Author: Boshkezenian Garik

Armenian Ombudsman discusses Azerbaijani war crimes with AGBU executives

Boshkezenian Garik

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 16:57, 2 June, 2021

YEREVAN, JUNE 2, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan met with President of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) Perch Sedrakian and AGBU Armenia Chairman Vazgen Yakoubian, the Ombudsman’s Office told Armenpress.

Arman Tatoyan presented the war crimes committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces during the recent war in Artsakh, as well as raised the urgency of the return of Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan.

The meeting sides recorded that the Azerbaijani authorities are artificially delaying and politicizing the process, by grossly violating the rights of the captives and their families, causing sufferings to them and creating tension within the public.

Tatoyan also presented the results of the fact-finding activities carried out by his Office in Syunik and Gegharkunik provinces, stressing the fact of illegal presence of Azerbaijani troops in Armenia’s territory, which confirms the absolute necessity of creating a security zone in Syunik.

The Ombudsman highly appreciated the role of the AGBU Armenia Office, not only highlighting the jointly implemented educational, awareness-raising programs, but also the steps aimed at supporting the people’s socio-economic rights.

Perch Sedrakian in turn highly valued the work of the Ombudsman, stating that the AGBU is following the bordering security issues and the current situation in the country.

The sides expressed readiness to continue and expand the cooperation directions.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Exclusive – Is U.S. taxpayer money aiding a modern day genocide against Armenia?

Boshkezenian Garik
Your Central Valley

by: Alexan Balekian

Posted: / 07:00 AM PDT / Updated: May 28, 2021 / 05:42 PM PDT

A week after President Biden became the first U.S. sitting president to formally recognize the Armenian genocide, his administration waived a restriction to extend military aid to Azerbaijan. In an exclusive interview with Valley congressman David Valadao on Sunday Morning Matters, the Armenian caucus co-chair says his bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Blinken has not received a response. Meantime, nearly 200 Armenian POWs have been reportedly tortured or killed by Azerbaijani forces. Valadao says $100 million in U.S. taxpayer money was sent to Azerbaijan by the Biden administration by issuing a waiver not to uphold section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. The Biden administration has failed to answer multiple bipartisan requests for $100 million in aid to help rebuild Artsakh after most of it was destroyed in a bloody war back in September of 2020.

Armenia applies to ECHR requesting to ensure fundamental human rights of six servicemen captured by Azerbaijani forces

Boshkezenian Garik

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 15:02,

YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. The Republic of Armenia has applied to the European Court of Human Rights with the purpose to ensure respect of the fundamental human rights of six Armenian servicemen who have been captured today in the morning by the Azerbaijani forces in the bordering area of Gegharkunik province, the Office of the Representative of Armenia before the ECtHR told Armenpress.

The Office of the Representative of Armenia before the ECtHR has submitted request to the European Court of Human Rights to indicate interim measures under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court against Azerbaijan in the name of the individuals taken as prisoners of war while carrying out engineering works in the bordering area of the Gegharkunik province early in the morning on May 27.

The submitted request aims to ensure respect of the captives’ rights to life and prohibition of torture envisaged by the European Convention on Human Rights.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrives in Armenia

Boshkezenian Garik

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrives in Armenia

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 10:03,

YEREVAN, MAY 26, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Armenia on May 26.

He was welcomed by Armenia’s caretaker foreign minister Ara Aivazian at the Zvartnots International Airport.

During the visit the Iranian FM will meet with Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian, caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and caretaker FM Ara Aivazian.

Photos by Tatev Duryan

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Azerbaijan appreciates Russia’s role in resolving Nagorno-Karabakh situation, PM says

Boshkezenian Garik
TASS, Russia
May 20 2021
WorldMay 20, 16:48

BAKU, May 20. /TASS/. Baku appreciates Moscow’s role in resolving the situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov said at a meeting with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin on Thursday.

“Azerbaijan’s government appreciates the role that Russia played in the 44-day war. We remain committed to the obligations that are enshrined in a statement that the presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia and the prime minister of Armenia signed on November 9,” Asadov pointed out.

He also said that the three countries’ deputy prime ministers maintained close contact to ensure the implementation of the statement’s provision on enhancing economic and transport ties in the region. “Azerbaijan remains fully committed to its obligations under the November 9 and January 11 statements,” the prime minister added.

On November 9, 2020, 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. According to the document, Azerbaijan and Armenia maintained the positions that they had held and Russian peacekeepers were deployed to the region. In addition, several districts were handed back over to Azerbaijan. On January 11, 2021, a joint statement was signed following a Moscow meeting between Putin, Aliyev and Pashinyan, which creates a trilateral working group aimed at boosting economic and transport ties in the region.

500-600 Azerbaijani troops still in Armenia: Pashinyan presents the situation on borders

Boshkezenian Garik
Public Radio of Armenia
May 20 2021

Situation in the border regions of Gegharkunik and Syunik remains unchanged, Armenia’s acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the government sitting today.

He added that the situation remains tense as about 500-600 Azerbaijani servicemen still remain on the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

“The logic of our armed forces is the following: to restrain the potential of Azerbaijan’s actions through tactical steps. In political terms our goal is not to allow the situation spiral out of control and to do the utmost to exclude any scenario of war or military clashes and to get the Azerbaijani troops to pull back from the territory of Armenia,” Pashinyan said.

He stressed that Armenia’s opinion overlaps with that of international partners and noted that the movement of Azerbaijani troops goes counter to the trilateral statement of November 9.

Nikol Pashinyan noted that the opening of communications in the region is one of the priorities for the government, because the opening of communications is as necessary for Azerbaijan as it is for the Republic of Armenia.

On the other hand, he reiterated that Armenia has never discussed and will never discuss anything in the context of “corridor” logic.

Armenia to take steps to hold accountable those responsible for war crimes — ministry

Boshkezenian Garik
TASS, Russia
On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution urging Azerbaijan to release Armenian soldiers and civilians held captive since last year’s conflict

YEREVAN, May 22. /TASS/. Armenia is determined to take to international courts those who are responsible for war crimes, which could include the breach of humanitarian law by Azerbaijan, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

“The European Parliament has stated that violations of humanitarian law by Azerbaijan amount to enforced disappearance. The abovementioned violations are war crimes and Armenia will undertake necessary steps to bring the perpetrators of those crimes to international justice,” the statement says. “The Resolution clearly states that by intruding in the territory of Armenia on May 12, Azerbaijan violated international law and the territorial integrity of Armenia.”

On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution urging Azerbaijan to release Armenian soldiers and civilians held captive since last year’s conflict. Under the resolution, the European Parliament called on Yerevan and Baku to investigate possible violations of the Geneva Convention and look into any indications of war crimes. Additionally, the resolution says that Azerbaijani troops violated Armenia’s territorial integrity on May 12.

On May 12, Armenia’s Defense Ministry reported that early in the morning Azerbaijani forces had attempted to conduct “certain work” in an area bordering the Syunik region to “adjust the border.” The ministry said that after the Armenian detachments had taken action, Azerbaijani troops stopped the work. Later in the evening, Acting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan convened a meeting of the national Security Council to slam the incident as an encroachment on Armenia’s territory. Pashinyan claimed that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces crossed into Armenia, travelling 3.5 kilometers.

Armenian ombudsman: We must not allow Azerbaijani authorities to muddle us with fake peace process

Boshkezenian Garik
Panorama, Armenia

Peace is the highest value for us but we must not allow Azerbaijani authorities to muddle us with fake peace process, Armenia’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan said in a Facebook post on Friday.

“I specifically highlight again that the delimitation by itself, without creation of a security zone will not ensure rights of citizens of Armenia and especially border residents and will become cause of new violations and tensions, as long as these conditions exist:

1) The highest authorities of Azerbaijani not only did not stop, but also deepened the policy of Armenophobia and fascist enmity towards the entire population of Armenia, and the entire Armenian people. This is about genocidal policy.

2) Based on the same principle, the President of Azerbaijan constantly speaks in the language of threats about our country and the entire population. He is proud to have a generation grown up with feelings of hatred and animosity.

3) The Azerbaijani authorities deliberately continue to cause mental suffering to the families of the Armenian captives and missing persons, and violate the rights of the captives by not publishing the real numbers and not returning them to their homeland.

4) The real danger of recurrence of Azerbaijani atrocities during the war against Armenian civilians and servicemen has not been eliminated, while no one has been held responsible for what occurred.

5) The Azerbaijani armed servicemen are present illegally in the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia in the Gegharkunik and Syunik regions disturbing the peace of mind of the Armenian society.

6) In the vicinity of the villages of the Gegharkunik and Syunik regions, the Azerbaijani armed servicemen continue to grossly violate the rights of the border residents of Armenia (threatening Armenian citizens (including shepherds) by displaying their weapons to them, people are deprived of access to their lands, pastures, periodic shootings near the border villages of Armenia, etc.).

7) Gross violations of rights and provocations are recorded on the roads of between the communities of the Syunik region (pelting an Armenian civilian car with stones on the road from Goris to Kapan, dragging the shepherd of Aravus and punching him in the eye, blocking the road from Kapan to Chakaten village with an Azerbaijani car, refusing the return of the animals of the border residents of Armenia which have crossed over to lands under Azerbaijani control, and other incidents.) The placement of Azerbaijani armed servicemen, flags and signs on those roads continuously violate the rights of the Armenians citizens (psychological tensions, and intention to terrorize, restriction of the free movement of people, etc.).

Special note: In general, the demarcation process of borders is of fundamental importance for any country. It is also a guarantee for the protection of human rights.

However, the delimitation process may last for years, if not decades, and as long as the conditions listed by me do not exist, the urgency of real guaranteeing of the rights of the border residents of Armenia, and the Armenian citizens, requires the creation of a security zone around the Gegharkunik and Syunik regions, along all the sections of the border with Azerbaijan.

Therefore, the delimitation can be implemented only after the creation of the security zone, or at least, in parallel to its creation.

To restore the disrupted normal life of the Armenian citizens, and above all, that of the border residents, Azerbaijani armed servicemen, flags, and signs should be removed from the vicinity of the villages, and from the roads between the communities of Armenia.

Otherwise, the delimitation process in itself, will be accompanied by new violations of the rights of the citizens of the Armenia, and especially the border residents, and the increase of the tensions in the society. This will not secure peace in the region!” he said. 

Potential production of Sputnik V in Armenia under discussion

Boshkezenian Garik

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 15:53,

YEREVAN, MAY 21, ARMENPRESS. The possibility of a potential production of the Russian vaccine against the coronavirus in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan is under discussion, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his speech at the EEU summit.

“As you know we succeeded in rather quickly creating our own very effective and safe vaccines against the coronavirus, and soon the fourth vaccine will be put into circulation, the Sputnik Light,” he said, adding that the inoculation is actively proceeding in Russia.

“The production of Sputnik V is successfully localized, our colleagues here already said, in both Kazakhstan and in Belarus. Now the possibility of starting these productions in Armenia and Kyrgysztan is under discussion,” the Russian president said. He emphasized that Russia is the only country which is handing over the technologies of the vaccines.

Putin said that given the present-day circumstances Russia finds it important to focus on cooperation in pharmaceutical safety. He said that Russian-made medications against the coronavirus have already been produced and they are highly effective.

He said that EEU experts must prepare by yearend an action plan on ensuring EEU countries with essential medications not only for treating the coronavirus but other dangerous diseases.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

PACE rapporteur to visit Armenia to study humanitarian consequences of NK conflict

Boshkezenian Garik

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 14:32,

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. Paul Gavan (Ireland, UEL) will visit Armenia on behalf of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) from 19 to 22 May 2021, to gather information for his report on “The humanitarian consequences of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan”, the PACE said in a statement.

“He will hold meetings with parliamentarians, including the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, and with representatives of different ministries dealing with the humanitarian consequences of the conflict. He will also have an opportunity to hear from displaced persons and the families of captives and the missing, and will meet with religious leaders, the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, and civil society representatives.

The visit will also allow him to understand better the role and contribution of international organizations working on this issue in Armenia, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations agencies, in particular the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Mr Gavan plans to continue his work over the summer, visiting Azerbaijan to gather further information, and aims to complete his report in the autumn”, the statement says.