"We are more interested in the process rather than in the results," said Heidi Tagliavini.

Another victim in Paris was Fidan Dogan, a representative in France of the Brussels-based Kurdistan National Committee, a lobbying group. The third woman was Leyla Soylemez, a young Kurdish activist.

"How can he [Andreas Ghukasyan] reserve the right to issue orders through the media, if he has not taken any steps," said Mr Hayrikyan.

The preliminary investigation is in process

The Armenian National Congress (HAK) has sustained a shameful defeat because of its wrong policy, Arshak Sadoyan, Executive Director of the National Partnership Foundation, told A1+.

The Friday protests held by the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) in support of its jailed activists did not take place on January 11.

The mission's deployment follows an invitation from the Prime Minister of Armenia.

Presidential candidate Hrant Bagratyan has posted on his website a pre-election economic program entitled "Only 100 steps to social justice."

"I do believe that the other candidates will correctly assess the situation and subordinate personal interests to national ones," he said

The Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) has entered the new year with great expectations.

At the same time the SDHK will continue to act as an independent political force

The expert says the Georgian government gets money from Azerbaijan to construct the railway.

Public discontent with the situation in the country stirs up either struggle or emigration.

Chairman of the National Concord Party Aram Harutyunyan says he has been the only candidate to have been least covered by media in recent years.

Vardan Bostanjyan, a member of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), believes that the political field in Armenia is paralyzed.

"Every new person is more valuable," he said during a meeting with reporters.

The candidate is convinced that the other candidates will encounter difficulties in the tense struggle as it will not be easy to beat Hayrikyan.

At the beginning of the Karabakh movement, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, aged 43, was working at the Matenadaran Manuscript Depository as a senior researcher.

The Central Election Commission will give the presidential candidates 48 hours to pay the election deposit of 8 million AMD.

The final list of the candidates who are going to contest the February 18 presidential election in Armenia will be published on January 14.

A petition has been started on the US president Obama administration web page to call to open the Turkish-Armenian border.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has ordered his government to officially change the name of the Palestinian Authority to "State of Palestine."

The copies have been sent to the OSCE/ODIHR and other international organizations.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai comes to Washington this week for talks with President Barack Obama about the future of relations following next year's withdrawal of most U.S. troops