13 February 2007

Second report on Armenia

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)


www.hra.am/eng/?page=issue&id=16402

Private TVs Deny Government Orders On Campaign Ads

13 February 2007

Armenia’s leading private broadcasters denied on Tuesday opposition claims that
they were forced by the authorities to set artificially high prices for
political advertisements to be aired during the unfolding election campaign.


www.hra.am/eng/?page=issue&id=16411

Real Soldier Does Not Speak, Others Benefit and Make History

13 February 2007

19 years ago on February 13 the first protest meeting was held in Stepanakert,
the center of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, which led to the proclamation
of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and independence. The protest meeting in
Stepanakert had been preceded by protests in Hadrut, and earlier, from autumn
1987 there were different initiatives and meetings. Manvel Sargsyan told about
these and the following events on February 13, 2007 at the Friday Club. Manvel
Sargsyan recalled the saying that most lies are told before elections and after
a war. “The real actors and today’s speakers differ from each another. No
soldier who fought in the war from the beginning and did not get killed is now
speaking. These people do not speak, it is impossible to make these people
speak, to tell something about the war. Others benefit from this and make
history.”


www.hra.am/eng/?page=issue&id=16407

NKR Society Sees Masis Mayilyan President

13 February 2007

The Resource Center of Stepanakert conducted a poll on February 8-10 to find out
the opinion of the leaders of the NKR NGOs on the relations of the government
and NGOs, the upcoming presidential election and the future president of NKR.


www.hra.am/eng/?page=issue&id=16404

How Much Is Airtime?

13 February 2007

The Armenian TV channels have great expectations from spring because the
parliamentary election is scheduled this spring, which means the political
forces will not be sparing money, of course if they have it, to appear on TV and
be seen and heard by voters. And it means that before the voters make a choice
the political parties will have to make a choice of the TV channel for their
political advertisement. The first measurement for this choice will be the
prices.


www.hra.am/eng/?page=issue&id=16400

Royal Armenia Relies On the Court

12 February 2007

In the result of the “conflict” involving the coffee-importing Royal Armenia
company and the customs service charges were brought against the heads of the
company Gagik Hakobyan and Aram Ghazaryan on articles 178, 325, 215, 190, 205.
In the beginning, the representatives of the organization stated it was a put-up
job. Gagik Hakobyan and Aram Ghazaryan have been detained for 16 months now. The
investigation finished 4 months ago, but the court has not heard the case yet.
The hearing will start February 15. Over this period the representatives of the
company, who are in freedom, have held three news conferences and repeated for a
number of times that the case had been put up. On February 12 the director of
the Royal Armenia Company Tony El-Labaki, the company’s lawyer Gevorg Minasyan,
the attorney of the detained heads of the company Ashot Sargsyan held the fourth
news conference. Member of Parliament Tatul Manaseryan joined them.


www.hra.am/eng/?page=issue&id=16394

Embassy Has Turned Into a Commercial Organization

12 February 2007

The Sargis Tkhruny Union of the Social Democratic Henchak Party released an open
letter addressed to the minister of foreign affairs of Armenia Vardan Oskanyan.
The letter expresses worry about the state of the Armenians in Russia and the
passivity of the Armenian embassy. The letter runs: “Mr. Minister, over the past
few years Armenians have been killed in Russia in broad daylight only because
they are “non-Russian”. The foreign ministry of our country has never demanded
explanations from its Russian counterparts. It causes anger that the Armenian
embassy to Russia, according to complaints we have got, resembles a commercial
organization rather than a legation. Instead of defending the rights of the
local Armenians the embassy seems to make efforts to create more problems for
the Armenians.


www.hra.am/eng/?page=issue&id=16393

Armenian Opposition Protests At High Campaign Ad Fees

09 February 2007

Armenia’s two leading opposition groups blamed the authorities on Friday for
what they see as disproportionately high prices of election campaign
advertisements that have been set by the local broadcasters loyal to President
Robert Kocharian.


www.hra.am/eng/?page=issue&id=16397

Europe Will Not Tolerate Electoral Fraud This Time

9 February 2007

On February 9 the Special Representative of the CoE Secretary General to Armenia
Bojana Urumova stated at the National Press Club that the PACE Resolution #1532
on the commitments of Armenia adopted on January 23 includes the statements by
the CoE representatives voiced for a number of times, namely no fair and free
election has been held in Armenia since 1991, but Armenia cannot allow electoral
fraud any more. Bojana Urumova said Europe will not tolerate electoral fraud any
more. She said the Electoral Code is not perfect and faultless but if it is
performed appropriately, there will be more possibility for conducting a fair
election, she said.


www.hra.am/eng/?page=issue&id=16389

Another Armenian Editor Reports Arson Attack

9 February 2007

Yet another editor of an Armenian newspaper has had his car seriously damaged by
fire in what seems to be becoming a pattern in Armenia.

Police in Yerevan were investigating on Friday the apparent arson attack on an
expensive SUV belonging to Ara Saghatelian, the owner and editor of the “Im
Iravunke” weekly. A brief police statement did not say if anyone is suspected of
involvement.


www.hra.am/eng/?page=issue&id=16387

Freedom Fighter Set Inn to Fire

9 February 2007

The freedom fighter Taron Hakobyan, who lived at the Sasun inn near the village
of Oojan without the right to run a business set the inn to fire, and has been
detained for three days now. In the time of committing this act the freedom
fighter was in a difficult and tense psychological state but he is not insane.
He was provoked to do so. This story has a long prehistory.


www.hra.am/eng/?page=issue&id=16382

RA Law on Protection of Consumers Is Deliberately Violated In Armenian
Stores

8 February 2007

As the Head of the "Protection of Consumers" public organization, Abgar Yeghoyan,
told ArmInfo, a warning "The sold goods are not subject to return", widely
spread in the stores, is illegal.


www.hra.am/eng/?page=issue&id=16379

UNDP in Armenia to Finance Publicity of Ombudsman

8 February 2007

Today, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Human Rights
Defender's Office (HRDO) of Armenia signed an agreement that marked the start of
a new joint project in support of human rights protection and promotion in
Armenia. Importantly, public awareness-raising is the one of the main components
of the project: a series of TV programmes, where the Ombudsman will raise and
discuss major human rights issues for the country, will be produced and
broadcasted on national television. In addition, the capacity of the HRD office
to annually report back to the public on their activities will be enhanced,
which will contribute to the human rights promotion and protection in the
country.


www.hra.am/eng/?page=issue&id=16378

Will The Kozern Garages Be Pulled Down?

8 February 2007

On February 8, the citizens of Kozern district organised a rally of complaint on
the first attempt of illegal alienation. On February 7 the citizens paid a visit
to the Yerevan municipality to find answers to the issues concerning them.


www.hra.am/eng/?page=issue&id=16376

Ex-Speaker’s Party To Go It Alone

7 February 2007

Former parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian said on Wednesday that his Orinats
Yerkir party, one of the largest in Armenia, will not form an alliance with
other opposition groups to contest the May 12 parliamentary elections.


www.hra.am/eng/?page=issue&id=16371

CEC Refused Torosyan

7 February 2007

The observers of “Supreme Council” NGO will not participate in the May 12
parliamentary elections. On February 6, the Central Electoral Commission
rejected the application submitted by the NGO for observers’ accreditation. The
denial is determined by the fact that the name of the NGO doesn’t meet the law
on the NGOs.


www.hra.am/eng/?page=issue&id=16370