Over 120 cases of ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side were reported overnight.
The rival fired more than 1,200 shots from weapons of different caliber (including 60, 82 and 120mm mortars) in the direction of the Armenian positions, the NKR Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The activeness of the rival was pressured as a result of the retaliatory measures taken by the front divisions of the NKR Defense Army.
Azerbaijan has blacklisted Gianluca Marcianò, conductor of the 24/04 international orchestra and artistic director of the Al Bustan International Festival, press service of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported.
Today Gianluca Marcianò will be present at the premiere of Verdi’s “Requiem in Stepanakert, Nagorno Karabakh. He has been invited by Armenia’s First Lady Rita Sargsyan.
“The project scheduled for September 1 speaks about peace through culture, and I’m glad to be part of that event,” the Maestro told reporters in Armenia before his departure for Artsakh.
“No political issues can hold me back. This is a cultural program that calls to open the borders, to leave in peace. Therefore, no artist will refuse to participate in such an event,” he said.
Gianluca Marcianò has posted photos of his visit to Artsakh on his .
The Azerbaijani side has undertaken several acts of sabotage over the past days, all of which have been successfully averted, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan told reporters today.
“Our people can be assured the Armenian Army keeps the situation under control,” the Minister said.
US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick has said the mediators are planning a meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers in the fall.
Speaking of the expectations from the meeting, Ohanyan said: “We expect all types of shooting and assaults to stop thanks to every meeting within the framework of the negotiation process.”
A court in Baku on September 1, 2015, convicted the investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova on spurious charges of tax evasion and other economic crimes, Human Rights Watch said today.
Ismayilova was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison after a politically motivated prosecution, flawed trial, and campaign to discredit her. She was acquitted on an additional charge of inciting someone to commit suicide. The Azerbaijani authorities should immediately move to set aside the conviction and release her.
“The outrageous verdict against Khadija Ismayilova shows the Azerbaijani authorities’ willingness to subvert the law to exact revenge against critics,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “Her conviction and sentence should be immediately set aside.”
Ismayilova is a 2015 recipient of Human Rights Watch’s Alison Des Forges award for extraordinary activism, in recognition of her exemplary courage as a journalist and human rights activist in the face of the unprecedented crackdown on freedom of expression in Azerbaijan.
The trial against Ismayilova fell far short of international standards. The authorities appeared to rush the proceedings, denying nearly all of the defense’s petitions, including to introduce evidence in her defense or to challenge the prosecution’s assertions against her. Prosecutors claimed the motions were Ismayilova’s attempts to delay the trial. The authorities also denied Ismayilova’s requests for additional time to meet with her lawyers to discuss her defense, granting her only a few hours during the trial to meet with her lawyers.
The authorities prevented most independent observers and Ismayilova’s supporters from attending the proceedings, and, according to numerous news reports, often apparently filled the courtroom with “proxy” observers, so that Ismayilova’s relatives and supporters could not attend. Her mother and sister and some representatives from foreign embassies were unable to access some hearings though able to attend others. A Human Rights Watch representative was allowed to attend the proceedings on August 13, but was not allowed to attend on August 14.
During her trial, Ismayilova accused the government of trying to stop her investigative reporting, especially into President Ilham Aliyev’s family’s businesses.
The European Union and its member states in particular should mount a strong, unified response to the appalling state of human rights in Azerbaijan, Human Rights Watch said. Such a response should include freezing negotiations on a new Strategic Partnership Agreement with Baku and taking action in other multilateral bodies, including the UN Human Rights Council, to censor Azerbaijan over its atrocious human rights record. A common position among all member states and EU institutions vis-à-vis Azerbaijan is acutely needed to challenge Baku’s calculation that its outrageous behavior comes at no price, Human Rights Watch said.
Human Rights Watch said the voting rights of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe should be suspended.
Authorities arrested Ismayilova on December 5, 2014.
Ismayilova has reported extensively on government corruption, including exposing the business interests of members of the ruling family, and the government has made a concerted effort to silence her. In February 2014, police questioned Ismayilova as a witness in an investigation into the alleged leaking of state secrets only days after pro-government media claimed she had given files on Azerbaijani opposition politicians to United States government officials working as intelligence agents, a claim the US embassy denied.
“Ismayilova’s unwavering commitment to transparency and justice in her country should be a source of pride to Azerbaijan, not reason for punishment, persecution, and prison,” Roth said.
The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) announces the launch of Im Armenia [My Armenia], a new travel app that takes children on a virtual journey through Yerevan and its surroundings. Im Armenia is the first travel guide to introduce children to the sites of Armenia in a fun and interactive way.
Im Armenia teaches basic vocabulary words in Eastern Armenian, offers easy-to-navigate maps and colorful graphics of some of the country’s most popular tourist attractions, including Holy Etchmiadzin, Matenadaran, Sardarapat, Cascade and many more. Users can take their own pictures, select photos from the gallery and write their thoughts in a journal at each location.
The app can be used by children of all ages to prepare them for their trip to Armenia, to keep them engaged on their trip and to spark curiosity about the country. “We just took our kids to Armenia for the first time and they loved using Im Armenia! They loved setting up their profile and reading about each site before getting there. It was fun and exciting for them to find some of the hidden symbols at each site,” said Maria Stepanian, a mother of children ages 11 and 14.
Designed for both iPhone and iPad, Im Armenia is available for download through the App Store for Apple devices and Google Play for Android devices. The app is currently available in English and plans are in the works to develop versions in French, Spanish and other languages of the diaspora. “This beautifully illustrated app offers many ways to learn about Yerevan. We have plans to expand outside of the city and into the diverse regions of Armenia with future versions,” said Natalie Gabrelian, Director of Scholarships and Alternative Education at AGBU.
Im Armenia is part of AGBU Education Innovation, a series of quality Armenian e-products for children, parents and teachers that strives to make educational apps, e-books and online language courses readily available to all. Earlier this year, AGBU Education Innovation released Exploring Yerevan: A Look Inside the City’s Past & Present, the second in its series of interactive e-books by the Armenian Virtual College (AVC).
The pioneering multimedia e-book series is designed to offer historical, social and demographic information to readers interested in visiting Yerevan or learning about the city. The e-book offers a variety of information, ranging from city tours and hikes to cultural and social events. Videos, interactive maps, virtual visits, picture galleries, 3D and panoramic images and puzzles are used to introduce readers to the city and its surrounding areas.
“With a groundbreaking presentation and a fresh wave of information, the Exploring Yerevan e-book is a perfect resource for anyone who wants to make the most out of their visit to Yerevan and learn about one of the oldest cities in the world. I am sure this book will acquire a broad readership and will contribute to making Yerevan one of the best touristic destinations in the world,” said Dr. Yervant Zorian, AVC founder and president.
The English version of the e-book will be accompanied by Eastern Armenian, Western Armenian, Russian, French, Spanish and Turkish translations. Exploring Yerevan is preceded by the first AGBU AVC e-book, The Armenian Highland, released in 2014. Both books are available for free download and online browsing on computers and mobile devices through the Apple iBook store, the AVC website and AGBU online bookstore.
“The 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide marks a new start in the process of recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said as he lectured at the Yerevan State University today.
“The recognition of the Armenian Genocide is an irreversible process that proceeds on different levels and in different directions,” he added.
Speaking about the Karabakh conflict, the Minister noted that “despite the provocative and non-constructive policy of Azerbaijan, Armenia will continue to work jointly with the OSCE Minsk Group to solve the conflict exclusively through peaceful means.”
The Foreign Minister also referred to Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, the allied relations between Armenia and Russia, Armenia’s cooperation with the United States, the European Union and the neighboring countries.
On 1 September Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received President of the European Free Alliance François Alfonsi, member of the European Parliament Jordi Sebastia and accompanying them individuals.
Various issues related to the Europe-Artsakh relations, Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict settlement, regional trends were discussed during the meeting
President Sahakyan noted that development of relations with European countries and organizations was one of the pivotal directions of the Artsakh foreign policy, adding that all prerequisites exist for their further reinforcement.
During the meeting President Sahakyan handed in the “Gratitude” medal to the director of the “European friends of Armenia” organization Eduardo Lorenzo Ochoa for consistently representing the interests and rights of the Artsakh Republic in European structures.
NKR National Assembly chairman Ashot Ghoulyan and other officials partook in the meeting.
Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem premiered at the Revival Square in Stepanakert today. The performance was dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide and those, who lost their lives in the struggle for the independence of Armenia and Artsakh.
The event was attended by President Serzh Sargsyan and Mrs. Rita Sargsyan,political and religious leaders of Artsakh.