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News, 20 Aug, 2009.
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Police interrogate ecological activist. The police continued to pursue the criminal case against Mariam Sukhudian, a leader of the environmental protection group SOS Teghut. She is accused of making a "false denunciation." The charge carries up to five years in prison. Sukhudian was interrogated by police in the presence of her defense lawyer but refused to testify. "I wrote a statement saying that I need to familiarize myself with the entire case before giving any testimony," she told journalists afterwards. At a second interrogation, several dozen members of various Armenian non-governmental organizations picketed outside. Police officers at the scene accused the protesters of obstructing their work but avoided using force against them. Avetik Ishkhanian, Chairman of the Armenian Helsinki Committee, described the accusation leveled against Sukhudian as “absurd.” “Knowing Mariam as an ecological activist, I am convinced that she would not have said such things out of the blue,” he said. “We must not allow her to be prosecuted. I can find no words to characterize this affair.”/ The full article is available at http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/1803361.html - Covered by HAYOTS ASHKHAR,HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN, HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK, ARAVOT RFE/RL
Dashnaks take negative view on N-K and Turkey-Armenia talks. Armenia and Azerbaijan are unable to agree on the "Madrid Principles" for a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, according to one of the leaders of the ARF (Dashnaktsutiun) party. Giro Manoyan said that the sides will get a new version of "Madrid Principles" in September, "however, it is already clear that Baku will disagree with any status of Nagorno-Karabakh outside Azerbaijan." Manoyan believes that Armenia disagrees with the principles as well, however, "none of the parties wants to say 'no' first." Commenting on the issue of Armenian-Turkey relations, the representative of "Dashnaktsutiun" said that "Armenia has to announce officially that Turkey has failed in the negotiations," and President Sargsian must refrain from visiting Turkey on October 14. Manoyan also noted that the call for the resignation of Armenia’s Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian is still a priority. "Our demand for the Minister’s resignation will allow the President to alter the political course and indicate to all that policies have changed," said Manoyan, emphasizing that it is still imperative to change Armenia’s foreign policy given the continuing disturbing developments./ Covered by HAYOTS ASHKHAR, AZG, HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN, HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK, ARAVOT
Concern over meat imported from India. Members of a delegation of the Armenian government visited India to monitor the quality of meat exported to Armenia. Armenian experts have discovered that imported meat from India is of low quality. "Our goal is to reduce the risks and make them understandable and predictable. Many countries ban the import of meat from India for quality reasons. We must import meat from relevant companies, but we must be very tough and principled on this issue and import only certificated meat to be sure that our population is not subjected to risk," Prime Minister Sargsian told his cabinet yesterday./ HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTIUN, ARAVOT
Commission provides no answers to March 1 deaths. An ad hoc commission of the Armenian parliament will give no answers to lingering questions about last year’s post-election violence in Yerevan in a keenly anticipated report to be issued next month, according to Committee Chairman Samvel Nikoyan. The MP told RFE/RL that the commission has failed to ascertain the circumstances in which ten people were killed in vicious clashes between opposition protesters and security forces on March 1, 2008. In particular, he said, it was unable to determine who was directly responsible for the deaths of eight civilians and two police servicemen during its one-year work. / http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/1803355.html
A1 Plus goes to Constitutional Court to get back on air. HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK says that yesterday, A1 PLUS submitted a complaint to the Constitutional Court appealing the provisions of Armenia's civil procedure code which allows Armenia's Court of Appeal to disregard and refrain from fulfilling the rulings of the European Court (aimed at allowing the station to resume broadcasting).
HR Defender looks at judicial system. 168 ZHAM writes that Armenian Human Rights Defender Armen Harutiunian is preparing a report on the Armenia's judicial system which will be ready in September or October.
Spreading the word on human trafficking in the regions. "Resource Center for Support in Fighting against Trafficking," affiliated with the Armenian Labor and Social Affairs Ministry, intends to hold discussions in Armenia's provinces. Consultant of the Center on Social Affairs Eleonora Virapyan said that they will present anti-trafficking programs, explain the studies done by the center, suggest how to provide support to victims of trafficking, and point out flaws in Armenia's legislation. /ARMENPRESS
Lives of the Rich and Famous. HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAN carries a picture of a large building that allegedly belongs to Deputy Prosecutor General Armen Danielian, nephew of Justice Minister Gevorg Danielian. The article lists the many businesses (flower business, different grocery stores and stores of construction materials, etc) that Armen Danielian started after taking office as Deputy Prosecutor General. The article also mentions the Porsche belonging to Danielian, (valued at $120,000), and questions how he can afford such a car on his salary. |
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