Author: Arbi Tashjian

More bodies retrieved from battle zones as search operations continue, Artsakh authorities say

Arbi Tashjian

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 12:05,

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. 15 more bodies of fallen servicemen have been found during the search operations in the battle zones on January 29, official of the State Emergency Service of Artsakh Hunan Tadevosyan told Armenpress.

13 of the bodies were found in Jrakan (Jabrayil) section, 1 in Martuni region. The other body has been transferred by the Azerbaijani side to the Armenian side.

Forensic examination will be carried out to identify them.

So far, a total of 1344 bodies of fallen servicemen and civilians have been found as a result of the search operations.

On January 30 the search operations will continue in Hadrut region and the territory near Armenia’s Syunik province.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Lebanese leadership condemns violence after Tripoli unrest

Arbi Tashjian

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 14:00,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 30, ARMENPRESS. Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister and its president on Friday condemned overnight violence in the city of Tripoli, where protesters angry over a strict lockdown clashed with security forces and set the municipality building on fire, Reuters reports.

Thursday was the fourth straight night of unrest in one of Lebanon’s poorest cities, after the Beirut government imposed a 24-hour curfew to curb a surge in the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 2,500 people and compounded an economic crisis.

“The criminals who set the municipality on fire and attempted to burn the court…represent a black hatred for Tripoli,” Prime Minister Hassan Diab said in a statement.

“The challenge now is in defeating these criminals by arresting them one by one and referring them to the judicial system.” President Michel Aoun also condemned the violence.

Armenian MP discusses POW issue with CoE Secretary General and PACE President

Arbi Tashjian

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 16:10,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Head of Armenia’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Ruben Rubinyan has discussed the issue of the Armenian prisoners of war who are currently in Azerbaijan with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić and PACE President Rik Daems.

“Today I had meetings with CoE Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić and PACE President Rik Daems in Strasbourg. Both officials have assured that they will keep in their spotlight the issue of the fate of Armenian prisoners of war and other detained persons, as well as the anti-Armenian manifestations in Azerbaijan”, Rubinyan said on Facebook.

The MP stated that during the meeting they also talked about the visit of CoE and PACE representatives to Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh).

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenia ruling bloc MP: Draft amendments to Electoral Code will be placed into circulation in February

Arbi Tashjian
News.am, Armenia
Jan 26 2021    


16:52, 26.01.2021

We will hold a public discussion and then place the draft amendments to the Electoral Code into circulation in February. This is what deputy of the My Step faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Hamazasp Danielyan told reporters after the faction’s session today.

“When we were planning the electoral reforms one-and-a-half years ago, we expressed the idea that we would touch upon the main part after the constitutional amendments since there are provisions in the electoral procedure that are regulated by the Constitution, and taking into consideration the fact that the Constitution hadn’t been amended yet and the package of the Electoral Code was mostly ready, we were considering the question whether we should try to make certain constitutional amendments in parliament,” he said.

Asked if the faction had considered the idea of providing the National Assembly with the opportunity to self-dissolution, Danielyan stated that this was also considered during the session. “When snap elections are held, the period for campaigning is, in essence, short, especially for small and new forces to present their viewpoints. Consequently, there is a need for self-dissolution, but can the constitutional amendments be made in parliament? This isn’t only up to the My Step faction to decide. The amendment requires at least 88 votes. Consequently, the opposition also has to express its views,” he said.

Moscow says Armenia has provided incomplete list of prisoners, Yerevan responds The office of the Deputy Prime Mini

Arbi Tashjian
JAM News
Jan 20 2021
    JAMnews, Yerevan

The issue of returning Armenian prisoners from Azerbaijan remains the highest on the Armenian public agenda, but information about how many persons remain detained by the Azerbaijani side since the end of the second Karabakh war remains undisclosed.

Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov stated that the Armenian side provided lists of prisoners “not immediately and not [that were] not complete”.

Deputy PM Tigran Avinyan’s office explained that the exact number of the prisoners is confidential and should not be released, “given the hypersensitive nature of the issue.”

However, the lists of confirmed detention of Armenian persons have been constantly updated and presented to partners, as the search parties continue and new information comes in.

The de facto authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh and the ombudsman of Armenia have sent letters to international bodies on the issue of the return of Armenian prisoners from Azerbaijan and the protection of their rights.

Lavrov’s statement

Minister Lavrov said that initially, the Armenian side had struggled to compile accurate lists of people who disappeared and the people they wanted to be released from captivity, and, therefore, these lists were incomplete.

At the same time, Lavrov mentioned that Moscow wants to make every effort possible to “finally resolve the issue of the return of Armenian prisoners”.

Why data on prisoners is not published

“Armenia approaches any issue related to prisoners of war with full responsibility. It refrains from taking any action that can harm the process of the quick and safe repatriation of our compatriots”, the statement of the office of Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan read.

The statement also said that at the moment, as the search parties for the bodies of the deceased servicemen continue, information about the prisoners of war has been provided to partners on a regular basis, and in several stages:

“Moreover, in December, the Russian side and the Red Cross were presented with full lists”, the deputy prime minister’s office said.

Appeals to international authorities

On the issue of the return of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians who are still in Azerbaijan back to their homeland, the de facto authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh have sent letters to the specialized bodies of the UN and the Council of Europe, as well as to the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and the personal representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office.

“The letters, in particular, note that Azerbaijan violated the November 9 trilateral agreement by attacking and occupying the villages of Khtsaberd and Khin Tager in the Hadrut region of the Republic of Artsakh and taking 64 servicemen prisoner. Subsequently, the Azerbaijani authorities announced their intention to initiate criminal proceedings against the prisoners of war, which is a gross violation of international humanitarian law”, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.

The letters also say that Azerbaijan is delaying the return of prisoners on purpose. In doing that, Azerbaijan is violating its own obligations under a trilateral ceasefire agreement signed by the heads of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan in November 2020.

Armenian Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan presented the same issue to OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office. In his official letters, Ombudsman Tatoyan is not only talking about prisoners of war but also about captured civilians:

“The return of the prisoners was to be ensured immediately after the cessation of hostilities. This is a universal standard, and it should be implemented automatically. Deviation from this course of action violates human rights and international humanitarian law, including the third Geneva Convention of 1949.

Consequently, paragraph 8 of the tripartite agreement [on the exchange of prisoners and other detainees] of November 9, 2020, is autonomous. It should never depend on the fulfilment of other points of the agreement”.

The Azerbaijani side believes that the Armenians captured after November 9 are not prisoners.

Meanwhile, in the opinion of the Armenian Ombudsman, the ceasefire agreement should be applied to all situations that have arisen both before and after this – “as long as there is an objective need to protect human rights, due to military actions.”

Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan appointed Primate of Artsakh Diocese

Arbi Tashjian
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 21 2021
– Public Radio of Armenia

By Pontifical Order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan has been appointed Primate of the Artsakh Diocese, resigning from the post of Religious Leader of the Armed Forces.

He will replace Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan on the post.

Dignified Fr. Enovk Yesayan has been appointed acting Religious Leader of the Armed Forces.

ANCA-WR Meets with Assemblymember Chris Holden

Arbi Tashjian

January 22,  2020



ANCA-WR meets with Assemblyman Chris Holden

In light of the new session of the California State Legislature, representatives of the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region met with CA State Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-41) to discuss the organization’s policy priorities.

During the hourlong meeting, the parties discussed the effects and next steps following the Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh and Armenia. ANCA-WR representatives thanked Asm. Holden for his commitment to pursuing truth and justice on behalf of his Armenian-American constituents and Armenian-Californians in general.

“Asm. Holden has been a longtime friend of the Armenian-American community, regularly attending our events and supporting legislative initiatives,” remarked ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “Building on our years of productive cooperation and goodwill, we look forward to working with Asm. Holden in advancing matters of concern to our community.”

Armenian CDC reports 183 new COVID-19 cases

Arbi Tashjian

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 11:11, 22 January, 2021

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. The CDC reports 183 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Armenia, bringing the cumulative total number of confirmed cases to 165,711.

2042 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours.

9 people died from COVID-19 complication, raising the death toll to 3030. This number doesn’t include the deaths of 744 other people (2 in the last 24 hours) infected with the virus, who died from other pre-existing illnesses, according to the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The total number of recoveries is 154,259 (213 in the last 24 hours).

The number of active cases as of 11:00, January 22 stood at 7678.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire opens region for Anglo Asian to possibly return to projects

Arbi Tashjian
Mining Weekly
Jan 21 2021

21st January 2021

By: Donna Slater
Creamer Media Staff Writer and Photographer

im-listed Central Asia gold, copper and silver producer Anglo Asian Mining welcomes the agreement between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia which has ended the military conflict over the enclave of Nagorno Karabakh, subsequently opening up the region for the miner to restore its three contract areas in formerly occupied territories and Nagorno Karabakh.

Nagorno Karabakh is a mountainous enclave within the borders of Azerbaijan and is bordered by seven districts of Azerbaijan which were occupied by Armenia in 1994 (the occupied territories).

Anglo Asia’s projects in the region include Soutely, in the Kalbajar district of the formerly occupied territories; Kyzlbulag, in Nagorno Karabakh; and Vejnaly, in the Zangilan district of the formerly occupied territories.

Soutely, which is the location of the Zod gold and silver mine, is the largest in the Caucasus region and reportedly produced about 120 000 oz/y of gold prior to the conflict.

Kyzlbulag is the location of the Kashan deposit hosting a copper and molybdenum mine. Vejnaly has been a host to mining operations, but the current situation is unknown.

The two contract areas in the formerly occupied territories are fully under the control of the government of Azerbaijan, with Russian peacekeepers present at Anglo Asian’s Nagorno Karabakh contract area.

Going forward, the company will fully evaluate the potential of the three restored contract areas when permission to access is received from the government of Azerbaijan.

Anglo Asian president and CEO Reza Vaziri says it is a tragedy that this long-standing territorial dispute has resulted in a humanitarian crisis and significant loss of life.

“Anglo Asian Mining very warmly welcomes the recent ceasefire agreement which ended the hostilities. The conflict has resulted in extensive damage across the region which will require substantial investment to repair and rebuild.”

The production sharing agreement in respect of the three restored contract areas will be reset to year zero upon notification of access to the areas.

Meanwhile, Anglo Asian notes that mineral exploitation and mining have been carried out illegally during the Armenian occupation at all three contract areas, but adds that considerable exploration potential still exists both near the existing mines and on known geological trends in the restored contract areas.

The company will evaluate its newly restored contract areas as soon as it is able to access them.

Anglo Asia reports that, as part of the proposed ceasefire agreement, Armenia will grant territory in its Syunik region to Azerbaijan to enable construction of direct road and rail links between the exclave of Nakhchivan and the rest of Azerbaijan. The proposed transport corridor will greatly improve access to Anglo Asian’s Ordubad contract area.

“Anglo Asian Mining will work with the government of Azerbaijan, pursuant to its contractual rights, in the three restored contract areas within the Zangilan and Kalbajar districts, as well as in Nagorno Karabakh,” Vaziri says. 

Edited by: Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

Serj Tankian Offers Choice Words in Insult Directed Towards Outgoing President Donald Trump Following Memorandum Granting Turkey Legal Rights Over Armenia and Other Areas

Arbi Tashjian
Jan 20 2021


System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian is no fan of Donald Trump, having frequently vilified the former president and even calling for his resignation last year. Trump’s last minute deal with Turkey has incensed the vocalist even further, leading Tankian to proclaim that he had “never seen a president suck so much c**k.”‘

Trump’s U.S.-Turkey Memorandum of Understanding is meant to protect Turkish “cultural property,” however a large amount of Armenian groups have criticized the legislation, claiming it gives Turkey legal rights over the vast religio-cultural heritage of the Armenian people. System of a Down are a band composed entirely of Armenian-Americans, and their two latest singles “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz,” dealt with the conflict in the Artsakh region, which is a point of contention between Armenia and Turkey. Both nations also have a complicated history, as Turkey still denies its role in the Armenian genocide.

“Thanks Trump,” Tankian wrote on Facebook. “In your last minute you decided to grant Turkey my people’s indigenous cultural heritage, including ancient churches and stone crosses, as a reward for them trying to exterminate us. Never seen a president suck so much c**k.”

Proceeds from “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz” were donated to the Armenia fund, which received over $600,000. These songs were also the band’s first new music in over 15 years, and the efforts to release the track were spearheaded by the band’s drummer John Dolmayan, who is a Trump supporter. Despite Tankian and Dolmayan’s differing views, the two have shared respect for one another, according to statements made in 2020.

Photo Credit: Mauricio Alvarado