URGENT ACTION ALERT: SAVE THE PEOPLE’S FOREST

We are urgently asking for your assistance. The Armenian government has plans to build an interstate highway through the Shikahogh Nature Preserve near the Iranian border. This preserve is one of only three untouched forests in Armenia and is home to many rare and endangered species of plants and animals whose habitat would be irreparably damaged by the proposed road. It is considered to be a primordial, ice-age forest, with some trees as much as 500 years old.

As we write bulldozers are waiting at the border of the preserve. They should have started their work two weeks ago but because of the efforts of an environmental coalition, of which ATP is a member, and a public outcry by Armenians in the homeland and the Diaspora, Shikahogh has won a few weeks’ reprieve.

This forest is a national treasure and is the heritage of the Armenian people. We must do everything we can to save Shikahogh--the People’s Forest--for future generations. We need to make sure that this road is not built through the preserve but takes an alternate route and that the Armenian government does not change the designation of this forest from PRESERVE to NATIONAL PARK, which would allow more roads and commercial activity.

Please take action today, by joining Carolyn Mugar in sending a letter to the Armenian government.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT THE SHIKAHOGH NATURE PRESERVE

Armenia unhappy about US State Department's report on trafficking - official

Noyan Tapan news agency
14 Jun 05

Yerevan, 14 June: The US State Department's fifth annual Trafficking in Persons Report will help Armenia implement its future programmes in this sphere. Serious tasks have been set, but Armenia is unhappy about some points of the report and will raise its objections soon, Armenia's Prosecutor-General Agvan Ovsepyan told a press conference on 14 June.

The report said in particular that Armenia had serious problems with human trafficking. It said that Armenia had been placed on a watch list this year because of its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking over the past year.

Many sectors of the government do not officially recognize the problem and the government failed to disseminate or implement any elements of its national action plan, the report said.

I’m really exhausted. I’ve been on my feet all day and am ready to take a nice long nap.

This morning I went to Yerevan State University to look into where they were holding a conference with Turkish Member of Parliament Turhan Cheumez. According to an article in Azg, they will be discussing various issues including the genocide.

I first went to the International Law department and asked. I was given a blank face and told they didn’t know, but apparently there would be some gathering at 2pm.

I then went to the International Relations department to ask and was told that there was no such program, but the look on the head of the department had a somewhat worried look on his face and asked me as I was leaving what my name was?

I made a couple of calls and found out that the lecture/discussion would be at 2pm on the 4th floor of the International Law building.

I walked into the building 5 minutes before the program started and found my way to the 4th floor, mixing in with the students, passing the guy from the International Relations department as I entered the conference hall.

The event seemed to not have been publicized and in all, there were only 110 people in attendance, this included quite a few Turkish journalist.

It seems that Turhan Cheumez, who is a member of the Justice and Development party had come to start the process of creating friendly relations with the Armenian people.

He really didn’t say much and for the most part, didn’t answer any of the questions asked him.

For instance, someone asked him if he could please tell if his visit was official and by invitation of the Armenian government, or the university, or a personal visit? He answered that we can consider it anything we want.

When asked about the genocide, he answered that the Turks recognize that something happened and many Armenians perished, but that is history and we must look to the future.

When the event organizers asked why the Armenian media was not properly informed to this event, I don’t think we even got an answer then.

Though really nothing was said at this event, I find it interesting what the event organizers thought they would accomplish? I also want to know why I was straight out lied to when I asked about the event?

It seems that Turhan Cheumez’s next stop was to visit with members of Parliament. I wonder how they will receive him?

Last week I was asked by a friend if I was willing to be a monitor of the elections scheduled for June 5th?

I met with the campaign team for Samvel Hovsepian, who was said by my friend as being the honest candidate for taghabed (community leader) for the Malatia-Sebastia community and they wanted to make sure he had a fair and transparent election. With such an election, he would win.

Unfortunately, we discovered that in order for me to officially monitor, I was to be registered 15 days before the election.

Well it seems that the elections were as everyone suspected fixed and the former taghabed was “re-elected” with 80% of the votes. Hovsepian immediately filed charges with the courts that the elections were fixed.

A few days following Hovsepian filing charges, the following story was published:

WWW.ARMENIALIBERTY.ORG
THURSDAY 9, JUNE 2005

EX-CANDIDATE HELD BY POLICE ON UNCERTAIN GROUNDS

By Ruzanna Stepanian

A defeated local election candidate was brought to a police precinct in the small hours of Thursday for what police was later reluctant to explain.

Samvel Hovsepian, who ran for prefect in Yerevan’s Malatia-Sebastia community in last Sunday’s vote, has been kept in a room where, according to him, he was given food and cigarettes, but no explanation as to why he was there.

RFE/RL’s last telephone conversation with Hovsepian revealed that by the end of the working day he was still locked.

Allegations have been made that Hovsepian may have been taken to police for suspected involvement in Tuesday’s incident in which a hand-grenade was hurled at the house of one of the closest associates of the winning candidate.

But talking to RFE/RL in the afternoon, Hovsepian strongly denied any involvement in the incident, adding that he himself would like to see those behind the attack found and held responsible.

“It is all tales. Everyone knows that I wouldn’t do it personally. If I needed to do that I could have got someone else do that,” he told RFE/RL. “Everyone knows that I am a good shot and do not miss. So let them not tell these stories. Half of the republic knows me. What is this matter about? I am a war veteran. Could I possibly have done such a stupid thing?”

Nune Gevorkian, the wife of Rafik Avakian, also known as “Cherni Raf”, on whose house the grenade was thrown, said in an RFE/RL talk that they had no enemies, as her husband, though involved in incumbent prefect Aghvan Grigorian’s reelection campaign, was not a politician.

But she did not rule out that the attack might have been linked with the latest elections in their community.

“It happened soon after the election day,” she explained.

Sergey Markosian, head of Aghvan Grigorian’s campaign headquarters, told RFE/RL that he could not say for sure whether the explosion near Avakian’s house was connected with the elections or not. But he also ruled out that any of Aghvan Grigorian’s supporters might have been behind the attack.

Almost all forces enjoying prestige in the community supported Aghvan Grigorian in last Sunday’s vote, including MP Hakob Hakobian, who described the elections held in Malatia-Sebastia as “undoubtedly free and fair.”

Police still does not reveal on what grounds Hovsepian is being kept in the police precinct.

Meanwhile, lawyer Vardan Zurnachian says that if Hovsepian was held by police as a witness then he should have been released until the end of the working day. But if he is a suspect, according to the lawyer, charges should have been brought against him or else he should have been let go.

This is a reminder of an upcoming informational event and fundraiser, to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the death of Armenian National Hero Monte Melkonian.

The event will take place this Sunday, June 12, from 3-4:30 pm at:

Beshguturian Hall
1901 N. Allen Avenue
Altadena, California 91001
(*Directions to the hall appear at the bottom of this message.)


Author Markar Melkonian will be present to sign copies of MY BROTHER'S ROAD, a biography/memoir about Commander Avo. Proceeds from book sales will benefit the Monte Melkonian Fund, Inc., a charitable organization dedicated to assisting the neediest of the needy in Armenia.

ALL STREAMS FLOW TO THE SEA, a short film about Monte, will be screened.

A speaker will provide an update on Monte Melkonian Fund projects in Armenia.

VHS copies of ALL STREAMS FLOW TO THE SEA will be available as thank-you gifts for donations to the Monte Melkonian Fund, Inc. Other premiums will also be available at the end of the event, as well as information about Monte Melkonian Fund projects in Armenia.

*Directions: Take the Hill Avenue exit from 134; proceed on Hill to Allen Ave. and turn left. Beshgeturian Hall is at Allen Ave. and New York Drive. Parking is available in the parking lot adjacent to the hall. (Thomas Guide p. 536 C-7)

Sponsored by the Monte Melkonian Fund, Inc.
Open and Free to the Public

One of the cats are out of the bag, as Edik revealed the name of one of the people in the Armenian government that is directly involved in the trafficking network in this story.

RFE/RL Armenia Report - 06/06/02005

U.S. REPORT ON TRAFFICKING PUTS ARMENIA ON `WATCH LIST'

By Ruzanna Stepanian

The U.S. Department of State has urged Armenia to show more consistency and commitment in its fight against human trafficking.

In its annual report published last week the U.S. Department of State has put Armenia on a `watch list' of states deemed to be of concern for trafficking.

The countries on the `watch list' that also includes Azerbaijan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Slovakia are not subject to sanctions unlike 14 countries ` mainly from Asia and Africa ` that could face sanctions as the worst offenders for failing to combat human trafficking.

In particular, the U.S. Department of State report reads: `Armenia is more a source than a transit country for trafficking. Women and girls from Armenia are mainly trafficked as sex slaves to the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.'

According to the U.N. data, more than a 1,000 women, most of whom are victims of trafficking, are exploited as prostitutes in the UAE and Turkey.'

The report says that although the Armenian government makes efforts to combat this phenomenon, it still does not achieve the results that may meet even the minimum requirements.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she hopes the report will result in increased efforts to stop the trafficking of people.

`We trust that this year's report will raise international awareness of the crime of trafficking, and spur governments across the globe to take determined actions against it,' she said. `All states must work together to close down trafficking routes, prosecute and convict traffickers, and protect and reintegrate victims into society.'

Armenia appeared on the `watch list' because it failed to present proof last year of its commitment to combat human trafficking appropriately.

Despite the increasing number of trafficking-related cases examined by courts, punishments remain inappropriately mild and the size of fines low.

In particular, the report indicates that article 132 of the Criminal Code prohibits human trafficking and sets four to eight years in prison for this crime.

But the Armenian Government mainly applies article 262 that sets a milder punishment.

The State Department particularly points out that only one out of 16 cases examined by Armenian courts in 2004 resulted in the application of article 132, while article 262 was applied in the rest.

The usual jail terms in sentences passed in trafficking cases in Armenia are 6 months to 2 years, there are cases that are dismissed or in which the criminal gets away by paying a fine.

These punishments, says the report, are incommensurate with the gravity of the crime.

The report says that Prosecutor Office members criminally assisted people involved in trafficking and frontier guards accepted bribes to facilitate their movement.

The government failed to investigate and institute criminal cases against those officials involved in trafficking, says the report.

Investigative Journalists NGO head Edik Baghdasarian said in an RFE/RL interview that he possesses information reported by victims of trafficking themselves that some workers of the Prosecutor Office accepted bribes from pimps in Dubai.

In particular, Baghdasarian claims that Prosecutor's office worker Arestakes Yeremian is involved in this business.

But Yeremian denied the accusations in a RFE/RL talk.

Chairman of the Intergovernmental Anti-Trafficking Commission Valery Mkrtumian admits that Armenia's appearance on the `watch list' is retrogression for the country.

Regarding the involvement of officials in this business, he said: `There are different sources. We can form a certain opinion based on information provided by NGOs or other organizations. But we do not know any name of an official involved or assisting in this crime.'

It appears that the May 25, 2005 hetq.am article titled “Dubai is Hell on Earth” has caused the prosecutor’s office to take action and put on trial Aisha, one of the most vicious Armenian pimps.

Edik had withheld the article about her when hetq.am published the trafficking articles since he understood that Aisha was to return to settle her debts with the prosecutor’s. The idea was to publicize her return and force the authorities to take action against her. So far it has worked.

The trial will start on June 20th to which once again the Armenian justice system will be put through the test. The big question remains if she will be charged article 132, for trafficking and can win her a long stay in jail, or will the prosecutor’s office apply article 262, which is used for pimping and will allow her to only serve a couple months before she is eligible to get out and return to what she has been doing (which we have seen happen over the last few years)?

I guess if Armenia is serious about preventing trafficking and wants to get off of the States Department’s tier 2 watch list, (which is one level above the worst countries) they are going to have to get act together and this time make an example of Aisha.

Tonight my fiancé and I decided to go out for dinner and went to the Eastern Cuisine on Gomidas.

After a nice meal and being overcharged for the Fatush salad, which the price on the menu was 500 drams, but they charged us 700 dram (not a big deal and since I was not in the mood I didn’t say anything), we went for a walk.

Right next door to Eastern Cuisine is a restaurant called something like Golden Star. Outside of their entrance was a woman who had a child under the age of 5 in her arms and she was begging to the customers for bread for her and her 3 orphaned children.

One of the customers came out and gave to her some bread as we were walking by her. After we passed her two older children who were watching her mother beg, I heard some commotion and turned to see some larger man wearing a black shirt strike the woman and pushed her towards the street.

I turned back to see what he was going to do next and I guess since he noticed us watching and didn’t further physically touch her, but they did exchange a few words before he went back inside the restaurant and she continued to beg.

So here is a sample of the real condition of Armenia today and what one can expect to see outside a fancy restaurant.

It seems following the recent release of the State Departments annual report on trafficking, the news is filled with stories. There are so many of them to choose from, that I decided to repost a random pick, since for the most part they are all saying the same thing. HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO THE UAE DOES EXIST.

Arab Nations Warned on Human Trafficking

By JIM KRANE, Associated Press Writer Sun Jun 5, 4:32 PM ET

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Soaring economies lure millions of workers to the Gulf region, but authorities are struggling to deal with an unwanted byproduct: human traffickers who bring in prostitutes and unscrupulous companies that refuse to pay their imported employees.

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar — among the top U.S. allies in the Middle East — were among 14 countries warned by the U.S. State Department on Friday that they face sanctions if they do not adequately address human trafficking.
Emirates Interior Minister Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan said Sunday he was confident the State Department's "audit" condemning the country as a haven for smuggled prostitutes and child camel riders would be reversed soon.

"These reports are usually a good occasion to look at the issues from another perspective, as if you're having an auditor look at what you've done," Al Nahyan said. "We're confident that all the steps we're taking are leading to a positive outcome."

The U.S. report also slammed the four countries for exploiting the low-wage foreign laborers who underpin the construction booms underway in the Gulf. It said governments allowed companies to exploit low-paid foreign workers while withholding passports and sometimes pay.

The State Department described the labor abuses as "involuntary servitude, a severe form of trafficking."

Gulf countries, especially the Emirates, also lure thousands of foreign women who are eventually deported as prostitutes, the State Department said. A large number, it said, are forced into sexual servitude by criminals from their own countries.

Officials and analysts said the problems are genuine and most are being addressed through police training, new laws, women's shelters and other means.

"The American government is trying to manipulate these issues to impose its agenda," said Mohammed al-Roken, former chairman of the Emirates' Jurists Association.

Experts in the Emirates suggested the problems here and in Qatar, especially with prostitution and unpaid laborers, result from societies undergoing rapid economic growth and hurtling change.

Dubai's airport has become one of the world's busiest international hubs, with free entry visas handed out to passengers for shopping or tourism. Sorting out prostitutes or illegally trafficked travelers is extremely difficult, officials said.

In the Emirates, al-Roken said he knew of only two cases among hundreds where prostitutes were willing to testify against traffickers who brought them here against their will.

"It's very difficult to tell if they were forced or they came here to work and finance their families back home," al-Roken said.

At the embassy of Belarus in Abu Dhabi, Igor Bondarev said two women had sought protection in recent years, saying they had been forced into prostitution. Further investigation showed the women had decided themselves to work as prostitutes.

"They were not real victims of human trafficking," Bondarev said.

For Gulf countries that cherish close relations with the United States, the black marks from Washington are a worrying sign that the Bush administration is meddling in sensitive local affairs, said Abdul Khaleq Abdulla, head of the Gulf Research Center, a Dubai-based think-tank.

"These issues should be taken care of," Abdulla said. "But when the United States comes up with a statement like this, it's extremely worrying."

Today on Monument(this is the area where Vicory Park is), traffic descending into the city center was closed as Armenia set out a one kilometer long table to celebrate The US Department of State's 2005 trafficking of humans report being published. Armenia's results are as follows:

ARMENIA (TIER 2 – WATCH LIST) [from TIER 2, which is a step backwards]

Armenia is a source and, to a lesser extent, a transit and destination country for women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation largely to the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and Turkey. Some evidence indicates that Armenian victims were trafficked to other European countries as well. According to UN estimates, up to 1,000 Armenian women work as prostitutes in the U.A.E. and Turkey, most of whom are victims of trafficking.

The Government of Armenia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Armenia is placed on Tier 2 Watch List this year because of its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking over the past year. Specifically, the government failed to disseminate or implement any elements of its January 2004 National Action Plan. The government should take proactive steps to officially distribute, publicly support, and implement this plan as soon as possible. Notably, trafficking-related prosecutions and convictions increased; however, reluctance to apply the new anti-trafficking statute produced insufficient penalties. The government adopted an anti-corruption program and created a task force in 2004; however, it failed to take any measures beyond issuing a rhetorical pledge to address trafficking-related complicity.

Prosecution

Article 132 of the criminal code prohibits trafficking in persons and provides for a maximum penalty of four to eight years’ imprisonment. However, the government overwhelmingly applied Article 262 of the criminal code — a lighter pimping charge. Out of 16 convictions in 2004, the government applied the 2003 anti-trafficking statute (Article 132) only once; the remaining 15 convictions under Article 262 produced much weaker penalties. While the government increased the overall number of trafficking-related convictions, the cases produced outcomes ranging from six-month to two-year sentences, suspended sentences, corrective labor and fines. These penalties are not commensurate with Armenian penalties for other grave crimes, such as rape. Indications of official collusion and complicity among government officials hampered the government’s efforts to adequately tackle Armenia’s trafficking problem. Members of the Procuracy allegedly assisted traffickers and border guards accepted bribes facilitating traffickers’ movements across the border. The government failed to investigate or prosecute government officials complicit in trafficking.

Protection

Armenia’s anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts remained anemic over the last year. While Armenia’s law provides trafficking victims with protection, the government largely failed to provide this assistance during the reporting period. NGOs and international organizations continued to provide the majority of victim protection and widely reported good cooperation with the government. The government did not issue any formalized or standard operating procedures for police to follow when encountering possible victims of trafficking. In the absence of a formalized referral mechanism, police informally referred victims to local NGOs. Police also referred potential victims of sexual exploitation for medical screening and treatment as necessary. The rights of victims were generally respected. The police often failed, however, to treat victims’ identities with confidentiality. Victim assistance programs reported sheltering 15 victims in 2004.

Prevention

Cooperation between the government and NGOs continued to help raise awareness about trafficking in Armenia. The government sustained its program of providing housing to vulnerable children released from Armenian orphanages. The Department of Migration and Refugees initiated anti-trafficking discussions on several local talk shows. Lack of official recognition of the problem within many sectors of the government, however, contributed to the overall lack of progress. In a recent interview, the Minister of Justice declared that "trafficking does not exist as a phenomenon in Armenia." Informally, the government made a preliminary effort to engage bilaterally with Georgia, but did not develop any pro-active programs to assist Armenian victims in transit or destination countries.