Author: Badalian Vardan

TURKISH press: Report: Misinformation over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict spread mostly through Twitter

Badalian Vardan
 İSTANBUL EUROPE 
DEC 17, 2020 12:44 PM GMT+3
People greet Azerbaijani servicepeople riding in military vehicles during a parade marking Azerbaijan’s victory against Armenia in their conflict for control over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, in Baku on Dec. 10, 2020. (AFP)

The recent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has witnessed the spread of a massive amount of misinformation on social media, mostly through Twitter, a report revealed on Thursday.

According to the most recent report by Teyit (Confirmation), a Turkish organization that examines the credibility of any suspected data, during the 44-day-long conflict, a total of 33 instances of misinformation have gone viral, mostly through eight different social media platforms and 28 websites. The report – prepared by Sayyara Mammadova, Seçil Türkkan and Ali Osman Arabacı – examined suspected information that has been reported to them and/or they came across. In total, the misinformation in question has been spread through 170 different shares. Eight of every 10 shares were spread through social media, reaching 1,723,532 interactions in total. The misinformation was shared in eight different languages, including Azerbaijani Turkish, Armenian, Russian and Turkish.

About 46% of the misinformation was spread through Twitter, which is followed by Facebook with 24% and Instagram with 17%. Telegram, a texting application that is quite popular in Azerbaijan and Armenia, which enabled the spread of only 3% of the misinformation, has a 14% share of the overall interaction by itself, showing the power of the platform in reaching people.

The 28 websites that have taken part in the spread of the misinformation have done so by making fake news based on the fake data. The number of daily visitors to these websites sharing fake news is determined as 27,936,730. This number is more than double the number of the populations of Azerbaijan and Armenia combined.

The report also revealed that the most common type of misinformation during the war was caused by improper association. For instance, 69,9% of the information and footage that are shared with the claim of coming from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were actually scenes from other places that were improperly associated with the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

“The periods of conflict and war, when the emotions are quite intense, enable a proper environment for the misinformation to spread in a very intense and fast manner. In this report, we wanted to show the 44-day-long conflict’s reflections on the digital media through misinformation,” Mammadova was quoted as saying by the Demirören News Agency (DHA). She added that the report shows the necessity of a new information ecosystem where media literacy is highly developed.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

New clashes erupted on Sept. 27, and the Armenian Army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces, violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from occupation.

The two countries signed a Russia-brokered agreement on Nov. 10 to end the fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

Turkey and Russia signed an agreement for establishing a joint center to monitor the cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh immediately after the peace deal, and the two countries will work together there, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Nov. 11.

Around 2,000 Russian peacekeepers have been deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh under the terms of the deal and are expected to stay in the region for at least five years.

The Turkish Parliament overwhelmingly approved the deployment of Turkish peacekeeping troops to Azerbaijan. The mandate will allow Turkish forces to be stationed at a security center for one year as part of an accord between Ankara and Moscow to monitor the implementation of the cease-fire, which locked in territorial gains by Azerbaijan.

In this respect, the work of the Turkish troops in the region has already started. Turkey’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that 136 members of the Special Mine Detection and Clearance Team (OMAT) began clearing mined areas in Nagorno-Karabakh that were liberated from Armenian occupation.

“Clearing of mines and handmade explosives continues in (territories of) Karabakh which were heroically and selflessly liberated from Armenian occupation by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces,” the ministry said in a statement on its website.

It said the Turkish specialist troops will also train Azerbaijani soldiers in mine detection and clearance techniques and tactics.

Promotion of anti-Armenianism in Azerbaijan led to atrocities against Artsakh Armenians – Ombudsman

Badalian Vardan

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 19:34,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan received today former Mayor of French Lyon city, doctor Georges Képénékian and head of the Mothers and Children program of Mérieux Foundation Khalil Etoui.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, during the meeting Arman Tatoyan presented the atrocities committed by Azerbaijani armed forced during September-November against both servicemen and civilians.

According to the Human Rights Defender, targeting the civilian population of Artsakh and using banned weapons against them, involvement of mercenary-terrorists, Armeniaphobia and large-scale atrocities and inhuman treatment speak about Azerbaijani policy of carrying out ethnic cleansings using terroristic methods which continues up till now.

Arman Tatoyan emphasized his conclusion that for years anti-Armenianism and killing Armenians have been propagated in Azerbaijan for years, while the criminals who did it were awarded with state awards. All these are the factors that led Azerbaijani armed forces to grossly violate human rights in Artsakh, including by committing inhuman brutalities and atrocities, which has been reflected in the special report of the Defender.

The participants of the meeting stressed the importance of cooperation in the field of human rights protection and reached an agreement for cooperation.

Armenia to receive humanitarian aid from Greece

Badalian Vardan

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 15:46,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Humanitarian aid will be delivered to Armenia following the request by Armenian Organizations in Greece, Greekcitytimes reports.

The International Development Cooperation Service of Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as part of its humanitarian mission, will deliver the aid to Armenia.

Specifically, the Armenian Relief Society, Armenian Blue Cross and Cross of Mercy Macedonia-Thrace, with assistance from the Embassy of Armenia in Athens, gathered humanitarian aid for victims of the Artsakh war.

With cooperation from the Ministry of National Defense, which provided a transport aircraft, the delivery is scheduled to be transported to Armenia on December 12.

The humanitarian aid includes medical supplies and food for the victims and refugees of Azerbaijan’s invasion of Artsakh.

The aid was supplied by Greeks and Armenian-Greeks.

The actions are coordinated by the General Director of the International Development Cooperation Service, Mr. G. Larissis.

He will deliver the sent aid to representatives of the Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations and the branch of the Armenian Relief Society in Armenia.

Justice Minister sees need for eliminating some shortcomings in Criminal Code

Badalian Vardan

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 13:20, 8 December, 2020

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Justice Minister of Armenia Rustam Badasyan says some shortcomings in the current Criminal Code need to be eliminated.

The minister delivered remarks at the debate of the draft Criminal Code in the Parliament, stating: “The draft proposes new systematic solutions aimed at raising the efficiency of the state’s counteractions to criminal acts, as well as ensuring the harmonization of principled approaches the criminal code and the state’s criminal policy are based on. The current Criminal Code has undergone a number of changes within over 15 years of its operation which led to internal disagreements and gaps in the Code. The importance of adopting the draft is conditioned by eliminating various shortcomings existing in the Code”.

He said the draft proposes to solve a number of key issues.

Edited and Translated by Aneta Harutyunyan

Minsk Group Co-Chair countries urge Armenia and Azerbaijan to negotiate a lasting and sustainable peace agreement

Badalian Vardan
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 3 2020

The Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries – Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Secretary of State of the United States Stephen E. Biegun, and Minister for European and Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Yves Le Drian – welcome the cessation of military activities in the area of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in accordance with the statement by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, and President of the Russian Federation from November 9, 2020.

The Co-Chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group call upon Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue implementing fully their obligations under the November 9 statement, in Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts, as well as their previous ceasefire commitments. The Co-Chair countries highlight the significance of measures taken by the Russian Federation, in agreement with Azerbaijan and Armenia, to guarantee the non-renewal of hostilities. They also call for the full and prompt departure from the region of all foreign mercenaries, and call upon all parties to facilitate this departure.

The Co-Chair countries remind Armenia and Azerbaijan of their obligation to comply with the requirements of international humanitarian law, in particular with regard to the exchange of prisoners of war and the repatriation of remains.  They underline the importance of guaranteeing conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of people displaced by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including during the recent hostilities. They underscore the importance of protecting historical and religious heritage in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. The Co-Chair countries call on Azerbaijan and Armenia to cooperate fully with the relevant international organizations to implement their obligations in these areas and ensure humanitarian access. 

The Co-Chair countries appeal to the international community including ICRC, UN institutions, and other appropriate structures as well as OSCE Minsk Group individual countries to take concrete steps to improve the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent areas in a coordinated way.  The Co-Chairs also reiterate their strong support for the continuing work of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chair-in-Office (PRCiO) and his team.

The Co-Chair countries urge Armenia and Azerbaijan to take advantage of the current ceasefire to negotiate a lasting and sustainable peace agreement under the auspices of the Co-Chairs. In that context, the Co-Chair countries urge the parties to receive the Co-Chairs in the region at the earliest opportunity and to commit to substantive negotiations to resolve all outstanding issues in accordance with an agreed timetable. 

The Co-Chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group recall their firm commitment to the non-use or threat of force to settle disputes. They reiterate their consistent and united position in favor of a negotiated, comprehensive, and sustainable settlement of all remaining core substantive issues of the conflict in line with the basic principles and elements well-known to both Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Co-Chair countries remain fully committed to pursuing this objective in line with their long-standing efforts to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the region. 


Prime Minister holds consultation with top law enforcement officials, members of judiciary

Badalian Vardan

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 16:53,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a consultation with top law enforcement officials and representatives of the judiciary, his office said in a news release.

The consultation was attended by National Security Service (NSS) Director Armen Abazyan, Police Chief Vahe Ghazaryan, Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on State-Legal Affairs Vladimir Vardanyan, Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan, Special Investigations Service Director Sasun Khachatryan, Committee of Investigations Director Hayk Grigoryan, members of the Supreme Judicial Council, candidate for president of the Court of Cassation Lilit Tadevosyan, President of the Administrative Court of Appeals Hovsep Badevyan, President of the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction Artur Mkrtchyan and other officials.

The Prime Minister said that in the current situation the growing public demand is for the government bodies and institutions to work clearly. “I am speaking in this case especially about the law enforcement system and the protection of law and order. During today’s discussion I’d like us to exchange views and share assessments as to what extent do institutions aimed at protecting law and order function duly today and what is our assessment, including from the perspective of ensuring partnership and lawfulness. I’d like to speak about a specific example. As you know, overnight November 10 events took place, and, essentially an attack happened against the Speaker of Parliament. Under these cases criminal charges are now pressed against 50 people, of which motions for arrest warrants have been filed to courts for 42 of them. 20 of the motions were rejected, 18 were granted, two people were jailed in the case of the attack on the Speaker of Parliament, and the jailing of another person was rejected. If I correctly voiced this, this statistics and the main question is the following: what is our assessment, to what extent is this situation a proper response to what has happened, if we find it to be proper, let’s take note of it, if we don’t – then let’s understand what the problem is and why we have this situation,” Pashinyan said.

Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan and the NSS Department of Investigations Director Artur Poghosyan briefed on the legal procedures regarding the November 10 overnight events and the studies and investigations results.

“In this context, a substantive discussion took place on the process of the opened criminal cases, the discovering of people involved in actions constituting crimes and organizing them and the activity of the judiciary. Various observations and opinions were presented. Summing up the consultation, Prime Minister Pashinyan underscored that as a result of the law enforcement system’s activities every citizen in Armenia, regardless of their position, ought to feel themselves fully protected, while the law enforcement system’s activity must be maximally aimed at solving this issue. In this context, the Prime Minister highlighted ensuring the effective and close cooperation of the law enforcement system bodies,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a news release.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

First school restored by Russian rescuers in Nagorno-Karabakh prepares to open doors

Badalian Vardan
TASS, Russia
Nov 29 2020
According to the Emergencies Ministry, the school assembly for pupils is scheduled for December 1

MOSCOW, November 29. /TASS/. The first school restored in Nagorno-Karabakh with the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s assistance is preparing for the beginning of the school year and classes are due to start on December 1, the ministry’s press service told TASS.

“On November 29, as part of the humanitarian mission in Nagorno-Karabakh the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s task force provided assistance in restoring Onik Grigoryan school for 200 pupils in the Ivanyan village in the Askeransky district. Rescuers jointly with the representatives of the city’s administration helped to rebuild windows and the heating system at the school,” the press service said.

According to the Emergencies Ministry, some decorating works are to be carried out at the school. “The school assembly for pupils is scheduled for December 1,” it noted.

Earlier, two convoys of the Russian Emergencies Ministry delivered to Stepanakert more than 300 tons of construction materials as humanitarian aid. The cargo included wood and glass, which are needed there in the first place. On November 26, an additional task force of Russian rescuers arrived in Nagorno-Karabakh. It is expanded depending on the tasks that need to be fulfilled as part of the humanitarian mission.

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27 with intense battles in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting from November 10. The Russian leader said the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides would maintain the positions that they had held and Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region. Putin signed a decree on November 13 on creating an inter-agency humanitarian response center for Nagorno-Karabakh.


​​​Armenia ex-ambassador shares document proposed in October to Nikol Pashinyan

Badalian Vardan
News.am, Armenia
Nov 29 2020
 
 
 
Armenia ex-ambassador shares document proposed in October to Nikol Pashinyan
13:00, 29.11.2020
 
Former Armenian Ambassador to the Vatican Mikael Minasyan took to his Facebook Sunday to publish a photo of the working version of the document proposed at the end of October to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
 
“I will consistently investigate the lies of Nikol during this bloody war, and the crimes committed,” he said. “I will present the facts and prove again that Nikol is an ordinary liar and a traitor to the nation.
 
“This is the original working version of the document proposed to Nikol at the end of October. Nikol dismissed it.”
 
“This document contains a special point about prisoners of war and those killed on the battlefield. It says: “There is an immediate exchange of prisoners of war, hostages and other detainees.”
 
“This document does not contain the surrender of Lachin and Kelbajar. This is the biggest and most significant difference,” he added.
 
“There is nothing in this document about the construction of a NEW road connecting with Nakhijevan.”
 
 
 

Pashinyan comments on changes made in the Cabinet

Badalian Vardan

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 11:36,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. During today’s government session Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan commented on the changes made in the Cabinet, stating that today the Cabinet with a new staff is holding its first session.

“During this period the ministers of defense, foreign affairs, education, labor and social affairs, emergency situations have changed. A change of minister of economy is also expected soon”, the PM said.

He thanked the former ministers for the efforts made and wished success to the new ministers.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Pashinyan, Mushikiwabo highlight preservation of Armenian heritage under Azerbaijani control

Badalian Vardan

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 19:24,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan held a telephone conversation with Secretary General of the International Organization of La Francophonie Louise Mushikiwabo at the initiative of the latter.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the PM, Nikol Pashinyan thanked Louise Mushikiwabo for the attention and support to Armenia during the hard period. He drew the attention of the OIF Secretary-General to the fact of the involvement of thousands of mercenary-terrorists during the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression against Artsakh, noting that their presence in Azerbaijan is a serious threat for international and regional security.

The sides highlighted the preservation of Armenian religious and historical heritage in the territories that have passed under the Azerbaijani control and emphasized the priority of returning the hostages and war prisoners.

Louise Mushikiwabo expressed solidarity to the Armenian PM, highlighted Armenia’s role in the International Organization of La Francophonie and assured that will make all efforts for strengthening the relations with Armenia in the sidelines of the organization.

She conveyed the warm greetings of the President of her country, Rwanda, to Nikol Pashinyan.