Published since 07.2002
Published on July 18, 2008
FACTS AND FICTION: COUNCIL OF EUROPE’S HR COMMISSIONER TO DRAW REPORT ON ARMENIA
- A visiting senior European official described as “unsatisfactory” the progress made by Armenian authorities so far to comply with the demands addressed to them by the pan-European organization’s parliamentary body with a view of ending the post-election political crisis in the country. At the same time, Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights, told reporters in Yerevan on Tuesday evening that he would be in touch with both the government and the opposition for additional information he needed to draw a country report. Hammarberg had been on a three-day fact-finding visit to Armenia commencing Sunday to assess the course of the implementation of the demands laid out to the Armenian authorities by the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE). He is to report on his findings to the PACE Monitoring Commission on September 11. “I have received answers to some questions and await answers to others. There is still much to do [for Armenia] in protecting human rights in order to live up to the PACE expectations,” Hammarberg said. He also urged the country’s authorities to comply with the PACE demands well before the Assembly’s January session where sanctions against Armenia might be discussed if the country fails to make essential progress. The Council of Europe’s representative also said that credibility of the Armenian parliamentary ad hoc commission conducting the March 1 probe was not apparent to him. “While the issue of credibility remains open, I cannot contribute in involving international experts in this commission’s work. The probe should be independent, transparent and credible,” Hammarberg explained. The European official acknowledged some progress in the investigation of the March events but said the process was very slow. He repeated the PACE position that convictions based on police evidence alone are inadmissible. Echoing the concerns of the Armenian opposition claiming that many of its representatives are in pretrial detentions as political prisoners, Hammarberg said: “I suggested that the authorities quickly send all cases to courts if they do possess evidence, or otherwise set these people free.” In his remarks, without giving names, the European official also chided some government representatives he has met in Armenia for making commentaries and presenting opinions on his behalf, saying that his positions are often wrongly construed in such commentaries. “I want to present my opinion myself,” Hammarberg emphasized.
- Gayane Mkrtchyan
Headlines for July 18, 2008
COURTING ‘HERITAGE’: TER-PETROSYAN, PRIME MINISTER WOO PARLIAMENT’S SOLE OPPOSITION PARTY
Gayane Mkrtchyan
Opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan called the election bloc with which he participated in the February presidential vote “anachronism” and urged his parliamentary ally to become one of the main pillars ...TALL ORDER: OPPOSITION WANTS TO “TAKE EX-PRESIDENT TO THE HAGUE”
Gayane Mkrtchyan 28
In what was laughed off by the former president’s office as another act of “foolishness”, Armenia’s radical opposition announced this week a collection of signatures “to have Robert Kocharyan committed ...FACTS AND FICTION: COUNCIL OF EUROPE’S HR COMMISSIONER TO DRAW REPORT ON ARMENIA
Gayane MkrtchyanA visiting senior European official described as “unsatisfactory” the progress made by Armenian authorities so far to comply with the demands addressed to them by the pan-European organization’s parliamentary ...SPORT: PYUNIK START CHAMPIONS’ LEAGUE WITH AN AWAY DEFEAT
Suren MusayelyanFootball Armenia’s longtime champion Pyunik suffered a 0-1 defeat in Cyprus where their played against local club Anorthosis (Nicosia) in the first qualifying round of the 2008/2009 Champions’ League. ...ARMENIANS AND ANTI-SEMITISM: CRITICISM, NOT SLANDER, NEEDED IN ISSUE OVER “CATACLYSMIC” WORD
Anti-semitism is a deplorable phenomenon that has haunted Jews throughout history, so any manifestation of it by Armenians is doubly hurtful because Armenians themselves were treated as an unwanted minority ...A PIANO FROM THE SKY: NKR VILLAGE ENJOYS RARE ARTS SCHOOL
Naira Hayrumyan
Three years ago Karabakhi journalist Susanna Balayan had an idea to found an arts school in the Togh village of the Hadrut region. It took her a long time to find sponsors, but at first she found only ...LIBERATED BUT NOT REBUILT: SHUSHI NEEDS $MILLIONS TO RECLAIM NATIONAL GLORY
Aris Ghazinyan
While the Armenian idea is hidden across Ararat in the west, it is 400 kilometers to the east of the biblical mountain where the sun of the nation’s prospects rises. The extinguished volcano cannot be ...ANIMAL WELFARE: “HIPPOTHERAPY” INTRODUCED TO GREAT SUCCESS FOR CHALLENGED CHILDREN
Vahan Ishkhanyan
Hovik, 10, holding tightly with both hands onto the hand of a helper hangs onto his able-bodied assistant, forced to walk against the resistance of his tensed body as the assistant leads him to a horse. ...UNIVERSITY VS HOMELESS: KAPAN’S HOSTEL IS AN APPLE OF DISCORD BETWEEN TWO UNSECURED LAYERS
Armine Avagyan
A hostel in Kapan designed for students has been turning into an asylum for homeless, leaving no chance for students to get a room there. People who reside in the hostel refuse to leave it, saying they ...FANCY FOR FLIGHT: PIGEON KEEPING IS A HOBBY FOR MANY, A BUSINESS FOR SOME
Pigeon keeping is a popular hobby in Armenia, part of modern Armenia’s portrait. One can meet the birds on every second or third street in districts outside city centers. An attentive eye might catch ...UNNATURAL CONCERNS: ARMENIA’S ENVIRONMENT STILL UNDER SIEGE
Arpi Harutyunyan
Research centers of Norway and Sweden say 45,000 tons of sulfur dioxide accumulate on the territory of Armenia every year with 25,000 tons being from mining industry exhaust. “We have almost totally ...POLICING POLICE: CRACKDOWN ON COP CORRUPTION GETS MIXED REVIEWS
Gayane Abrahamyan
Speeches by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan that “the number one enemy of Armenia is neither the problem of democracy, nor the lack of freedom of expression, but corruption” bring their practical results ...GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS: ARMENIAN ECONOMIC INDICATORS UP, BUT CONCERNS OVER IMPORT/EXPORT RATIO
Sara Khojoyan
Armenia is the leader among Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member countries by the index of trade stimulation, according to the World Trade Forum’s “2008 World Trade Stimulation” report. Among ...PRESSING FOR RELEASE: ATTENTION TURNS TO IMPRISONED EDITOR AS OPPOSITION CONTINUES CALL FOR RELEASE OF PRISONERS
Marianna Grigoryan
With international structures making efforts to bring the two opposing political camps in Armenia back to the “political path”, among a number of other main issues the opposition continues to demand the ...FIRST MILESTONE: SERZH SARGSYAN CROSSES SIGNIFICANT TESTING PERIOD BUT FACES UPCOMING CHALLENGING
Aris Ghazinyan
This week marked 100 days in office for President Serzh Sargsyan – a short term even against the background of the young history of the independent Armenian state, which so far has seen 6,145 days. If ...MONUMENTAL AWARENESS: GYUMRI’S OLD TOWN GETS NEW INFORMATION KIOSKS
Ani Hakobyan
The historic district of Gyumri holds stories even many locals don’t know but that research has revealed to add layers to Armenia’s culturally rich “second city”. Those gems of folklore and history are ...100 DAYS IN OFFICE: SERZH SARGSYAN CELEBRATES FIRST LANDMARK AS PRESIDENT
Gayane Mkrtchyan
“You had the right to vote for someone other than me, but I have no right not to be your president. We should not become divided, we should not create partitions between one part of our people and another, ...
Most read news (last 7 days)
TALL ORDER: OPPOSITION WANTS TO “TAKE EX-PRESIDENT TO THE HAGUE”
Gayane Mkrtchyan
FRESH START?: SARGSYAN MAKES MORE OVERTURES TO TURKEY RISKING DOMESTIC BACKLASH
Marianna GrigoryanCOURTING ‘HERITAGE’: TER-PETROSYAN, PRIME MINISTER WOO PARLIAMENT’S SOLE OPPOSITION PARTY
Gayane MkrtchyanGONE WITH THE RAIN: ARMENIAN VILLAGE OF POMEGRANATES SUFFERS DAMAGE FROM RAINS
Armine AvagyanREQUEST FOR SECURITY: OMBUDSMAN INVOKES LAW TO APPLY FOR STATE PROTECTION
Marianna GrigoryanLIBERATED BUT NOT REBUILT: SHUSHI NEEDS $MILLIONS TO RECLAIM NATIONAL GLORY
Aris GhazinyanARMENIANS AND ANTI-SEMITISM: CRITICISM, NOT SLANDER, NEEDED IN ISSUE OVER “CATACLYSMIC” WORD
UNNATURAL CONCERNS: ARMENIA’S ENVIRONMENT STILL UNDER SIEGE
Arpi HarutyunyanTOURISM 2008: AS PRICES GROW, BETTER SERVICE A NECESSITY FOR ESTABLISHING SUCCESSFUL INDUSTRY
Arpi HarutyunyanFIRST MILESTONE: SERZH SARGSYAN CROSSES SIGNIFICANT TESTING PERIOD BUT FACES UPCOMING CHALLENGING
Aris Ghazinyan
© AUA
Today in Armenian history- 1894 Birth of Vahan Totovents (writer). He was murdered by the Soviet Secret Police in 1937.
- 1914 The Central Committees of Taron and Sassoon present the reform program to three embassies in Constantinople.
- 1938 Birth of Perch Zeytuntsyan (playwright) in Cairo (Egypt).
- 1988 The USSR Supreme Soviet, relies on Article 78 of the Soviet Constitution (prohibition of any territorial changes to a Union Republic without its consent) to deny the 1988 02 20 petition by the Autonomous Region of Nagorno Gharabagh to rejoin Armenia.
Forum most active discussions
ARMENIAN NEWS
INTERACTIVE NEWS
INFORMATION
MY ARMTOWN
How to quit smoking?
How to write in Armenian on Windows XP?
All materials published on this website are taken from open sources and are copyrighted by their respective owners. You cannot reproduce or copy any materials published on armtown.com without written consent of original copyright holder. If you want to remove any material, please send us an email with proof of ownership/copyright and your material will be removed immediately. All materials published for information purposes only.