Azerbaijan: Defence Sector Management and Reform, the latest policy briefing from the International Crisis Group, examines the difficulties the country faces in upgrading its military.

Publicist Shant Harutyunyan, who is charged with the March 1 case, declared a hunger strike today in the Vardashen penitentiary, told “A1+” today press secretary of head of the RA Justice Ministry’s Department of Penitentiary Arsen Babayan.

“It turns out that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was not settled in 2001 because the Azeri society wasn’t ready for a settlement,” told “A1+” today RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan as he prepares for his meetings on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement in Moscow.

In a meeting with the NA Chairman yesterday member of the “Prosperous Armenia” faction and member of the March 1 temporary commission Naira Zohrabyan proposed to send the film presented by the opposition to an international expert examination to find out whether it was edited or not.

Vardan Jhangiryan’s health problems did not allow him to go to court today for his case on violence against an authority figure. Jhangiryan’s attorneys mediated Judge of the Yerevan Criminal Court Mnatsakan Martirosyan to terminate the case until Vardan Jhangiryan would be able to come to the court sessions. The attorneys presented documents that confirmed that Jhangiryan is in bed and has serious health problems.

RA First President Levon Ter-Petrosyan made a statement on the occasion of the pressures against the Sukiasyan family. We present the statement in its entirety.

Today the terms of provisional arrest of Armenian detained MPs Miasnik Malkhasyan and Hakob Hakobyan were extended for another two months, by January 2, 2009.

The relatives of David Aghayan detained in connection with the March 1 unrest cannot find a neuropathologist who will agree to go to prison and examine the grandson of the prominent Armenian writer Ghazaros Aghayan.

“The Heritage Party is still discussing its involvement in the fact-finding group of experts to look into the March 1 occurrences. Our participation is also being considered by the Armenian National Congress,” Heritage member Armen Martirosyan said to A1+.

“Each citizen will agree that the events of March 1 and 2 had a dramatic impact on the Armenian leadership. We have already said that the events were not advantageous for the Armenian authorities.

Today Hranush Hakobyan told her first press conference after assuming the post of Minister of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia.

On October Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Armen Harutiunyan nominated nonpartisan Vahe Stepanyan, head of the RoA Ombudsman’s personnel, doctor of law, as a member of the fact-finding group to look into the March 1-2 events.

“This is precisely one of the issues which is being discussed now. The decision of the European Court of Human Rights needs to be executed. Even if it is not so popular it is a decision of the ECHR and it should be respected and implemented. This is the fundamental basis of the code human rights, of any traditional system.”

During the week of October 18-28 nearly 341 residents of the Lori Marz were transferred to hospitals with symptoms of stomach-intestinal infection.

Starting tomorrow citizens of Armenia will launch the “I’m next” campaign (currently in the presses) during which many citizens will make a statement saying that they committed the same crime that the 7 accused for the March 1 events committed, including Alexander Arzumanyan, Grigor Voskerchyan, Suren Sirunyan, Shant Harutyunyan, Sasun Mikayelyan, Miasnik Malkhasyan and Hakob Hakobyan.

Waving the Kurdish and Armenian flags to and fro and with the pictures of Ocalan on the flags, groups of Kurds organized a protest today near the Shahumyan square to demand the release of head of the PKK Abdullah Ocalan.

“Remembering October 27 and making any non-official statement is as dangerous today as it was nine years ago. Take Gagik Jhangiryan as an example,” announced today at the Kentron and Nork-Marash district general jurisdiction court former Deputy Prosecutor General Gagik Jhangiran

n October 26 at 2:35 p.m. the Arabkir police division received a notice that shootings were heard in the yard of the building located on 48A Komitas avenue.

“The preliminary investigation of the March 1 events is over, yet the “Sword of Damocles” hangs over the participants of the events. On September 3, a day before the end of the preliminary investigation, the Prosecutor General assigned head of the investigation service Andranik Mirzoyan to form a new investigative body, which must secure the objectivity of the case.

“Neither the terrorist act of October 27 nor the tragic events of March 1 will be disclosed while the authorities wield power in Armenia. Can the regime expose crimes committed by its stooges? Unless the tyranny is overthrown in Armenia no crime will be disclosed as was the case in other dictatorial countries.

On October 26 elections to self-government bodies took place in three Armenian regions - Shirak, Gegharkunik and Aragatsotn.

“The terrorist act of October 27, 1999, still remains unveiled. The questions I had are still unanswered. The trial failed to dispel people’s suspicions,” says Leader of the Heritage faction Armen Martirosyan.

Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Armen Harutiunyan has decided to be engaged in the fact-finding group to look into the events of March 1-2. Remind that the group was established by Presidential Decree last week.

“The settlement of the Karabakh conflict is possible if Azerbaijan recognises the right of people of Karabakh to self-determination, if Nagorno Karabakh is guaranteed a land border with the Republic of Armenia and if the international organisations and the international community guarantee the security of the people of Nagorno Karabakh,” Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview with the Public TV.