Archive for the 'Elections' Category

Nationalist Turk ‘No Longer Raising Money’ for Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton’s campaign has reportedly stopped taking contributions raised by a nationalist Turkish filmmaker. Mehmet Celebi, nonetheless, is still listed on Clinton’s website as a “hillraiser” and there is no talk from the Clinton campaign of donating the $100,000 Celebi raised to a charity organization.

A charity organization that empowers Turkey’s minorities would be a perfect recipient for the $100,000. The movie is not only anti-Kurdish and anti-Semitic but also spreads a universal message of hate against all minorities in Turkey. A Turkish columnist suggested two months ago that Celebi’s “Valley of the Wolves” ultra-nationalist TV series had influenced the killings of Christians in Turkey, including the assassination of Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in January of 2007.

So the $100,000 money that Celebi has already raised for the Clinton campaign should be given to an organization that helps Jewish, Kurdish, Armenian and other minorities in Turkey. One possibility could be putting the money into erecting a statue for Hrant Dink in Istanbul.

Although Clinton’s Celebi link is not a new discovery, it gained national attention after the content of a YouTube.com video, that I was first to post, was republished by several Kurdish websites, then noticed by other blogs and was soon picked up by the New York Post.

Armenia: YouTube.com Blocked

It seems that YouTube.com has been blocked in Armenia adding the ex-Soviet country to a list that often includes Armenia’s historical enemy Turkey.

While the suspected YouTube.com blockade in Armenia is most likely invalid under the constitutional clause of restricted media during state of emergency, it sure talks of the fact that Armenia’s population is overwhelmingly using the Internet as a source of information. During the March 1, 2008, protests, for example, it was often impossible to open Armenian websites such as www.hetq.am because of the high value of visitors.

And even my blog, that usually receives a handful of daily readers from Armenia, now receives much of its readership from there. While in April of 2007 (a month when Armenians are active in the Internet because of the genocide commemoration) users from Armenia were 18th in the list of countries, currently Blogian readers from Armenia are among the top three countries.

Armenia: Video Shows Servicemen Shooting on Protesters

A video, sent to me by a supporter of Armenian opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan, shows riot police shooting from long distance toward post-election protesters on March 1, 2008 in Yerevan. The edited and dramatized footage also features a clip from an official announcement where a government spokesperson claims that the authorities have not used firearms against the protesters. Nonetheless, a police chief in Armenia has not denied that the police fired. The chief claims it was after the first shot was fired by the protesters that the servicemen were armed .

Official Report by Republic of Armenia Ombudsman (Human Rights Defender)

1. Even from the pre-electoral campaign period, the public activities of different political bodies resulted in the atmosphere of intolerance in our society. Unfortunately the calls for tolerance, made both by competent international organizations and by the Human Rights Defender  were  ignored. Even more, the atmosphere of intolerance turned into mutual hatred after the tragic events on the March 1.  

2. The events of March 1 started from the forced dispersal of the demonstrators in the Azatutyun square early in the morning. It was officially announced that there was an accumulation of  weapons in the place of demonstration, and Police officers simply tried to inspect the area but faced tough resistance. 
The Human Rights Defender’s position is that the authorities should clarify some issues.  Notably, who, when and under what circumstances there was made a decision to disperse peaceful demonstration by using force early in the morning of March 1, whether the demonstrators were presented an official warning of corresponding searching and whether the participants refused or resisted, and whether the use of force was adequate to the situation.  
 

The aforementioned issues are conditioned by the announcement of the demonstrators  that early in the morning without any warning, they were attacked and severely beaten. It is difficult for us to reveal the truth but there is an unanswered question.   What was the reason that the police imposed restrictions on     the activities of journalists, for us to get full impartial information. The fact of such  prevention  was officially confirmed by  “Erkir  media” and “ALM” television broadcasters. 

3. People near the French Embassy are a part of our society, they are not burglars or hooligans. They were convinced that they were citizens of Republic of Armenia who illegally suffered violence from law enforcement   bodies.  

The Police suggested  to make a procession  and hold a demonstration near Matenadaran. What was the reason that the people who could lead the demonstrators, did not do that, but at the last moment announced that the demonstrators did not obey them. Еventually what was the reason that demonstrators disagreed with both  law enforcement bodies and with the representatives of Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s electoral headquarter. Perhaps, the reason was the early morning events? Perhaps so many wounded and 8 dead persons were the result of this disagreement? The Defender deeply condoles with the relatives of the victims.  

4.  Current activities of some mass media, mainly TV broadcasters directed to the increase of the tension in atmosphere is at least doubtful. Particularly, it is continuously broadcasted the announcements of high level officials stating to punish or call to trial only those who participated in March 1 demonstrations. 
Why the issue of possible illegal actions and corresponding responsibilities of  law enforcement bodies are not discussed.  
        
5. The presidential decree of 01.03.2008 introducing a state of emergency imposes restrictions on civil and constitutional rights.  Thus, according to  subpoint 4 of the 4th point of the decree, mass media reports on domestic political matters may include only official information. Whereas, according to the information, received by the Defender, the activities of «A1plus», «Lragir» informational internet portals have been suspended.     In connection with it, the head of the National Security told the Defender that the reason for such extreme measures is that the internet providers of the corresponding sites are located abroad. According to the head of the National Security  the latter were warned about the restrictions  prescribed by the decree, but they refused to stand to them justifying that they act within the legislation of their own state.  
         

The  subpoint 3 of point 4 of the aforementioned presidential decree provides that law enforcing bodies have the right to restrict the free movement of people, means of transport and execute searching. The complaints received by the Defender indicate that in a result of broad interpretation of the mentioned subpoint the right of people to enter Yerevan city is inadequately eliminated.  

 Besides, the defender receives complaints concerning mass arrestments which is аcompanied by, according to applicants, violations of criminal procedural norms.  As for this question the Defender had a telephone conversation with the RA Prosecutor-General, who eagerly offered to present the list of all arrested people to the office of the Defender. 
Nevertheless, some representatives of law enforcing bodies tried to prevent the Defender from executing his powers. Such case happened at the RA Police Yerevan department Qanaqer-Zeytun police station.

6.We think that the present situation is conditioned by rough governing system, over-centralization of power,  artificial essence of system of checks and balances, social and economic polarization, combination of business and authorities,  absence of public control over authorities, deficiency of civil liberties. So it is the situation which has been continuously mentioned by me as the Human Rights Defender of RA, that we have systematic problems in the sphere of the protection of human rights in Republic of Armenia. All these results in the fact, that one big part of our society feels apart from the administration, has a total distrust towards public institutes, electoral mechanisms, justice and mass media. 

A certain part of political bodies tried to make use of the situation for its narrow political interests following not the way of dialogue, but the one of confrontation. Of course, the authorities have their part of responsibility in the current situation.  
There are two ways to solve the situation: illegal, that is leading to deadlock and legal. The deadlock would be the situation when  the political arena becomes deserted and a total feeling of fear would be formed. The other way must be based on  real democratic mechanisms, human rights must be considered  as a highest value or a headstone, and the way of dialogue and cooperation must be followed up.   

It is reassuring that this way is preferred by the newly elected president. It shows that the coming government tries to follow the legal way. It is characteristic that a proposal of cooperation is made by a  political leader, whose political party, forms the majority in the Parliament.   
I’m sure that even in this situation the possibility of dialogue and political way of peaceful solution of the existing disagreements is not exhausted.

New York Times Editorial on Armenia’s Post-Election Unrest

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/07/opinion/07fri2.html

March 7, 2008

Editorial

Dark Days in Armenia

The democracy that Armenians dreamed of during their long decades under Moscow’s yoke is slipping away. After opponents challenged last month’s flawed presidential election, the government imposed a brutal state of emergency. At least eight people are now dead, independent news outlets throttled and all protests silenced. President Bush and other Western leaders need to make clear to Armenia’s government that such behavior is unacceptable and will jeopardize future relations. Compared to post-Soviet tyrannies like Belarus or Uzbekistan, Armenia may not look so bad. That is why it is so important to halt this slide into authoritarianism before it is too late.

Official election results handed an overwhelming victory to the ruling party candidate, Serge Sargsyan. International monitors declared that while the overall outcome appeared fair, there were serious problems with the vote count. The protests that followed only turned violent after police began beating demonstrators.

Witnesses told our colleague, Sabrina Tavernise, that government authorities planted guns and grenades among the sleeping protestors last Saturday morning. Then, claiming that they were thwarting an attempted coup, police attacked the opposition camp. The next day, the outgoing president sent tanks into the streets, banned demonstrations and ordered Armenian news organizations to relay only information provided by his government. Local stations can no longer use the Armenian language programs produced by foreign broadcasters including the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

That drew an admirably strong protest from Washington’s Broadcasting Board of Governors, the independent federal agency that supervises these stations, while the State Department has expressed its concern over the death toll. Their words would carry more weight if President Bush added his voice. Armenia, embroiled in a lengthy standoff with neighboring Azerbaijan, is relatively isolated in its own region and especially values its good relations with the United States.

This is not a case of pure democratic virtue against pure authoritarian evil. The defeated opposition leader, Levon Ter-Petrossian, is a former president who in the 1990s sent armored cars into the streets to crush demonstrators protesting his electoral manipulations.

He insists, without credible evidence, that he won this election. And once government forces set off last weekend’s violence, some of those who turned out in Mr. Ter-Petrossian’s behalf seemed more interested in looting nearby shops. The main responsibility lies with Armenia’s government leaders, and it is to them that the White House must address its protests.

Russia: PRAVDA Column Suggests U.S. Role in Armenian Unrest

A column by Lisa Karpova in the Russian Pravda newspaper writes about the post-election protests in Armenia accusing “the empire” – an apparent reference to the United States – for the unrest in the tiny Republic and for supporting former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan:

Perhaps the empire just doesn’t get it. They need to re-examine their despicable, foolish and devious scheme to bring an orange scenario to an embattled, besieged Armenia. Under blockade by neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenia continues to prosper despite some instances of corruption and economic isolation. Armenia is not fertile ground for any sort of orange scenario. Armenians are generally politically astute, pro-Russian and not easily swayed. They are also acutely aware of the fact that there is no future for them as vassals of the empire.

Armenian history is said to be 12,000 years old, and Mt. Ararat is the historic scene where Noah‘s Ark is said to have rested, a revered and treasured Armenian landmark. An archeologist’s dream come true, Armenia is a land of quaint churches and elaborately and meticulously carved khatchkars (Orthodox crosses).

Constant and reliable, the centuries old friendship and alliance with Russia is unshakable. Most Armenians are aware of the fact that there probably would be no Armenia if not for Russia. No plots or schemes by the empire are going to change that reality.

The empire also wins no friends among Armenians for its consistent policy of [Armenian] Genocide denial. These policies go beyond the geo-political considerations given as an excuse, such as the US base in occupied Western Armenia, under control of Turkey and their alliances with Armenian enemies Turkey, Israel and Azerbaijan. And then there are the oil pipelines…constructed to bypass Armenia, a country in a strategic position between east and west, a crossroads as it were.

As a result of the Armenian Genocide of 1894-1923, Armenians lost most of their homeland and over 1.5 million Armenians were murdered in the most horrendous and brutal fashion imaginable and unimaginable. To this day, no Nuremberg trials, no compensation or apology have occurred. Therefore, the memory of this tragedy in an ongoing issue of importance to Armenians.

In Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosian is generally despised for his corrupt ruinous policies while President of Armenia. He is also despised for proffering the notion that the recently liberated Armenian land of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) should be returned to Azerbaijan. Artsakh is now an independent country. The US regime is financially backing Ter-Petrosian and causing trouble in the background. Ter-Petrosian had the strange idea that he had a snowball’s chance in hell of winning an election to be President. Fat chance. Now he sends agitators to do his bidding, a la Soros funding, all the best agitators money and the empire can buy.

[…] 

On March 1, 2008, Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian declared a 2-day state of emergency [not 2 but 20-day – Blogian] in compliance of article 55.6 of the RA (Republic of Armenia) Constitution (threat to state and population security). Fortunately, anti-terrorist, anti-orange scenario joint exercises were held by Armenia and Russia in anticipation of such occurrences. Meanwhile the empire is mouthing duplicitous, hypocritical words about “excessive use of force.”

[…]

Kocharian, throughout his term as President, has had a warm, brotherly relationship with his counterpart in Russia, Vladimir Putin. Like the outgoing president, Robert Kocharian, Mr. Sarkisyan is from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Both men were commanders in the war.

Armenia: Rumors Say Deaths Underreported; Police Blame Opposition

Many people I have talked to believe the number of those killed in the post-election protests in Armenia is much higher than the reported nine.

And while police have released the names of only four who were killed, the list doesn’t include women. This is not in line with the widely-circulated rumor, and the photograph below, that a woman was run over by a police car.

 

Image: A woman, run over by the police, is said to have died while the incomplete list of the killed, released by the police, has only males. Photo from Fotolure via AlPlus’ Blog.

In the meantime, an announcement on the official website of Armenia’s police– summarizing a video appearance – claims that the first shots were fired by some of the protesters. Chief Gegham Petrosyan’s announcement in Armenian states in part:

[…]

As soldiers of the Armenian army approached the barricades, stones and sharp metals were thrown on them – gun was fired [on the soldiers].As a servant of the Armenian army it was impossible for me to imagine that an Armenian would shoot on an Armenian soldier

We ended up with a pretty large number of wounded and stepped back. It was only at this time that it was ordered to arm the personnel with numbered weaponry.

[…] 

Interestingly, “the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) lays the blame for Saturday’s violence on the streets of Yerevan with both the authorities and supporters of the former president, Levon Ter-Petrossian.”  Neither the authorities nor the opposition agree with the statement – both blaming the other for unrest and illegal behavior.

And according to another rumor, Armenia’s spiritual leader – the Catholicos – has attempted to visit the former president to ask for reconciliation with the authorities. The Catholicos was, reportedly, turned away at Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s door.

Armenia: Soldiers Shave on Streets

Image: Soldiers shave in front an armored vehicle’s mirror in central Yerevan on March 3, 2008 as they patrol Armenia’s capital amid declared state of emergency after post-election protests left nine people dead. REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili

UK Response to Post-Election Unrest in Armenia

Posted at the website of the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office:

RECENT VIOLENCE IN ARMENIA (03/03/08)

Commenting on events in Armenia on 1 March, an FCO Spokesperson said:

‘We are very concerned about the events which occured in Yerevan on 1 March, and deplore the use of force which resulted in at least eight fatalities and many more injuries. We call on the authorities and the opposition to engage in political dialogue and to use only peaceful means to restore stability. We call on all sides to respect the rule of law and human rights and we urge the lifting of the State of Emergency as soon as possible.’

Armenia: Information Blockade Continues Amid State of Emergency

 

Image: A protester on a street of Yerevan on Saturday night. After the government announced a state of emergency on Saturday, Mr. Ter-Petrossian called losing the street “losing the connection to the people.” By Johan Spanner for The New York Times

Avoiding to report directly about Armenia’s post-election political developments and clashes that left nine people dead – as the state emergency bans media from publishing information outside government releases – a blogger from Armenia informs of the illegal blockade of several websites in Armenia. He then offers tips on how to access banned information in Armenia:

In the evening of March 2, the Internet Society of Armenia (ISOC) has ILLEGALLY stopped the maintenance of several domains, including A1+ – www.a1plus.am, Haykakan Zhamanak – www.azatutyun.am, E-channel – www.echannel.am. In the database of ISOC- https://www.amnic.net/whois/ , they are registered as “on hold.”

With that step, A1+ has been deprived not only of his site but also if its mail service.

The domains have been “frozen” without the decision of the ISOC board – either by the instruction on behalf of the presidential office, or the National Security Service.

In the decree of president Kocharyan, there was nothing about freezing the domains, closing web sites and the media.

We would like to provide some help to those, who still want to access the above mentioned websites. Firstly, Echannel.am and Azatutyun.am have their backup DNS records. You can access Echannel.am also at E-channel.am (e-channel with a -) and Azatutyun.am at armenialiberty.am. At the moment we are negotiating with the ISOC board to urge them to stop this illegal blocking of our domain names. However, there is a possibility, that the backup domain names (E-channel.am and armenialiberty.am) will also be blocked. For that case, I will be posting a list of IP names for the servers, where these and other blocked information websites are located, and you can access them by clicking the links in the list below (I’ll update the list as soon as colleagues let me know the relevant IP addresses):

  1. a1lus.am – 75.125.179.218:8080
  2. echannel.am – 76.163.218.144
  3. azatutyun.am – 193.111.134.85

Let me remind everybody, that A1plus YouTube channel and Asplus blog are still functional. There is also an Armenian Newspaper Electronic Archive, where you can find Archived publications from some of the blocked newspaper websites.

[…]

« Previous PageNext Page »