Turkish police paid 440,000 euros to hackers for spyware

July 9, 2015 By administrator

By Tolga Tanış,

The Turkish police paid 440,000 euros to an Italian hacker group between August 2011 and February 2015 to target certain individuals with specially designed spyware, according to leaked documents seen by daily Hürriyet.

The Organized Crime and Reporting Project (OCCRP) reported on July 8 that online hackers have released more than 400 GB of internal data, including staff emails and company documents, stolen from Hacking Team, a company in Italy that sells online spying software to governments and security services around the world. Report hurriyetdailynews

Hacking Team, which employs 40 people and has branches in the United States and Singapore, was named as a corporate “enemy of the internet” in 2013 by press-freedom advocacy group Reporters Without Borders, for selling its spy software to repressive regimes.

Although the company has been denying the reports since then, the leaked documents show that it licensed its sophisticated Remote Control System (RCS) spyware to a number of states, including Turkey.

An agreement between Hacking Team and Turkey’s Police Department was signed, and the first spyware was delivered in August 2011, according to leaked documents seen by Hürriyet. The Turkish signature belongs to Ahmet Koçak, who worked for Anti-Cyber Crime Branch of the police at the time.

Spying software, hardware, imported to Turkey

RCS is designed to remotely record every keystroke made on a target device, take control of cameras and audio records, steal all stored information and vacuum up passwords. In some instances, however, Turkish police wanted additional powers.

Documents show that Turkish officials applied on Dec. 11, 2013, to the company to send them a virus that would be “silently installed” on the computers of targeted visitors of a website, www.yuruyus.com. The company delivered it after six days.

A similar order from the police, this time involving an infected Word document titled “Mücadelem” (My Struggle) was delivered by the company in the same period in just three hours.

Beside software applications that were designed for the Turkish police, the company also delivered specially equipped hardware to Ankara, according to leaked documents.

An email dated January 2014, for instance, indicates that a 600-euro laptop computer with a “network injector” was sent from Italy, but became stuck at Turkish customs.

Contract renewed in 2015

According to the leaked documents, Turkish police decided to renew the contract with Hacking Team that would expire in November 2014. A police officer named Abdulkerim Demir sent the company an email on Feb. 11, 2015, to make a new contract.

After the company declined to prepare a new contract through its Singapore branch or extend the existing contract, Demir sent another email on Feb. 24, accepting the company’s terms.

Documents indicate that Turkish police used the spyware on 50 unspecified targets and paid 440,000 euros to Hacking Team with official invoices.

Ankara’s war on former ally, Gülenists

One curious aspect of the leaked documents is that the Turkish police used various Gmail accounts, instead of official email addresses, while contacting Hacking Team. All accounts have the same three letters at the beginning of the addresses: TNP, a reference to (T)urkish (N)ational (P)olice.

Notably, the police changed the Gmail address immediately after the Dec. 17, 2013, corruption investigation in Turkey, which created a rift between the Turkish government and its ally-turned-nemesis, the movement of the U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen.

Labelling the investigation targeting several government figures as a coup attempt, Ankara responded by launching espionage investigations and engaging in a major reshuffle to uproot the alleged followers of Gülen within security and judicial institutions.

Leaked documents show that the correspondence between the Turkish police and Hacking Team intensified before the Dec. 17 investigation, but the deal between the two sides continued into this year, albeit via new contacts.

Yerevan police release all Baghramyan Avenue detainees, except for one #ElectricYerevan

July 6, 2015 By administrator

YEREVAN. – Everyone, who was detained on Monday at Baghramyan Avenue in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan—who were demanding the revoking of the recent decision to raise the price of electricity in the country—and taken to police stations, have been released.

But one of them, an about-50-year-old man, refuses to leave the police station claiming that the officers of the law had used violence against him.

Political analyst Stiopa Safaryan informed about the abovementioned to reporters, as he left one of the police precincts (PHOTOS).

Safaryan noted that there was no need to detain the people, since the demonstrators had not hampered police operations.

Four girls also were taken to a police station. One of them told us that the aforementioned man had felt ill while being detained.

“I saw how they were yanking him,” she added.

The Yerevan police on Monday issued a statement informing that they were about to open Baghramyan Avenue, which the protesters had closed down for the past two weeks. The demonstrators were given until 12:30pm to open the avenue themselves. The protesters, however, continued their sit-on at the boulevard. At around 1pm, the number of police forces sharply increased at the avenue. Subsequently, the law enforcement detained the majority of the protesters by holding them from their feet and carrying them away. They also formed a human chain and moved the rest toward the sidewalk.

A total of 46 people were detained during this police action.

Baghramyan Avenue has reopened, and traffic on this boulevard has resumed.

Armenia News – NEWS.am

Police Disperse #ElectricYerevan Protests, Detain Young Activists

July 6, 2015 By administrator

Yerevan police remove protesters from Baghramyan Ave. (Photolure)

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Riot police forcibly unblocked on Monday a central Yerevan avenue that has been the scene of a nonstop demonstration for the past two weeks against a controversial rise in electricity prices in Armenia.

Only between 100 and 200 protesters remained camped out on Marshal Bagramian Avenue when the police began dismantling their barricade. They went on to carefully disperse the small crowd.

Youth activists leading the protests and dozens of their supporters were detained in the process. A police spokesman subsequently put the number of detainees at 46. Police confirmed that nine of those arrested were released.

“I think everyone will be set free within three hours,” General Hunan Poghosian, a deputy chief of the national police, told several opposition parliamentarians who arrived at the scene immediately after the start of the operation overseen by him.

The police did not use batons and a water cannon or attack reporters in sharp contrast with their violent crackdown on a larger number of mostly young protesters who first occupied the street leading to the presidential palace in Yerevan on June 22-23.

That crackdown only backfired, leading thousands more Armenians to block the street and demand that the authorities revoke the more than 17 percent energy price hike. President Serzh Sarkisian announced on June 27 that his government will subsidize the price, meaning that Armenian households will not have to pay more for electricity for the time being.

No To Plunder, a youth group that launched the “Electric Yerevan” campaign, urged the protesters on June 28 to unblock Marshal Bagramian Avenue. Most protesters rejected the appeal. Nevertheless, attendance at the protests fell dramatically in the following days.

The police ended the protests early in the afternoon, just hours before the expiration of an ultimatum that was issued by the new leaders of the movement on Saturday. The latter said they will advance further towards the presidential palace unless the authorities fully and unconditionally meet their demands by Monday evening.

The police warned the remaining protesters to disperse in a statement that was issued shortly before the operation. The protesters sat on the road in hopes of making their dispersal harder. The more numerous police officers did not need much time to drag them away and reopen traffic through the street.

Speaking to RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am), Ashot Aharonian, the chief police spokesman, praised the crowd for not putting up strong resistance to security forces. He said none of the detained individuals will be prosecuted or fined.

Aharonian would not be drawn on a police response to possible fresh attempts to occupy Marshal Bagramian Avenue.

Criminal case opened over police violence while dispersing Yerevan rally #ElectricYerevan

July 3, 2015 By administrator

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s investigation service has opened a criminal case in connection with impeding impeding journalists’work, abuse of power combined with violence.

According to investigation service, after studying media reporters it was revealed that during the special action to disperse the demonstration organized at Baghramyan Avenue and a sit-in on June 23, the representatives of law enforcement agencies abused power and used violence against demonstrators and journalists that were covering the events.

On June 22, numerous people—led by the “No to Plunder” initiative—staged a protest at Baghramyan Avenue, and demanded the revoking of the decision to raise the price of electricity in the country. In the morning of June 23, however, the police forcibly dispersed this sit-in. Since the evening of the same day, however, the demonstrators have resumed the sit-in at the avenue.

President Sargsyan, however, stated that the government will cover this price hike until an audit is conducted at the ENA, which supplies electricity to the country’s residents. Part of the demonstrators left the avenue after the decision, while the rest continued a sit-in.

#ElectricYerevan: Police “count on demonstrators’ good sense”

July 2, 2015 By administrator

The Armenian police count on good sense of demonstrators against the power tariff rise and speedy voluntary opening of Bagramyan Avenue in central Yerevan, Deputy Chief of Yerevan Police Valery Osipyan told reporters today (July 2), according to Panorama.am.

“Bagramyan Avenue has been blocked illegally. The police will regularly take preventive measures to restore public order. Free movement of other citizens has been restricted disproportionately,” he said.

The Armenian police issued a statement yesterday, July 1, calling on the rally organizers and participants to be reasonable, respect the Constitution and laws of Armenia, rights and legitimate interests of other people, and voluntarily clear Bagramyan Avenue.

The statement says:

“From June 19-22, 2015 the citizens protesting against the increase of the price of electricity, organized an assembly and a twenty-four-hour sit-in on Freedom Square, violating the procedures envisaged by the law on Freedom of Assemblies. On June 22, the above-mentioned persons carried out an illegal march towards Baghramyan Avenue completely blocking the movement of transport means and pedestrians, and at 8 pm the march was turned into а sit-in at the same place. The police regularly carried out preventive and precautionary measures in line with legislation of and international standards during the whole process of the assembly and march as well as the 10-hour sit-in that followed. And only in the morning of June 23 the Police was forced to stop the assembly after the long and useless negotiations on admonishing to continue the assembly on Freedom Square and neglected multiple precautions on stopping the unauthorized assembly. In accordance with the line of acting relevant to such cases, the police immediately conducted internal proceedings to verify the lawfulness of its employee’s actions as well.

However, on the evening of the same day the organizers and participants of the assembly once again completely blocked the traffic of Baghramyan Avenue and adjacent streets through the new unlawful assembly, as well as the march, sit-in and other illegal actions that followed.

From the mentioned period till now the police showed tolerance towards the long term blocking of one of Yerevan city’s main avenues, the fact of bringing unallowed items to the place of assembly, as well as towards the noise in the areas surrounding residential buildings at nighttime disturbing the rest of the people, giving the opportunity to the participants to this assembly to express their position on the issue of public interest.

At the same time the police state that any implementation of the right for the freedom of assemblies despite its nature, the essence of the demand of the participants or their attitude towards the satisfaction of those demands should be in line with the relevant provisions of the Armenia’s Constitution, law on Freedom of Assemblies and other legal acts.

In this regard the right to freedom of assemblies, first of all doesn’t and can’t be absolute and can be limited for the purpose of public order or protection of constitutional rights and freedoms of others in democratic society as well as guaranteeing the regular traffic circulation.

It comes precisely from legislative regulations that any assembly has its beginning and the end, that is to say it should be temporary. Besides this, the right to the freedom of assemblies does not include the satisfaction of the demand expressed during the assembly.

At the same time the police attach importance to the fact that the organizers and the participants of the assembly have had enough time to announce their demands, as well as to present them to the society, the competent authorities and to the officials.

In these circumstances one of the main transportation channels of Yerevan city, which provides a daily movement of tens of thousands of people, including the requirement to work, leisure and other requirements, continues to remain blocked for indefinite time: moreover, on the road section and on the sidewalks of Baghramyan avenue the objects or barriers restricting the movement of public transport and pedestrians are installed. Eventually, one of the city’s constantly busy highways has been closed for a long term and is used for the leisure activities or sports and cultural events.

Based on the above mentioned facts and legal assessments given to them, the Armenian police announce that the closure of Baghramyan avenue and its consequences excessively restrict the constitutional rights of other people and social interests.

Therefore, the police calls on the organizers of the assembly to respect the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Armenia, the rights and legal interests of others and voluntarily eliminate blocking of Baghramyan Avenue, which continues about 10 days.

At the same time, police of the Republic of Armenia urge the organizers of the assembly and participants:

– to hold futurw public events in accordance with the requirements of the law of the Republic of Armenia on Freedom of Assembly.

– to move the assembly to another place, as a result of negotiations with the police.

Otherwise, the police of the Republic of Armenia will be forced to exert the powers vested by legislation of the Republic of Armenia in full.

Police of the Republic of Armenia hope that the public order disrupted in recent days, activities of public organizations, as well as violated rights of people will be possible to restore in an atmosphere of understanding and good will, without coercion or use of force.”

Panorama.am: Ոստիկանությունը ցուցարարների ողջամտության վրա է թողնել Բաղրամյան պողոտայի բացումը. Վ. Օսիպյան

Armenian protesters still defying police after tense night #ElectricYerevan

June 29, 2015 By administrator

(Karo Sahakyan/PAN Photo via AP)

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — A couple of hundred demonstrators remain on a central avenue in Armenia’s capital, defying police orders to disperse and end their weeklong protest against higher electricity rates.

The unrest is the most serious that the impoverished former Soviet nation has seen in years.

After the Armenian president promised to suspend the rate hikes by the Russian-owned power company, riot police came out in force late Sunday and ordered the protesters to disperse.

About 2,000 of them went peacefully, but several thousand others refused and the mood was tense. The police, however, did not move against the protesters and thousands stayed through the night.

On Monday morning, as usual, a smaller number remained. They refused a police request to remove a barricade of trash containers placed across the road.

Armenian Protesters Defy Police Warning To Disperse #ElectricYerevan

June 28, 2015 By administrator

By RFE/RL’s Armenian Service

June 28, 2015

Electricity-hike protesters on Baghramian Avenue on June 28

Thousands of antigovernment demonstrators in the Armenian capital continue to protest on Yerevan’s central Baghramian Avenue defying repeated calls by police to leave the avenue.

Police chief Vladimir Gasparian told activists in the evening on June 28 to move to the nearby Liberty Square.

Earlier in the evening, Gasparian gave protesters 30 minutes to leave Baghramian Avenue, warning police would move to “restore public order” otherwise.

Most of the demonstrators, however, ignored the warning and began sit-in protests on Baghramian Avenue.

Activists from the so-called Electric Yerevan protest movement have been on the streets of central Yerevan for more than a week to protest against a decision by the state’s tariff-setting body to raise energy prices by some 16 percent starting August 1.

There are many women and children among the protesters, with some children holding banners.

A police statement earlier warned parents not to allow their underage children to remain among the protesters.

Valeri Osipian, a deputy chief of the Yerevan police, said there are people are protesters who have explosive devices. Osipian didn’t elaborate.

Police officials also said there were “provocateurs” among the protesters who sought to “politicize” the demonstration.

Police have also demanded media workers to leave the area and not to hinder police actions.

The U.S. Embassy in Yerevan expressed concern over the “tense situation” in central Yerevan.

The embassy via Twitter urged “all sides to display peaceful, restrained behavior befitting democratic values.”

Meanwhile, several lawmakers, showbiz representatives, and other prominent public figures came to the avenue to form a “human shield” between protesters and police.

Opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinian said police have no grounds to disperse a peaceful demonstration.

A heavy riot police presence could be seen in the area, with hundreds of officers lining up in rows near the protesters.

Police have cordoned off Baghramian Avenue and aren’t allowing anyone to enter it.

Some of the protesters, including representatives of the No To Plunder group, have moved to Liberty Square.

No To Plunder, which initiated the protests on June 19, has largely accepted President Serzh Sarkisian’s compromise plan to defuse the crisis, and urged its supporters to end the street blockade in central Yerevan.

The group said it will continue to protest “through other platforms.”

The group’s leader, Maksim Sarkisian (no relation to President Sarkisian), told his supporters at Liberty Square that that the demonstrators who remained in Baghramian Avenue have “changed the demands.”

On June 27, President Sarkisian said his government would take upon itself the “burden of the increased prices” until an independent audit determines whether the planned utility price hike by the Russian-owned electricity company is justified.

“Of course, we will not endanger the current social-spending programs, but we will find funds from resources meant for further strengthening of security,” Sarkisian said after meeting senior officials in Yerevan.

He said the rate hikes would go ahead if the independent audit found them to be justified.

Sarkisian’s announcement followed a meeting the night before with Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov, who co-chairs a Russian-Armenian economic commission.

Activists called on Armenians to turn out on the Baghramian Avenue on the evening of June 28 for a vote on Sarkisian’s offer to defuse the crisis.

They have said that they will not leave the avenue until Sarkisian announces the cancellation of the tariffs on national television.

They also want punishment for the police officers who beat activists and journalists in a violent breakup of June 23 protests.

Earlier on June 28, Osipian said that he expects the protesters to leave the protest venue and end the street blockade.

“Within the framework of the law the police will use available means to restore public order in Baghramian Avenue,” Osipian warned. “The offenders will be punished.”

#ElectricYerevan: Police warn of possible use of force

June 28, 2015 By administrator

Colonel Valeri Osipian

The Armenian police have urged protesters campaigning against rising electricity prices in Yerevan’s Baghramyan Avenue to unblock the central thoroughfare tonight, warning of possible use of force to “restore public order”.

Colonel Valeri Osipian, deputy chief of Yerevan’s police, described the Saturday statement by President Serzh Sargsyan offering a compromise plan on the electricity price hikes as “victory” both for the demonstrators and the entire society, including the police, and recommended that No To Plunder activists “return to the framework of law”.

The protesters want the unpopular decision by the utilities commission to raise electricity tariffs by over 16 percent beginning in August to be scrapped. But at a meeting with senior government officials late on Saturday Sargsyan suggested that the Armenian government will take upon itself the subsidizing of the increase until it gets the conclusion of an international audit of the Russian-owned Electric Networks of Armenia company.

Activists of the No To Plunder pressure group who have been holding protests in Yerevan since June 19 did not react immediately to the announcement, calling for “nationwide mobilization” on Sunday to determine their attitude towards the government plan and decide on further actions.

Talking to media hours before the rally, Colonel Osipyan said: “Within the framework of the law the police will use means to restore public order in Baghramian Avenue. The offenders will be punished.”

The police already used force against demonstrators on June 23, but the heavy-handed reaction then only angered people and they turned out in even larger numbers to get barricaded in Baghramian Avenue later that night.

The police have not used strong-arm methods since then, but have kept reminding the protesters that while peaceful their rallies violate Armenia’s law on freedom of assembly.

Special Investigation Service preparing report on violence against journalists during Yerevan protest

June 25, 2015 By administrator

YEREVAN. – The Special Investigation Service (SIS) of Armenia is preparing a report on special service officials’ carrying out violence and hampering the lawful professional activities of journalists during Tuesday’s protest in capital city Yerevan, and against the recent decision to raise the price of electricity in the country.

The SIS Press Secretary, Mikayel Aharonyan, told Armenian News-NEWS.am that the service is preparing the aforesaid report on the basis of the respective information disseminated by the mass media.

As reported earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am had learned from the General Prosecutor’s Office that the latter’s Special Cases Investigation Department had forwarded the respective materials, video recordings as well as a letter from the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office Director, human rights activist Artur Sakunts, to the SIS in order to process them.

On early Tuesday morning, the Yerevan police dispersed the activists protesting against electricity price hike by using water cannon, and they detained many activists and journalists, who were later released.

On Tuesday evening, however, the sit-in participants marched toward the Office of the President—on Baghramian Avenue—yet again and with a larger crowd, but the police blocked their way again.

But the sit-in continues at the starting point of Baghramian Avenue, which is closed off, and traffic towards this boulevard is suspended.

Despite numerous protests, the Public Services Regulatory Commission recently increased the price of electricity in Armenia, and this decision will take effect on August 1. The decision, however, is expected to be followed by an increase in the prices of numerous products and services in the country.

Armenia News – NEWS.am

Armenian Police Disperse Crowd Protesting Rise In Power Prices

June 22, 2015 By administrator

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–The Armenian police have used force and special means to clear the site of a demonstration in a central Yerevan street after a night of standoff with activists protesting against rising electricity prices.

In the early hours on Tuesday, special police forces used water cannons and other equipment to disperse the crowd of hundreds of protesters who spent more than nine hours seated in the street not far from the presidential compound.

The protesters insisted that their actions were peaceful and demanded that President Serzh Sarkisian revoke the decision made by state regulators to raise electricity prices by 16 percent beginning August 1.

After several warnings that the protest was “unlawful” the police started their operation at around 5:30 am. RFE/RL Armenian Service correspondents witnessed demonstrators being roughed up and chased, with some of them injured in the scuffles.

Many demonstrators were also detained and taken to police stations in vehicles. Among those detained were also some journalists.

A number of media representatives were also subjected to violence during the events. Among them was also an RFE/RL Armenian Service cameraman.

At least one RFE/RL camera used for providing the live streaming of the unfolding drama was broken by the police. Other equipment used by RFE/RL correspondents was also damaged. Senior police officers dismissed their complaints, refusing to provide explanations.

The clashes in Baghramyan Avenue followed three days of protests in a nearby square by activists from the pressure group called No To Plunder.

Late on Monday they tried to stage a march towards the presidential palace, but stopped after encountering a heavy police cordon. They eventually decided to proceed with their sitting strike on the approaches to the thoroughfare.

Meanwhile, groups of citizens also reportedly staged protests against rising electricity prices elsewhere in the country overnight.