among the opposition supporters detained during or after the March 1 violence that followed the country's disputed presidential election. Ten people died in the centre of Yerevan, eight of them opposition protestors and two law enforcement officers, and dozens of people were arrested.

Fifty-two people are still in custody charged with instigating violence, organising mass disorder in order to "overthrow the constitutional system", or illegal possession of weapons.

Yerkrapah, which in Armenian means "custodian of the land", is a union of volunteers who fought in the Nagorny Karabakh conflict. Founded during the war in 1993, the association supports veterans and their families and seeks to instil patriotic values in young people. It is estimated to have 27,000 or 28,000 members around the country.

Five of its members have so far been convicted by the courts, 24 remain under arrest and four are still wanted by the police.

Sixty-five-year-old Ashik Martirosian, who was decorated after being wounded in the Karabakh war, is one of a number of veterans from the Shirak region pressing for the release of their comrades.

"I am ready to give up all my medals to the institutions from which I received them - I'll give my presidential medal back to the president, and my government one back to the government," said Martirosian. "When our commanders are in prison, I am ashamed to hang these pieces of metal on my chest."

On May 29, Levon Ter-Petrosian, the opposition leader who lost the election, visited a 11 veterans staging a hunger strike at a monument to the Karabakh war dead on Yerevan's Erablu hill. He urged them to end their protest, but they refused.

The speaker of parliament, Tigran Torosian, denied that there was a concerted official campaign against Yerkrapah, saying that individuals were being punished for their actions.

"We must never do this [destroy Yerkrapah] - not today, tomorrow or in 100 years' time," said Torosian. "The fact that members of Yerkrapah have been arrested does not mean that they are being persecuted for belonging to Yerkrapah. The law-enforcement agencies are obliged to take into custody people who commit crimes, and extraneous circumstances are irrelevant. Our country will always need the Yerkrapah Union."

Yerkrapah used to be one of the most powerful groups in Armenia, with strong economic interests, widespread business ownership and ties with government. It was not formerly associated with the political opposition.

Its founder and honorary chairman was former defence minister and prime minister Vazgen Sarkisian. After Sarkisian was killed in the shootings in the Armenian parliament in Octobe
r 1999, Manvel Grigorian, a former deputy defence minister, took over as leader.

In the run-up to the presidential election in February, many of Yerkrapah's leaders began switching their allegiance from the official presidential candidate, then prime minister Serzh Sarkisian, to Ter-Petrosian, a former president of Armenia.

A week before polling day, member of parliament Myasnik Malkhasian, deputy leader of Yerkrapah, announced he was throwing his weight behind Ter-Petrosian, as did another leading member, deputy prosecutor Gagik Jhangirian.

Jhangirian was sacked from his job the same day for publicly interfering in politics. He was detained after the March 1 clashes, and accused of carrying a metal staff, and now faces charges of "usurping power" which could carry a prison sentence of ten or 15 years. This is the same charge brought against most of the opposition activists who were arrested.

After a month's enforced leave, deputy defence ministers Manvel Grigorian and Gagik Melkonian were also dismissed.

"I believe that the authorities are carrying out a pre-planned operation to destroy Yerkrapah as a structure, as a single force, as they see it as a danger," said one of the group's founders, former deputy defence minister Vahan Shirkhanian.

"Arresting dozens of Yerkrapah members, laying trumped-up charges against them, and forcing others to leave Yerkrapah is all in pursuit of the same goal - the ruin and destruction of Yerkapah."

Former defence minister Vagharshak Harutyunian said that the campaign against Yerkrapah
was "dangerous" for Armenia as it would lower morale in the military.

"The destruction of Yerkrapah does great harm to the whole of society, effectively destroying the idea of serving the country on a voluntary basis," said Harutyunian. "It has an effect both on the moral and psychological atmosphere in the country and on the Karabakh question. This policy will be felt in the military-political balance [with Azerbaijan] and will increase the risk of a resumption of war."

Some commentators, however, say Yerkrapah has exerted undue political influence.

"The Yerkrapah factor is activated from time to time," said former deputy speaker , Ara
Sahakian, a supporter of Ter-Petrosian.

"In 1998, Vazgen Sarkisian used massive manipulations [in the election] and the Yerkrapah
union was his support base. The very same Yerkrapah made [Robert] Kocharian president.
Now its role has substantially diminished and a new generation of politicians has appeared."

Political analyst David Petrosian said the veterans still constituted a powerful political force.

"In the current circumstances, it was a serious problem for our regime to have the kind of organisation you keep an eye on but can't control," he said. "At the end of 2007 or the beginning of 2008. it became clear that this organisation was not under control."

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Diana Markosian is a journalist with A1+ television in Yerevan. Armenuhi Vardanian in
Gyumri contributed to this article.
Armenian Police Chief Sacked
By Emil Danielyan

President Serzh Sarkisian dismissed on Thursday the longtime chief of
the Armenian police, Lieutenant-General Hayk Harutiunian, and appointed
another career police officer in his place.

A statement by the presidential press service gave no reasons for the
decree that has been widely anticipated since Sarkisian took office on
April 9.

Harutiunian had been named chief of the national police in the wake of
the October 1999 armed attack on Armenia's parliament. His replacement,
Alik Sargsian, had held senior positions in the police departments of
Yerevan and the southern Ararat region before being appointed as
regional governor in 2000. Sargsian is reputed to be a figure close to
Hovik Abrahamian, the influential chief of the Armenian president's
staff who holds sway in Ararat.

Local commentators have suggested different reasons for the impending
change of police leadership. Some of them have speculated that Sarkisian
is keen to distance himself from key organizers of the suppression of
the post-election opposition demonstrations in Yerevan that left at
least ten people dead. Just last Tuesday he sacked another, even more
powerful, security official who also reportedly had a hand in the bloody
crackdown.

Grigori Sarkisian (no relation to Serzh) headed an agency responsible
for the security of the country's most high-ranking government
officials. He is believed to be one of former President Robert
Kocharian's most trusted associates. The two men jointly attended
official ceremonies marking Armenia's Republic Day on Wednesday.

Other commentators believe that the personnel changes are part of
President Sarkisian's efforts to cement his grip on power by getting rid
of key Kocharian loyalists. Reports in the Armenian press have claimed
that Kocharian disapproved and even tried to block the sackings.

Speaking to RFE/RL on Tuesday, Grigori Sarkisian denied any political
motives behind his dismissal.

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JUSTICE MINISTER OF ARMENIA MAKES SOME REMARKS ON
EXTRAORDINARY REPORT BY ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN
arminfo
2008-05-29 14:53:00

ArmInfo. Justice Minister of Armenia Gevorg Danielyan made a number
of remarks on the extraordinary report by Ombudsman Armen Haroutiunyn
on post-election processes in the country.

Thus, the minister remarked that the report does not mention its
specific legal basis. The minister said that in conformity with the Law
on Ombudsman the latter has a right to make an extraordinary report in
case of cross violation of human rights. In this connection, he was
to mention the specific ground for publication of the report. 'The
content and the scheme of the report aim to analyze the pre- and
post-election developments in Armenia. In the meanwhile, the analysis
of the presidential election cannot be a juridical basis for such
report since it is a topic for political research>, the minister
said. He believes the report 'overloaded' with discourses not within
competence of the human rights defender, in particular, the part in
the report that tries to explain the inexpediency of the criticism
at the first president Levon Ter-Petorsyan. 'To put it shortly, the
considerable part of the report is devoted to grounding the political
stance saying that 'the authorities chose the wrong and futureless
tactics in their campaign>>, G. Danielyan said.

To recall, Armenian Ombudsman Armen Harutiunyan came out with
a suggestion that an independent commission should be set up to
investigate the March 1 events.

On April 25, when presenting an extraordinary report on the situation
before and after presidential election in Armenia, Harutiunyan made a
number of proposals aimed to stabilize the domestic political state in
the country. In particular, he suggests that the Electoral Code should
be reformed: the system of formation of electoral commissions, count
of votes, etc. should be reconsidered. According to the Ombudsman,
it is necessary to take steps to consolidate freedom of speech. This
concerns creation of conditions for formation of pluralism and
objectivity of e-media, as well as equal participation of oppositional
and pro-governmental forces in the process of formation of bodies
regulating the activity of television and radio.

Harutyunyan said that the draft laws which ungroundedly restrict
human rights and freedoms (for instance, the recent amendments to
the RA Law on rallies, demonstrations and processions) should be
excluded. He also suggested setting up an independent commission
with international experts to investigate the March 1 events. He
pointed out the necessity of fight against the oligarchic system
of governing. Liquidation of monopolies will contribute to this,
he added. "The most dangerous and short-sighted thing in the current
situation is imitation of reforms", Harutyunyan said.

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'ARMENIA'S STONEHENGE' OPENS AS TOURIST SITE
RIA Novosti
May 26 2008
Russia

YEREVAN, May 26 (RIA Novosti) - Authorities in southern Armenia have
opened a 5,000-year-old prehistoric monument dubbed "the Armenian
Stonehenge," but known locally as Carahunge, as a tourist site.

The monument, located some 200 km (124 miles) away from the capital,
Yerevan, consists of over 200 shaped stones, some bearing smooth angled
holes of 4 to 5cm in diameter, directed at different points at the sky.

"This territory will be developed for tourism," said Samvel Musoyan,
deputy chief of the Armenian culture ministry's department for
cultural heritage.

Funding has already been raised from the country's budget to develop
the tourist site, build a transparent wall around the monument and
for maintenance and security of the site.

Following excavation of the site, it is believed to have served
simultaneously as a temple of Ari, the ancient Armenian deity
of the sun, a university and an observatory. According to recent
archaeological findings, the site could be used to define the precise
name of sunrise and lunar phases and the day when a year began.

The fact that chips of transparent obsidian glass were found at the
site spawned the theory that the pre-historic dwellers, that inhabited
the region, placed them inside the holes for magnification.

Though some scientists believe that Carahunge was built some five
thousand years ago, Armenian scientists argue that it is 7,500
years old.

The more famous Stonehenge site located in the county of Wiltshire
in southwest England is at least 5,000 years old and was declared a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

The structure comprises standing stones, believed to date back to
2200 B.C. which are surrounded by a circular earth mound and ditch
constructed some 1000 years earlier. Its original purpose is unclear,
but it is believed to have been used as a temple or an observatory.

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ARMENIA TAKES FOURTH PLACE IN EUROVISION - 2008
Noyan Tapan
May 26, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Russia has been recognized winner in
the Eurovision - 2008 international song contest, which was held
in Belgrad on May 24. The song "Believe" of Dima Bilan, in general,
gathered 272 points.

And that means that the authoritative international contest will be
held in Moscow next year. The representative of Greece took second
and that of the Ukraine third place in the contest.

Armenia, which was taking part in the contest for the third time, took
fourth place as a result of the voting of 43 counties, irrespective
of the fact that it periodically appeared in the third place during
the voting.

Sirusho's "Qele, Qele" song received the highest points: 12 points,
by Belgium, France, Poland, Czechia, Holland, Greece, Russia and
Georgia. Last year Armenia received 12 points only by Turkey and
Georgia. This year 10 points were given by Cyprus, Spain and Turkey,
8 points by Israel, Bulgaria and San Marino. 7 points were given to
Armenia by Belarus and the Ukraine, 6 points by Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Germany, 5 points by Serbia and Slovenia, 4 points by Romania, 2
points by Moldova, Albania and Sweden and 1 point by Macedonia and
Iceland. Most of the countries, who have voted for the "Qele, qele"
song, did not give any points to Armenia in the previous contests.

It should be mentioned that in 2006-2007 the representatives of
Armenia took 8th place.
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