Author: Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS

AW: National Funeral Service to be held for Prof. Richard Hovannisian

Emil Lazarian
 Guest Contributor Obituaries 0

Professor Richard G. Hovannisian, a paragon of enlightenment and learning from one century into another, passed away on July 10, 2023, at UCLA Hospital, on the same university campus where he taught for 60 years.

The community wake will take place on Wednesday, July 19 at 7 p.m. at Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church, located at 900 W. Lincoln Ave., Montebello, CA 90640.

The national funeral service will be held on Saturday, July 22 at 11 a.m. at Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, located at 2226 Ventura Ave., Fresno, CA 93721.

Prof. Hovannisian is survived by:

Son, Raffi and Armenouhi Hovannisian, children and grandson
Son, Armen and Elizabeth Hovannisian, children and granddaughter
Daughter, Ani and Armenio Kevorkian and children
Son, Garo and Arsineh Hovannisian and children
Sister-in-law, Nazik Kotcholosian Messerlian and family
Brothers John, Ralph and Vernon Hovannisian families (Fresno-Visalia)
In-laws, Takouhi Khatchikian family
Zabel Aranosian family
Seda Artounians family
Zohrab Kevorkian family

And all relatives, friends, colleagues and students.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Orran (Center for Underprivileged Children in Armenia), c/o 2217 Observatory Ave., Los Angeles CA 90027 or the Richard G. Hovannisian Scholarship Fund/Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School, c/o 101 Groverton Place, Los Angeles, CA 90077.

Hundreds of European NGOs demand their leaders to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan

Emil Lazarian

 14:36,

YEREVAN, 15 JULY, ARMENPRESS․ More than 470 European NGOs and associations have sent a letter to the leaders of the European Union, urging them to take immediate and effective steps to end the ongoing illegal blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan.

ARMENPRESS reports, the letter is addressed to the Presidents of the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament, and EU High Representative, as well as the heads of the member states of the European Union and the Council of Europe.

“We, the civil society organizations and associations from Europe, are addressing to you our deepest concerns regarding the native Armenian population of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh):

 Since 12 December 2022 the native Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh/Artsakh – 120.000 people, including 30.000 children, have been facing existential threat by Azerbaijan, in total violation of international law, Geneva Convention and despite the ongoing negotiations. The November 2020 ceasefire statement, also signed by Azerbaijan after its devastating attack on Artsakh that left 6.000 dead, is being regularly violated by Azerbaijan. The latter continuously carries acts of aggressions against the native Armenian population of Artsakh and violates the sovereign borders of the Republic of Armenia.

On 22 February, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of the United Nations ordered Azerbaijan to immediately lift the blockade of the Lachin corridor. The goal of the blockade is obvious – the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh. In its resolution adopted in March 2023 the European Parliament calls on the EU Council to impose sanctions against Azerbaijani government officials, if the ICJ’s order of 22 February is not immediately implemented.  Despite this, and the numerous voices being raised across Europe and around the world, we regretfully observe that the European Commission continues to congratulate itself on its gas partnership with a dictatorship ranked among the worst on the planet – Azerbaijan. A government that is notorious for its deep-rooted corruption at the highest level, and which hires jihadist mercenaries as a support to its army.

In the name of respect for human rights, the values that European democracies claim to stand for, in the name of the sovereign right of peoples to self-determination and as citizens contributing to the prosperity and influence of the European Union who are concerned about its future, we solemnly ask you to act without delay and

  • demand once again that Azerbaijan immediately stops violating the November 9 ceasefire statement and remove the checkpoint on the Hakari-bridge installed in blatant violation of the binding order of the ICJ and international commitments, unblock the Lachin Corridor, secure the free and safe movement of people and goods to and from Artsakh;
  • impose economic and political sanctions on Azerbaijan and its leaders for non-compliance with international provisions, for the occupation of part of the territory of the Republic of Armenia, for Azerbaijan’s war crimes and for the blockade vis-à-vis Artsakh;
  • use all your leverage to prevent any control of Baku over Artsakh since this inevitably means the ethnic cleansing of the native Armenian population of Artsakh; 
  • recognize the right to self-determination of the native Armenian population of Artsakh as indispensable and use the leverage at your disposal to ensure that the status of Artsakh reflects the democratic _expression_ of will of its native Armenian population and enables sustainable peace as well as security;
  • set up an air corridor in order to provide emergency economic and humanitarian aid to Artsakh and to guarantee the safety of air links from Stepanakert airport;
  • put pressure on Azerbaijan to immediately and unconditionally withdraw all its troops from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and stop its aggressive stance towards Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia as a prerequisite for peace talks. 

The native Armenian people of Artsakh demand nothing less and nothing more than the protection of their fundamental and inalienable right to live as a free people in safety and with dignity in their own homeland. We sincerely hope that their voices as well as ours will be heard!

Blocking of Lachin Corridor, humanitarian crisis in NK and other issues discussed at Pashinyan-Michel-Aliyev meeting

Emil Lazarian

 18:54,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. The trilateral meeting of Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev took place in Brussels, ARMENPRESS was infomred from the Office of the Prime Minister. 

During the meeting, the deepening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh caused by Azerbaijan's illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor, border delimitation and works for ensuring border security between the two countries, the unblocking of regional transport and economic infrastructures, the agreement on the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, addressing the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as issues related to prisoners, missing persons and other humanitarian issues were discussed.

An agreement was reached to intensify the work towards the solution of the discussed issues.

RFE/RL Armenian Service – 07/15/2023

Emil Lazarian 
                                        Saturday, 



Russia Alarmed By Consequences Of Karabakh’s Blockade


Russia - A view of the Russian Foreign Ministry building in Moscow, January 13, 
2019.


Russia on Saturday again urged Azerbaijan to immediately lift the seven-month 
blockade of the Lachin corridor, saying that the resulting humanitarian crisis 
in Nagorno-Karabakh could have “the most dramatic consequences” for the region’s 
population.

It also appeared to link the worsening plight of the Karabakh Armenians to 
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s decision to recognize Karabakh as part 
of Azerbaijan.

“The humanitarian crisis in that territory is deepening,” the Russian Foreign 
Ministry said in a statement. “The local population is experiencing an acute 
shortage of food, medicine, basic necessities, and is practically deprived of 
electricity and gas supply. This may entail the most dramatic consequences for 
the Karabakh Armenians - ordinary residents of the region.

“We strongly urge the Azerbaijani leadership to take urgent measures for the 
immediate unblocking the Lachin corridor and the resumption of unhindered 
movement of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions along it as well as 
energy supply to the region.”

The statement came one month after Baku further tightened the blockade by 
banning Russian peacekeepers from shipping limited amounts of food, medicine and 
fuel to Karabakh. This aggravated the shortages of essential items there.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH -- An armored personnel carrier of the Russian peacekeeping 
forces is seen in Dadivank Monastery, November 24, 2020

Thousands of Karabakh Armenians attended on Friday a demonstration organized by 
the authorities in Stepanakert in protest against the blockade. Speaking at the 
rally, Karabakh leaders demanded that Russia and its peacekeeping contingent 
unblock the Lachin corridor.

The Armenian government has repeatedly criticized the peacekeepers for not 
ensuring Baku’s compliance with the 2020 ceasefire agreement which was brokered 
by Moscow and placed the corridor under their control.

In a clear response to that criticism, the Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out 
that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian recognized Azerbaijani sovereignty over 
Karabakh during his October 2022 and May 2023 meetings with Azerbaijani 
President Ilham Aliyev mediated by the European Union.

“While we respect the sovereign decision of the Armenian leadership, this 
radically changed the underlying conditions in which the Statement of the 
leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia of November 9, 2020 was signed as well 
as the position of the Russian peacekeeping contingent deployed in the region,” 
read its statement. “We believe that in these conditions, responsibility for the 
fate of the Armenian population of Karabakh should not be shifted to third 
countries.”

Belgium - European Council President Charles Michel hosts talks between the 
leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels, May 14, 2023.

The Armenian opposition has likewise said that Pashinian’s decision to agree to 
the restoration of Azerbaijani control over Karabakh emboldened Baku to tighten 
the screws on the Karabakh Armenians. Not surprisingly, some opposition leaders 
seized upon the Russian Foreign Ministry statement to again attack the prime 
minister.

In a Facebook post, Andranik Tevanian, a lawmaker representing the main 
opposition Hayastan alliance, said Moscow made clear that “the siege of Artsakh 
is a consequence of the decision made by Nikol Pashinian in Prague in 2022.”

“Simply put, the Russian side is saying that ‘if the Armenian government has 
surrendered Artsakh, what do you want from us?’” wrote Tigran Abrahamian of the 
Pativ Unem bloc. “It is hinting that their rules of the game did not presuppose 
Azerbaijanization of Artsakh.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry also stated on Saturday that a peace treaty 
currently discussed by Baku and Yerevan must contain “reliable and clear 
guarantees of the rights and security of the Armenians of Karabakh.”

Moscow has been very critical of the EU and U.S. efforts to broker an 
Armenian-Azerbaijani peace accord, saying that they are ultimately aimed at 
driving Russia out of the South Caucasus. The Western powers have denied that.




EU Chief Hosts Another Armenian-Azeri Summit


Belgium - EU Council President Charles Michel meets the leaders of Armenia and 
Azerbaijan in Brussels, .


Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev 
met in Brussels on Saturday for fresh talks hosted by the European Union’s top 
official, Charles Michel.

Speaking after the trilateral meeting, Michel gave no indications that Aliyev 
and Pashinian narrowed their differences on an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty 
discussed by them. He said he urged them to “take further courageous steps to 
ensure decisive and irreversible progress on the normalization track.”

“Even though our meeting took place in the context of a worrying increase in 
tensions on the ground, I noted an important momentum in the political 
discussions and efforts,” Michel said in a statement to the press.

“The Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders once again fully reconfirmed the respect 
for the other country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty based on the 
understanding that Armenia’s territory covers 29,800 square kilometers and 
Azerbaijan’s 86,600 square kilometers.”

“Real progress depends on the next steps that will need to be taken in the near 
future,” added the president of the European Council, the EU’s top 
decision-making body.

An Armenian government statement on the talks said the three leaders agreed to 
“intensify the work towards the settlement of the discussed issues,” which 
included not only the would-be treaty but also Azerbaijan’s continuing blockade 
of the Lachin corridor, “the rights and security” of the Karabakh Armenians and 
planned transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

According to Aliyev’s office, the agenda of the meeting included Baku’s demands 
for “the withdrawal of Armenian army units from Azerbaijani territory” and the 
dissolution of Karabakh’s “illegal” armed forces. Armenia has repeatedly denied 
any military presence in Karabakh.

Pashinian said last week that the peace accord is not “yet ready for signing.” 
The Armenian Foreign Ministry reported earlier that Baku and Yerevan continue to 
disagree on practical modalities of delimiting the Armenian-Azerbaijani border 
and organizing a dialogue between Baku and Karabakh’s leadership.

Michel voiced support for such a dialogue, saying that Karabakh’s ethnic 
Armenian population “needs reassurances first and foremost regarding the rights 
and security.” He signaled no further progress on this issue made in Brussels.

Turning to the Azerbaijani blockade and the resulting humanitarian crisis in 
Karabakh, Michel said he discussed with Aliyev and Pashinian “possible concrete 
steps to help bring the situation back to normal.” “I emphasized the need to 
open the Lachin road,” he said without reporting any understandings on this 
score.

Pashinian charged earlier this month that the seven-month blockage of Karabakh’s 
only land link with Armenia reflects Baku’s intention to commit “genocide” in 
the region. He made clear at the same time that he will not deviate from his 
“peace agenda” denounced by the Armenian opposition as well as Karabakh’s 
leadership. Opposition leaders claim that Baku was emboldened by his recent 
pledge to sign a peace deal upholding Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh.


Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Nagorno-Karabakh: Yerevan-Baku talks in Brussels as tensions rise and Moscow tries to regain control

Emil Lazarian

Talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia on Nagorno-Karabakh were held in Brussels on Saturday, as Russia proposed to organise a summit in Moscow to regain control of the peace process.

Nagorno-Karabakh, a region with a majority Armenian population but internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, is at the heart of a territorial dispute between Baku and Yerevan that has led to two wars.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Brussels under the auspices of European Council President Charles Michel.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said the discussions had focused in particular on "the worsening humanitarian crisis in Nagorny Karabakh," and that both sides had "agreed to intensify work aimed at resolving existing problems."

"Our exchanges were once again frank, honest and substantive," said Michel in a short statement at the end of the meeting. 

He encouraged both leaders "to take courageous steps to ensure decisive and irreversible progress towards normalisation."

"As a matter of priority, violence and harsh rhetoric must cease in order to create an environment conducive to peace talks." 

He announced his intention to organise a further meeting with Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan in Brussels after the summer, as well as a five-way discussion at the beginning of October in Granada in southern Spain, with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on the sidelines of the next summit of the European Political Community.

On Wednesday, Washington – which has previously held meetings between Baku and Yerevan in May and June – called for the restoration of free movement on the Lachin Corridor, the only road linking Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh. 

The road was closed on Tuesday by Azerbaijan on the grounds of "smuggling" by the Armenian branch of the Red Cross. Yerevan has been concerned about a worsening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh for several months, due to increasingly difficult access to the region. 

Pashinyan denounced what he called the illegal "blockade" of Nagorny Karabakh on Thursday, and several thousand people demonstrated in Stepanakert, the region's main town, on Friday, calling on Baku to reopen the route.

On Friday, the Red Cross was able to resume medical evacuations from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. 

The involvement of Western countries, notably the EU, in the region has grown since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

In autumn 2020, Moscow sponsored the ceasefire agreement at the end of a six-week war that saw the defeat of Armenian forces, the death of more than 6,000 people and the displacement of more than 90,000 people into Armenia. 

Armenian forces were then forced to cede parts of Nagorno-Karabkah to Azerbaijan. 

Russia pledged to deploy soldiers to guarantee freedom of movement between Armenia and Karabakh, but Yerevan has since accused Moscow of failing in this task.

On Saturday, in an effort to regain control of the process, Moscow offered to host a meeting at the foreign minister level, while suggesting that the future peace treaty could be signed in Moscow.

Russia is ready "to organise a trilateral meeting of foreign ministers in Moscow in the near future," stressed the Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement.

Moscow is also offering to host "a Russia-Azerbaijan-Armenia summit in due course to sign the relevant [peace] treaty."

But for the moment, tensions have risen a notch.

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense claimed on Saturday that Armenian separatists are producing "radioelectric interference directed against the GPS navigation systems of local and foreign airlines" flying in Azerbaijan.

"These incidents pose a serious threat to aviation safety," the ministry said in a statement.

According to the source, on July 13, an Azerbaijan Airlines plane on a flight to the Nagorno-Karabakh town of Fizuli suffered a GPS system failure due to suspected interference.

The Armenian separatist authorities have rejected these accusations, calling them an "absolute lie".

https://www.euronews.com/2023/07/15/nagorno-karabakh-yerevan-baku-talks-in-brussels-as-tensions-rise-and-moscow-tries-to-regai 


Azerbaijan, Armenia hold talks, Russia proposes Moscow summit

Emil Lazarian
First Post
FP Staff Last Updated: 09:10:54 IST

    Azerbaijan and Armenia launched a new round of peace negotiations mediated by the EU on Saturday, while Russia proposed a conference in Moscow to reaffirm its leadership position in the normalisation process.

    Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Brussels to discuss ending their decades-long war over Armenian-populated Karabakh.

    The meetings were “frank, honest, and substantive,” according to European Council President Charles Michel, who mediated them.

    “I encouraged them to take courageous steps to ensure decisive and irreversible progress on a normalisation track,” he added.

    Michel said he planned a new meeting between Aliyev and Pashinyan in Brussels, as well as another in October in Spain with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.

    The meetings came after Azerbaijan cut the only land route between Karabakh and Armenia on Tuesday.

    Baku criticises Moscow

    Baku and Yerevan have been trying to negotiate a peace deal with the help of the European Union and the United States, whose growing diplomatic engagement in the Caucasus has irked traditional regional power broker Russia.

    Moscow on Saturday offered to host the two countries’ foreign ministers and suggested a future peace treaty could be signed in Moscow.

    Russia is ready “to organise a trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers in Moscow in the near future”, the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

    It also urged Azerbaijan to reopen the Lachin Corridor and said Armenia’s recent recognition of Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan “has radically changed the standing of the Russian peacekeeping contingent”.

    “Under such conditions, the responsibility for the destiny of Karabakh’s Armenian population should not be shifted onto third countries,” it said, a possible reference to the Armenian separatists’ calls for Moscow to ensure the reopening of the land link.

    Azerbaijan reacted angrily, accusing Russia of failing to fulfil its obligations under a 2020 Moscow-brokered ceasefire.

    “The Russian side did not ensure full implementation of the agreement within the framework of its obligations,” Baku’s foreign ministry said, adding that Moscow “did nothing to prevent” Armenia’s military supplies from reaching separatist forces in Karabakh.

    Adding to tensions with Yerevan, Azerbaijan’s defence ministry accused Armenian separatist forces in Karabakh of using “radio interference against… passenger aircraft flying through our country’s airspace”.

    Karabakh’s rebel authorities dismissed the claims as an “absolute lie”.

    Uneasy peace talks

    On Friday, around 6,000 people rallied in Karabakh, calling for the reopening of the five-kilometre-wide Lachin Corridor.

    Local separatists, warning of a humanitarian crisis, urged Moscow to ensure free movement through the road.

    Azerbaijan later allowed the Red Cross to resume medical evacuations from Karabakh to Armenia.

    Karabakh has been at the centre of a decades-long dispute between the two countries, which have fought two wars over the mountainous territory.

    During previous rounds of Western-mediated talks, Baku and Yerevan made progress towards a peace agreement, but its signature remains a distant prospect.

    Yerevan agreed to recognise Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan but demanded international mechanisms for protecting the rights and security of the region’s ethnic-Armenian population.

    Baku insists such guarantees must be provided at the national level, rejecting any international format.

    The 2020 ceasefire deal saw Armenia cede swathes of territories it had controlled for decades, while Moscow deployed peacekeepers to the Lachin Corridor to ensure free passage between Armenia and Karabakh.

    Armenia has relied on Russia for military and economic support since the collapse of the Soviet Union. It has accused Moscow — bogged down in its war against Ukraine — of failing to fulfil its peacekeeping role in Karabakh.

    https://www.firstpost.com/world/azerbaijan-armenia-hold-talks-russia-proposes-moscow-summit-12872532.html

    Armenian, Azeri, EU leaders agree to resolve Karabakh issues

    Emil Lazarian
     MEHR News Agency
    Iran –

    TEHRAN, Jul. 16 (MNA) – Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, EU President Charles Michel, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev agreed at a meeting in Brussels to intensify efforts to resolve the issues under discussion.

    A trilateral meeting of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was held in Brussels. The meeting focused on the deepening humanitarian crisis in Karabakh sparked by Azerbaijan’s blocking of the Lachin Corridor. They discussed the processes of demarcation and security on the border between the two countries, the unblocking of regional transport and economic infrastructure, the agreement on settling relations between the two countries, and reached an agreement to enhance efforts for resolving the issues under discussion, the Armenian government's statement said, TASS reported.

    The government’s press service pointed out that the three leaders touched upon the process of signing a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, legal and security issues for the people of Karabakh related to prisoners, missing persons, and other humanitarian issues.

    RHM/PR

    Azerbaijan, Armenia hold peace talks mediated by EU in fresh attempt to end hostilities

    Emil Lazarian
    Iran –
    Sunday, 6:31 AM  [ Last Update: Sunday, 10:52 AM ]

    Azerbaijan and Armenia have held fresh peace talks mediated by the European Union as the two neighboring countries attempt once again to end decades-long hostilities linked to the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

    European Union Council President Charles Michel, who mediated the new round of peace talks, stated on Saturday that peace and normalization of ties between Azerbaijan and Armenia could be achieved if both sides avoid violence and harsh rhetoric.

    “Real progress depends on the next steps that will need to be taken in the near future. As a matter of priority, violence, and harsh rhetoric should stop in order to provide the proper environment for peace and normalization talks,” Michel said.

    The EU Council president further emphasized that the current hostile state of affairs was clearly not sustainable and in no one’s interest.

    Michel made the remarks after holding trilateral talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, describing the exchanges between the two leaders as “frank, honest and substantive.”

    The three officials discussed during the talks possible measures to help bring the situation back to normal in Nagorno-Karabakh, a majority Armenian-populated enclave that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan's territory.

    “I encouraged them to take courageous steps to ensure decisive and irreversible progress on a normalization track,” Michel added.

    Armenia, Azerbaijan may sign peace treaty by end of 2023: Official

    Armenia and Azerbaijan may sign a peace treaty to end the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh by the end of 2023, a senior Armenian official says.

    Russia, meanwhile, also offered on Saturday to host the two countries’ foreign ministers and suggested that a future peace treaty could be signed in Moscow, which played a key role in the past to establish peace between the warring sides.

    Nagorno-Karabakh has been at the center of a dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia for more than three decades.

    Since gaining independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991, the two neighboring countries have fought two wars, in 1994 and 2020, over the mountainous territory.

    In the second Karabakh war, more than 6,500 people died on both sides in the six-week conflict.

    Pashinyan has reportedly expressed Yerevan’s willingness to also recognize Azerbaijan's sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh, but has expressed serious concerns about transportation and various other limits imposed on the territory by Baku.

    https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/07/16/707139/Azerbaijan,-Armenia-hold-new-EU-mediated-talks-to-end-hostilities

    Baku Accuses Red Cross of Abetting ‘Smuggling’ into Artsakh

    Emil Lazarian
    by Asbarez Staff

     

     July 11, 2023

     

    in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

    Groups like the ICRC are barred from entering Artsakh due to the Azerbaijani blockade


    Artsakh Accuses Baku of Trying to Shut Down ICRC Office in Artsakh

    Azerbaijan on Tuesday accused the International Committee of the Red Cross of abetting “smuggling” of contraband from Armenia to Artsakh and using the excuse to again shut down the Lachin Corridor to ICRC’s humanitarian transports.

    Baku alleged that on July 1, 3 and 5 that vehicles representing the ICRC attempted to transport various items without the proper customs checks.

    The Azerbaijani border patrol department said that “the illegal truck was carrying cigarettes, cell phones and gasoline.”

    “Despite the fact that the International Committee of the Red Cross was warned about this through official channels, the illegal actions continued, and the necessary steps were not taken to curb them,” the Azerbaijani border patrol said, adding that the Lachin Corridor will remain closed until a criminal investigation is concluded.

    The ICRC issued a statement saying that its work remains humanitarian in nature, but acknowledged that drivers hired by the group had transported commercial goods into Artsakh.

    “The ICRC is aware of concerns raised about the transport of unauthorized goods across the Lachin Corridor and does not support any such activity. No unauthorized material has been found in any vehicle belonging to ICRC. All cargo is subject to customs checks by the Republic of Azerbaijan,” said the ICRC in a statement on Tuesday.

    “However, we regret that without our knowledge four hired drivers tried to transport some commercial goods in their own vehicles which were temporarily displaying the ICRC emblem. These individuals were not ICRC staff members and their service contracts were immediately terminated by the ICRC,” the statement explained.

    “Our work along the Lachin corridor is always strictly humanitarian. This essential work, which has allowed more than 600 patients to be evacuated for medical care and for medical supplies, food, baby formula and other essentials to reach health care facilities and families, must be allowed to continue. This work is always done with the agreement of the sides and makes a difference to the lives of thousands of people,” said the ICRC.

    The Artsakh Human Rights Defenders office accused Baku of attempting to close down the ICRC offices in Artsakh and force the international organization to operate as part of its operations in Azerbaijan.

    Touching on the situation that prompted Tuesday’s closure of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan, the Artsakh rights defender’s office said that Baku was using this matter as a pretext to completely cut off humanitarian aid assistance, pointing out that the existence of a checkpoint at the Hakari bridge is illegal.

    “Vehicles belonging to the ICRC are hardly being searched in any part of the world as thoroughly as they are at the illegally installed checkpoint of Azerbaijan, which aims to deliberately obstruct the mission of the only international humanitarian organization in Artsakh,” the Artsakh rights defender said in a statement. “Azerbaijan is clearly ignoring the special status of the ICRC defined by international law, which envisages the inviolability of ICRC personnel, vehicles and cargo.”

    “By undermining the activities of the ICRC, the Azerbaijani side once again is proving that humanitarian issues and the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh are used as a leverage to apply pressure on the peaceful population of Artsakh and create unbearable living conditions for them,” explained the statement.

    Medical Evacuations Resume From Karabakh To Armenia: Red Cross To AFP

    Emil Lazarian
    BARRON'S
    • FROM AFP NEWS

    The evacuation of patients from Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia resumed Friday, after Baku shut the road linking the enclave to its neighbour, the Red Cross said.

    "Evacuation of patients by the Red Cross from Karabakh to hospitals in Armenia resumed today (Friday)," the Red Cross's Armenian branch spokeswoman Zara Amatuni told AFP, adding that "11 patients in serious condition were transported through the Lachin Corridor" which Baku shut Tuesday, sparking concerns over a humanitarian crisis in the region.

    mkh-im/sea/lcm