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

Nagorno-Karabakh: Thousands Of People Demonstrate To Demand The Opening Of The Corridor To Armenia

Emil Lazarian
ASIA
By David Sadler

Thousands of people are demonstrating on Friday, July 14, in Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, to demand the reopening of the Lachin corridor, the only road between Armenia and this separatist region, closed this week by Azerbaijan, a noted a correspondent of Agence France-Presse. Around 6,000 protesters gathered in the city’s main square in the morning. The closure of the Lachin corridor, according to Armenia, raises the risk of a serious humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The day before, Minister of State Gurgen Nersisyan, an official from Nagorno-Karabakh, asked on social networks that Russia, which has had a contingent of peacekeepers on site since the end of 2020, to restore the traffic on the corridor. “The situation is terrible and will have irreversible consequences in a few days”, he added.

Azerbaijan announced on Tuesday that it had suspended traffic in the corridor on the grounds that drivers working for the Armenian branch of the Red Cross had made “contraband” of goods on this axis, which the International Committee of the Red Cross rejects.

On Thursday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian announced that he will take part in negotiations with Azerbaijan on Saturday under the aegis of the European Union, while denouncing a “blockade” Nagorno-Karabakh illegal.

Read also: Armenia demands that international NGOs have access to Nagorno-Karabakh

Since December, Armenia has been alerting the international community to shortages of food and medicine caused by traffic restrictions on the corridor. In April, Azerbaijan announced the creation of a roadblock at the entrance to the Lachin corridor, for security reasons, while armed incidents between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces still occur regularly.

The two Caucasian countries have been fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh since the late 1980s, resulting in two wars, the last of which, in 2020, saw the defeat of Armenian forces and significant territory gains for Azerbaijan. Part of the enclave, with an ethnic Armenian majority but located on the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan, remains under the control of Armenian separatists, but it is now surrounded by territories held by Baku.

The World with AFP


https://globeecho.com/news/asia/nagorno-karabakh-thousands-of-people-demonstrate-to-demand-the-opening-of-the-corridor-to-armenia/

Thousands In Breakaway Karabakh Demand Opening Of Armenia Corridor

Emil Lazarian
BARRON'S
By AFP – Agence France Presse

Thousands rallied Friday in Azerbaijan's restive Nagorno-Karabakh region, demanding Baku reopen the enclave's sole land link with Armenia, an AFP reporter witnessed.

Some 6,000 people gathered at the central square of Karabakh's main city, Stepanakert, after Baku's closure of the vital road to Armenia sparked concerns over a humanitarian crisis in the region.

On Thursday, a separatist official in the Armenian-populated enclave called on Russia to ensure free movement on the Lachin Corridor after Azerbaijan had shut it temporarily, accusing the Armenian branch of the Red Cross of smuggling.

"We ask to ensure unimpeded movement, transportation of people and cargo along the corridor connecting Artsakh with Armenia," said Gurgen Nersisyan, a state minister in the separatist government, using the Armenian name for the region.

"The situation is terrible, in a few days we will have irreversible consequences," he added in a statement on Thursday evening.

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan earlier announced fresh EU-mediated peace talks with Baku, as Western engagement grows in region where traditional power broker Russia – distracted by its war in Ukraine — appears to be losing influence.

Karabakh has been at the centre of a decades-long territorial dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which have fought two wars over the mountainous territory, mainly populated by Armenians.

Russia sponsored the latest ceasefire that ended six weeks of fighting in autumn 2020 and saw Armenia cede swathes of territories it had controlled for decades.

Under the deal, the five-kilometre-wide Lachin Corridor was to be manned by Russian peacekeepers to ensure free passage between Armenia and Karabakh.

str-im/yad

https://www.barrons.com/news/thousands-in-breakaway-karabakh-demand-opening-of-armenia-corridor-3772b021

The bilateral visa-free regime for citizens of Armenia and Georgia has gone into effect

Emil Lazarian
  • JAMnews
  • Tbilisi

Georgia-Armenia visa-free travel

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, the agreement on bilateral visa-free movement between Georgia and Armenia has gone into effect.

Now citizens of Georgia and Armenia have the right to travel back and forth using their identity documents through the designated border crossing allowed for international travel.

Prime Ministers of Georgia and Armenia, Irakli Garibashvili and Nikol Pashinyan, signed the agreement to facilitate the process of crossing the Georgian-Armenian border for citizens of both countries on January 12, 2023, in Yerevan.

“The agreement aims to provide even more favorable conditions for mutual movement of citizens of Georgia and Armenia,” the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia reads.

The new agreement replaces the visa-free movement agreement signed on May 19, 1993, between the Republic of Georgia and the Republic of Armenia.

  • Geopolitical shift in South Caucasus: waning Russian influence
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  • Op-ed: why Georgia and Armenia need each other

On January 12, the Prime Ministers of Georgia and Armenia signed a document on further simplification of crossing the border between Georgia and Armenia for citizens of both countries, according to which citizens of the Republic of Armenia and citizens of Georgia will be able to cross the borders using their identity documents.

“Today’s agenda is very broad and includes various areas – transportation, communication, technology, healthcare, agriculture, and more. I am confident that the agreements reached during the meeting will give a new impetus to Armenian-Georgian relations,” said Nikol Pashinyan at the time.

The Prime Minister of Armenia also noted that from January to November 2022, the trade turnover between the two countries increased by approximately 70 percent.

https://jam-news.net/georgia-armenia-visa-free-travel/

Greece Must Support Armenia

Emil Lazarian
The National Herald, Greece

By Theodore Karakostas

National Herald

During the Genocide’s death marches, an Armenian woman kneeling beside dead child in a field near Aleppo, Syria, as witnessed by the American Committee for Relief in the Near East. Photo: Public domain

During the Genocide’s death marches, an Armenian woman kneeling beside dead child in a field near Aleppo, Syria, as witnessed by the American Committee for Relief in the Near East. (Photo: Public domain)

Greece and Cyprus have very few friends in the world. The Hellenic world’s closest friends are unquestionably the Armenians. Greeks and Armenians died together in the Turkish orchestrated genocide of 1914 to 1923. Greek and Armenian Christians were hunted down by the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal in Smyrna to be murdered. Greece, Cyprus, and Armenia are out of favor with the powerful of the world.

Armenia faces an existential threat. For thirty years, Armenia ruled the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. In 2020, the government in Baku backed by Ankara launched a bloody war of aggression and committed war crimes and crimes against humanity against Armenian civilians. The so called ‘free’ world stood aside and did nothing, just as the Russians did nothing. America and Europe espouse democracy and Russia espouses Christianity but here is an Islamic dictatorship attempting to eradicate a Christian democracy and no one lifts a finger.

The horrors of 9/11 have been forgotten. Azerbaijan and Turkey have assisted and been assisted by Syrian elements that were part of Al Qaida. Does anyone remember those bloodthirsty terrorists? One hundred years after the culmination of the mass exterminations of Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks by the Turks, the prospect of renewed genocide remains a horrific reality.

The threat that Armenia faces is shared by Greece and Cyprus. The Turkish elections brought to the forefront two evil and deranged psychopaths who were competing for the Turkish Presidency. President Erdogan’s extreme threats to shoot missiles into Athens and to seize the Greek islands are well known. His challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu accused Erdogan of tolerating Greek ‘occupation’ of the islands. Turkish leaders vary in their ideology but not on eternal hatred of Greeks, Armenians, Assyrians, and Kurds.

Greece is a member of the European Union and NATO. For the most part, this has not done Greece any good as the west supports Turkey uncritically. The Greek government has attempted to follow the western line on Ukraine in a failed attempt to curry favor with the west. Greece should be paying more attention to the Armenians. What happens to Greece and Cyprus will depend heavily on what happens to Armenia. If Armenia falls to the combined evil of Azerbaijan and Turkey, Greece and Cyprus will be next.

Athens must champion the Armenian cause in Europe and NATO and must use any leverage it can muster to back all Armenian rights. The Armenian cause is the Greek cause. It is a morally righteous cause in a fight for survival. Greece has placed way too much confidence in the western world. At this late date, not much can be done about that, but Greece must work to support the Armenians who need as much diplomatic support as possible.

International pressure is being imposed on Armenia to make concessions to the regime in Baku. This is similar to the pressure that was exerted on Greece in 1922 to give up its rights on Constantinople and Asia Minor. It is similar to the pressure the west tries time and again to pressure Greece to make concessions on Cyprus.

Greece’s relationship with Armenia is not artificial like those with its ‘allies’ in NATO. This is a real friendship that was solidified in blood.

Greece must stand firmly with the Armenians.

Theodore G. Karakostas is the author of the books ‘In the Shadow of Hagia Sophia’, and ‘With This Sign Conquer’.




Creative Resistance: A Literary Reading in Paintings, Poetry, Collage and Fiction

Emil Lazarian
 Guest Contributor Literary Corner, Announcements 0

BOSTON, Mass.—The Midway Gallery will present poet Arthur Kayzakian and novelist Nancy Agabian on Sunday, July 23 at 4 p.m., who will read from their recent books which demonstrate creativity as a form of personal transformation and political resistance. A conversation and book signing will follow with books by both authors available for sale. Admission is free and refreshments will be served.

In Kayzakian’s The Book of Redacted Paintings, the narrative arc follows a boy in search of his father’s painting, but it is unclear whether the painting exists or not. The book, a poetry collection, is also populated by a series of paintings. Some are real, incomplete and/or missing, while most are redacted from reality. The withdrawn paintings concept is the emotional arc of the book, a combination of wishing one could paint the pieces he/she/they envision and the feeling of something torn out of a person due to a traumatic upbringing—a sort of erasure ekphrasis, to foresee artwork that was never painted.

Kayzakian is the winner of the 2021 Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing Series award for The Book of Redacted Paintings, which was also selected as a finalist for the 2021 Philip Levine Prize for Poetry. He is also the winner of the Finishing Line Press Open Chapbook Competition for his chapbook, My Burning City. He has been a finalist for the Locked Horn Press Chapbook Prize, Two Sylvias Press Chapbook Prize, the C.D. Wright Prize and the Black River Chapbook Competition. He is a contributing editor at Poetry International and a recipient of the Minas Savvas Fellowship. His work has appeared in or is forthcoming from several publications, including Taos Journal of International Poetry & Art, COUNTERCLOCK, Chicago Review, Nat. Brut, Michigan Quarterly Review, Witness Magazine and Prairie Schooner. 

In Agabian’s The Fear of Large and Small Nations, feminist writer and teacher Natalee—aka Na—seeks to reclaim her cultural roots in Armenia only to be confronted with the many contradictions of being a diasporan. When she falls for a charismatic younger man and returns with him to New York City, Na becomes trapped in an abusive web of codependency, bound by intergenerational trauma and political ideals. Written in short stories collaged with intimate journal entries and blog posts, the fragmented narrative reveals what is lost in the tightrope passage between cultures ravaged by violence and colonialism—and what is gained when Na seizes control of her story, pulsating in its many shades and realities, daring to be witnessed.

Agabian’s previous books include Me as her again: True Stories of an Armenian Daughter (aunt lute books), a memoir honored as a Lambda Literary Award finalist for LGBT Nonfiction and shortlisted for a William Saroyan International Writing Prize, and Princess Freak (Beyond Baroque Books), a collection of poetry and performance art texts. In 2021 she was awarded Lambda Literary Foundation’s Jeanne Cόrdova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction. The Fear of Large and Small Nations, a finalist for the PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, is her first novel.




Blinken Stresses Importance of Lifting Artsakh Blockade in Call with Aliyev

Emil Lazarian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

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

Azerbaijan's illegal checkpoint at the Lachin Corridor


Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized to President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan the importance of lifting the seven-month-long blockade of Artsakh.

“Secretary of State Blinken emphasized the need for free movement of commercial, humanitarian and private vehicles through the Lachin Corridor. He emphasized that both sides should maintain the positive progress of the negotiations leading to a lasting and dignified peace,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.

Blinken also expressed the continued support of the United States to the Armenia-Azerbaijan and emphasized the need for flexibility and compromise in negotiations.

At an earlier press briefing, Miller said that during the last meeting held in Washington, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov “narrowed down the scope of the issues that still remain unresolved.”

“When we say that [peace] is close, we mean that they have made significant progress on a number of issues. So we think that given the reduction in the number of issues to be resolved, agreement is close,” Miller added.

He emphasized that in order to reach a peace treaty, both sides must have willingness for compromise. Miller said that there are no upcoming meetings scheduled between Mirzoyan and Bayramov.

Armenia’s National Security chief Armen Grigoryan, who is on a working visit to the U.S. met with Samantha Power, the director of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

According to a press statement, Grigoyan briefed Power about the worsening humanitarian crisis created in Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of the blockade of the Lachin Corridor and its consequences.

AW: Thank You…It has been our privilege and honor

Emil Lazarian
 Stepan Piligian In Sight, Columns 0

A screenshot of Dr. Hovannisian during his presentation at NAASR about the Armenian communities of Iran/Persia, May 6, 2022 (NAASR YouTube)

We began our day on Tuesday with the sad news of the passing of Dr. Richard Hovannisian in California. For most of us in the community, whether we knew him as Dr. Hovannisian or Professor Richard, we were blessed to be in the presence of a truly great man. The term “great” is often used and at times overstated, but in this case, it is quite appropriate. Dr. Hovannisian left a large footprint in the world that will continue to enlighten and inspire for decades to come. As the son of Genocide survivors, he entered a field that was undefined and needed leadership. Armenian Studies, particularly modern Armenian history, was understudied and under published when he began his journey. When his earthly life ended this week, he had not only made unprecedented contributions to Armenian scholarship, but blazed the path for a new generation of scholars. With the exception of a few pioneering studies, our story of the late nineteenth and twentieth century had not been told. More importantly, the field of academic research and scholastic endeavors was in its infancy. Richard was our trailblazer in the field of modern Armenian history and pursued his vision with talent, energy and boundless commitment.

Beyond his remarkable accomplishments in teaching, research and publishing, Dr. Hovannisian inspired countless Armenians to study their heritage and family history and to contribute to our communities. He entertained thousands with his own family story of his father’s village Bazmashsen, connecting his intellectual skills with his personal story. Long before ancestry.com, he encouraged a new generation to discover their family history in Western Armenia and by doing so connect with our people’s heritage. There are literally thousands from multiple generations whose knowledge, motivation and contributions have been impacted by his work over the last 60-plus years. 

My own life was impacted from a distance. In the late 1960s, I was a high school student who had discovered the beauty of our history thanks to the AYF educational program. I was motivated to acquire as much knowledge as I could consume. I was particularly interested in the tumultuous period of the late 1800s and first half of the 20th century – an interest driven by my awareness of the impact those years had on our identities as Armenians in the diaspora. The first book I read during that time was Hovannisian’s Armenia on the Road to Independence 1918. Admittedly, it was the first scholarly publication I discovered and I could not put it down. In this book, which was his doctoral thesis, he answered so many questions that arose from my awareness of the plight of our people. It ignited within me a sustained appetite for knowledge. The Republic of Armenia series became another incredible contribution to the scholarly foundation we have today. His work has attracted not only the academic community but also thousands of Armenians seeking to build an identity through knowledge. Countless students, readers and those who enjoyed his brilliant lectures, have become contributing members of the Armenian community worldwide. Knowledge fuels motivation and commitment.

I continued to follow Richard’s career over the years through his publications, research, teaching and public discourse, but I had not met him in person. Many years ago I had that privilege through my affiliation with the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR). It is rare that we have the opportunity to be in the presence of such talent. I felt a bit like a fan meeting a rock star. I was happy to learn that he knew members of my family from his time in the community. His brilliance was obvious, but his humility and approachable nature enhanced the love he inspired. He was the patriarch of Modern Armenian Studies and the father of a scholarly movement that has blossomed in universities, libraries and communities worldwide. It is admirable to have such a gift and to be willing to share it universally. He has rightfully been described as a treasure of our nation. 

Richard remained close to NAASR for decades. A few years back he made one of his frequent calls to Marc Mamigonian, the dedicated director of academic affairs at NAASR, about coming east to present his latest edited volume through a public lecture. One of his most beloved attributes was his public speaking ability. Richard was equally talented in research, writing and speaking. His anecdotal style would keep his audiences mesmerized as he transitioned from story to story, always keeping them connected to his academic theme. The best historians convey their work as a story, and he was able to make it identifiable for his audiences through multiple generations. The respect of his colleagues and his students attest to the impact of his talent.

His passion about the democratic Republic of Armenia (the First Republic) was reflected in his life’s work and countless symposiums and lectures. His efforts created the ability for the current generation to understand the importance of 1918-20. As Dr. Hovannisian was beginning his academic career, Hai Tahd was experiencing a worldwide rejuvenation. Scholarly work was the foundation that activism resided on. What began as a modest effort for Genocide recognition grew into an international campaign for justice and advocacy. His work on the First Republic took on heightened credibility in 1991 when Armenia regained its independence and scholarly work on the 1918 period expanded. Thankfully, Richard’s work preceding the establishment of the 1991 republic was a solid platform for this new era. 

In 2018, Columbia University hosted a symposium, organized by the ARF Eastern Region and co-sponsored by the university’s Armenian Center and the Armenian Review, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the First Republic. It was a two-day event with many outstanding scholars invited to participate in the workshops and lectures. I wanted to attend because Richard would be participating—the man who brought the First Republic into the hearts and minds of the diaspora. On the first day, several scholars participated in a session on the impact of the Republic during its nearly two-and-a-half year existence. I was taken aback by the negative overtones of many of the contributors. While it was an academic conference and not a political rally, the tone was highly critical and negative about the Republic and its impact. My unsettled reaction was peaking when the final speaker, Dr. Hovannisian, took the floor. In the next 30-40 minutes, he not only admonished his colleagues for their negative tone, but brilliantly argued the case for the miracle of 1918 with keen insight into some of the profound contributions of that republic. With his focus on what we can extract from history, he reminded the room about why we had gathered to remember the anniversary. As a scholar, he acknowledged the challenges of that time and the almost impossible task inherited by the government, but he also spoke of the patriotism and sacrifice of the leaders. He articulated that were it not for the contributions of this republic, despite its flaws, the territorial base of an Armenian state would have vanished and there would be nothing to celebrate in 1991. This 85-year-old scholar had set the record straight with a life’s work of research and narratives. It was an astonishing moment to experience. Dr. Hovannisian was to be honored at a luncheon the next day during the conference. In what was one of the greatest honors of my life, I was asked to introduce him to the podium to receive his award. I was humbled as I thought about reading his book as a high school kid and now introduced the man I was proud to call a friend. It is such a blessing to meet people such as him who enrich our lives along the road of our journey.

A screenshot of Dr. Hovannisian and NAASR’s director of academic affairs Marc Mamigonian during Hovannisian’s presentation about the Armenian communities of Iran/Persia, May 6, 2022 (NAASR YouTube)

In late 2019, NAASR opened its new Vartan Gregorian Building in Belmont, MA, with heartfelt contributions by many. I mentioned to Marc Mamigonian that our opening didn’t seem complete until Richard could offer a lecture in the building. Shortly thereafter, the pandemic resulted in no lectures in the new building for almost two years. Last year in the spring, Marc received another one of those unique calls from Richard saying he wanted to come east and deliver a lecture on his latest and last edited volume on the Armenians of Iran. It would be one of the first in-person lectures as the building was re-opening. It seemed appropriate that the restart after the pandemic was led by our dear friend and the father of Armenian Studies. Dr. Hovannisian’s talk was another one for the ages. His joy in sharing his book and personal anecdotes keep the audience enthralled. It was to be his last visit to NAASR. After the evening was completed and we said our last goodbyes, I turned to Marc and said, “Now the building is officially open.”

Dr. Hovannisian leaves a remarkable familial and academic legacy. Richard and his beloved late wife Vartiter raised a family that has made significant contributions to the Armenian nation. As a public figure of prominence with many demands on his time, his family was his joy. His son Raffi was the first foreign minister of the modern republic of Armenia, daughter Ani has produced outstanding film and media work and grandson Garen has published about his family identity, to name just a few. Richard’s legacy is defined in his scholar work, the programs he has advocated and a new generation inspired to carry the work forward. It has been said that the greatest legacy is to be remembered. Richard Hovannisian will not be forgotten because he built a foundation that we stand on today. How can we say thank you? Continue to respect his legacy,  work for the truth and inspire a new generation. It has been our honor. Asdvadz Hokin Lousavoreh.

  •  Bio
  •  Latest Posts
Columnist
Stepan was raised in the Armenian community of Indian Orchard, MA at the St. Gregory Parish. A former member of the AYF Central Executive and the Eastern Prelacy Executive Council, he also served many years as a delegate to the Eastern Diocesan Assembly. Currently , he serves as a member of the board and executive committee of the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR). He also serves on the board of the Armenian Heritage Foundation. Stepan is a retired executive in the computer storage industry and resides in the Boston area with his wife Susan. He has spent many years as a volunteer teacher of Armenian history and contemporary issues to the young generation and adults at schools, camps and churches. His interests include the Armenian diaspora, Armenia, sports and reading.


RFE/RL Armenian Service – 07/13/2023

Emil Lazarian 
                                        Thursday, 


Armenia Blames Azerbaijan For Deaths Of Karabakh Children

        • Susan Badalian

Nagorno-Karabakh - The photos of Leo and Gita, Karabakh children found dead in 
Martakert on July 8, 2023.


Armenia on Thursday blamed Azerbaijan’s blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh for last 
week’s deaths of two young Karabakh children whose mother had to leave them 
unattended to get some food.

The 3-year-old Leo and his 6-year sister Gita were found dead in a car in the 
town of Markatert on July 8 one day after disappearing from their home in the 
nearby village of Aghabekalanj.

Their single mother, Vera Narimanian, left them home alone to go to Martakert to 
receive sunflower oil and sugar as humanitarian aid. They were gone after she 
returned to the village about two hours later.

“I spent the whole night searching for them with the police, firefighters and 
army but didn’t find them,” Narimanian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on 
Wednesday.

“I will be devastated for the rest of my life,” she said.

The infants were caught on security cameras going to Martakert on foot late on 
July 7. A town resident found them dead in his car the following morning. He 
said that one of the car’s doors was not locked.

The Karabakh police suggested that Leo and Gita died in their sleep from 
vehicular heatstroke. But the spokesman for another law-enforcement body 
cautioned on Wednesday that this is just one of the theories considered by 
investigators.

“Necessary forensic tests have been ordered … and intensive investigative work 
is underway,” he said.

“The 7-month blockade of the Lachine Corridor and total siege of 
Nagorno-Karabakh people is having an irreversible and devastating impact on the 
lives of people: [Nagorno-Karabakh] resident children 3 y/o Leo and 6 y/o Gita 
died as a consequence of the serious humanitarian situation,” tweeted Armenian 
Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan. “In the 21st century. This should not be 
tolerated.”

Azerbaijan tightened the blockade on June 15, completely blocking emergency 
supplies of food, medicine and other essential items to Karabakh which were 
carried out, in limited quantities, by Russian peacekeepers and the 
International Committee of the Red Cross. It thus significantly aggravated the 
shortages of basic foodstuffs in the Armenian-population rationed since January.

Officials in Stepanakert say they are especially concerned about growing child 
malnutrition resulting from the blockade.

“When I tell our kids to draw anything they want, they draw fruits because they 
miss them,” the director of a local kindergarten told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service 
on Thursday.




Arrest Warrant Issued For Former Armenian Defense Chief

        • Naira Bulghadarian

Armenia - Defense Minister Vigen Sargsian speaks during a press conference in 
Yerevan, June 28, 2017.


Armenian prosecutors have issued an international arrest warrant for Vigen 
Sargsian, a U.S.-based former defense minister and opposition figure facing what 
he sees as politically motivated charges.

The move comes five months after he was charged with abuse of power in 
connection with the distribution of government-funded housing to Armenian army 
officers and their families.

The Office of the Prosecutor-General claims that in early 2018 Sargsian 
illegally ordered a Defense Ministry commission to allocate 26 apartments in 
Yerevan to military personnel and ministry officials who were not on an official 
waiting list for those homes.

Sargsian strongly denied that right after being indicted in February. He said 
that the apartments were given in accordance with rules set by the Armenian 
government and based on their recipients’ “combat background and merits.” He 
challenged the current government to release the list of those officers.

Sargsian, who has lived in the United States since 2019, claimed that Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian’s administration ordered his “political persecution” to 
keep him from returning to Armenia. He also complained that investigators have 
not tried to question him despite knowing his phone number and e-mail address.

A prosecutor overseeing the case countered at the time that “in the materials of 
the criminal case there is no information about where he lives now.”

Armenia - Vigen Sargsian, the Republican Party's top election candidate, speaks 
to reporetrs outside a polling station in Yerevan, December 9, 2018.

Norayr Norikian, a lawyer representing eight other military officers who missed 
out on free apartments because of the alleged wrongdoing, brushed aside the 
prosecutor’s claim on Thursday.

“Vigen Sargsian periodically gives interviews, makes comments,” Norikian told 
RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “Armenian law-enforcement bodies are well aware of 
his place of residence and, I think, address as well.”

The arrest warrant issued for Sargsian this week means that they have to 
formally start looking for him. The criminal investigation will be suspended in 
the meantime.

Sargsian, 48, served as defense minister from 2016-2018 in the administration of 
President Serzh Sarkisian. The latter was forced to resign in April 2018 amid 
nationwide protests led by Pashinian. Vigen Sargsian stepped down immediately 
after Pashinian was elected prime minister in May 2018.

Sargsian topped the list of the former ruling Republican Party’s candidates in 
snap parliamentary elections held in December 2018. According to their official 
results, the party narrowly failed to clear a 5 percent vote threshold to enter 
the Armenian parliament.

The prosecutors indicted Sargsian on February 8 just as the parliament allowed 
them to bring separate corruption charges against Seyran Ohanian, another former 
defense minister who now leads the parliamentary group of the main opposition 
Hayastan alliance.

Prosecutor-General Anna Vardapetian asked the National Assembly to lift 
Ohanian’s immunity from prosecution on January 20 one day after 15 Armenian 
soldiers died at their makeshift barracks destroyed by a major fire. Hayastan 
says that the case against Ohanian is aimed at defusing public anger over the 
deaths.




Next Aliyev-Pashinian Meeting Slated For July 15

        • Ruzanna Stepanian

Belgium - Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian and European Council President Charles Michel pose for a picture in 
Brussels, May 14, 2023.


Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian expressed hope on Thursday that he and 
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev will move closer to a peace treaty between 
their countries at their next meeting slated for Saturday.

“My meeting with the president of the European Union Council [Charles Michel] 
and the president of Azerbaijan is scheduled to take place in Brussels on 
Saturday, July 15,” Pashinian told a weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan.

“I have confirmed my participation in the meeting and hope to make progress 
towards the peace treaty during the meeting,” he said.

The Brussels meeting was originally scheduled for July 21. It is not clear why 
it was brought forward.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Pashinian and Aliyev by phone 
earlier this week. He said he told them that the United States remains committed 
to facilitating an Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement.

According to the U.S. State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, during his 
call with Aliyev, Blinken stressed “the need for creativity, flexibility, and 
compromise in the negotiations” and reiterated U.S. calls for the lifting of 
Azerbaijan’s seven-month blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Washington hosted late last month another round of peace talks between the 
Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers. Pashinian cautioned last week that 
progress made by them was “not significant.”

“Unfortunately, the text of the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan is 
not yet ready for signing,” he said.

Speaking in Baku on Tuesday, Aliyev underscored the significance of Armenia’s 
recognition of Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh which was declared by 
Pashinian in May. “Now, however, the time has come to put those words to paper,” 
he said.


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.

RFE/RL Armenian Service – 07/11/2023

Emil Lazarian 
                                        Tuesday, 


Blinken, Pashinian Discuss Armenian-Azeri Talks


U.S. - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian meet on the sidelines of a UN General Assembly session, New York, 
September 22, ,2022.


Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian discussed with U.S. Secretary of State Antony 
Blinken Armenia’s peace talks with Azerbaijan and Baku’s continuing blockade of 
Nagorno-Karabakh in a phone call on Tuesday.

“The interlocutors reviewed the situation in the region, ongoing negotiations on 
the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, necessary steps to ensure the 
rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, including the need for 
a Baku-Stepanakert dialogue with international involvement,” the Armenian 
government’s press office said in a statement on the call.

“Prime Minister Pashinian referred to the deepening humanitarian crisis in 
Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from Azerbaijan's illegal blockade of the Lachin 
Corridor and steps necessary for overcoming it,” it added without elaborating.

Blinken and the U.S. State Department did not immediately issue statements on 
the conversation. It took place five days after U.S. National Security Adviser 
Jake Sullivan met with Armen Grigorian, the secretary of Armenia’s Security 
Council, in Washington. Sullivan did not comment on that meeting.

Both Blinken and Sullivan held late last month trilateral meetings with the 
Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers during their fresh round of 
U.S.-mediated peace talks focusing on the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty. 
Blinken said on June 29 that despite “further progress” made by the two 
ministers “there remains hard work to be done to try to reach a final agreement.”

Speaking in Baku on Tuesday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stressed the 
importance of Armenia’s recognition of Azerbaijani sovereignty over 
Nagorno-Karabakh which was declared by Pashinian in May.

“Now, however, the time has come to put those words to paper,” Aliyev said, 
referring to the peace deal currently discussed by Baku and Yerevan.




Opposition Lawmaker Ousted From Armenian Parliament Post

        • Ruzanna Stepanian

Armenia - A session of the National Assembly, Yerevan, .


The Armenian opposition accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian of dealing 
another blow to pluralism and democracy on Tuesday after his party ousted the 
last remaining opposition head of a standing parliament committee.

Lawmakers representing the Civil Contract party voted to dismiss Taguhi 
Tovmasian as chairwoman of the National Assembly’s committee on human rights 
after a brief session. The vote was boycotted by their colleagues from the 
opposition Hayastan and Pativ Unem alliances.

Civil Contract’s Hovik Aghazarian was the only parliament deputy who spoke 
during the session. He repeated the ruling party’s complaints that Tovmasian did 
not attend most meetings of the Armenian parliament’s leadership and did not 
stop “hate speech” when her committee discussed on April 4 candidacies for the 
then vacant post of the state human rights defender.

Edgar Ghazarian, the opposition candidate for the post, enraged pro-government 
lawmakers with his claim that the 2018 “velvet revolution” that brought 
Pashinian to power was in fact a “Turkish-Azerbaijani revolution.” They shouted 
abuse and threats at Ghazarian during the meeting chaired by Tovmasian.

One of those lawmakers, Artur Hovannisian, pledged to “cut the tongues and ears 
of anyone” who would make disparaging comments about the regime change. 
Pashinian’s party did not criticize his behavior.

Tovmasian, who is affiliated with Pativ Unem, insisted that she did nothing 
wrong on April 4. In a written statement, she also argued that the parliamentary 
statutes did not require her to attend meetings of the National Assembly’s 
Council consisting of speaker Alen Simonian, his deputies as well as the 
committee chairpersons.

Tovmasian again claimed that Pashinian personally ordered his loyalists to strip 
her of the parliamentary post in retaliation against her defection from his 
political team following Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 war with Azerbaijan.

“As you can see, any dissent in Armenia is strangled by imprisonment and 
dismissal,” added the former journalist and newspaper editor.

Armenia - Taguhi Tovmasian (right) and other deputies from Pativ Unem bloc 
attend a parliamernt session, September 14, 2021.

Pativ Unem voiced strong support for Tovmasian, saying that she acted 
professionally on April 4 in the face of her pro-government colleagues’ 
“hooligan behavior.” The official grounds for her dismissal are “completely 
baseless and illegal,” the opposition bloc charged in a statement.

Hayastan also condemned Tovmasian’s dismissal. “The government cannot put a 
straitjacket on the opposition; that means totalitarianism, dictatorship, 
tyranny,” said one of its senior parliamentarians, Artsvik Minasian.

Armenian law reserves a number of leadership positions in the parliament for the 
opposition minority. Tovmasian’s ouster left the opposition without any such 
posts.

Hayastan’s Ishkhan Saghatelian and Vahe Hakobian were ousted as deputy speaker 
and chairman of the parliament committee on economic affairs respectively in 
July 2022 after weeks of anti-government protests organized by Hayastan and 
Pativ Unem. Another Hayastan deputy, Armen Gevorgian, immediately resigned as 
chairman of a committee on “Eurasian integration” in protest.

Both opposition blocs made clear on Tuesday that they will not nominate a new 
head of the human rights committee. Civil Contract likewise said that it will 
not install Tovmasian’s successor.

Nevertheless, the ruling party will effectively gain control of her post even in 
the absence of a new committee chair. In line with the parliamentary statutes, 
the human rights panel will be run, in an acting capacity, by Rustam Bakoyan, 
its deputy chairman affiliated with Civil Contract.

Last year, Bakoyan’s former wife accused him of systematically beating her, 
publicizing purported photographs of injuries sustained by her. Bakoyan, who 
denied the allegations, was not prosecuted or even censured by Pashinian’s party.




Government Vows To Tackle ‘Police Violence Against Lawyers’

        • Naira Bulghadarian

Armenia - Interior Minister Vahe Ghazarian speaks in the parliament, Yerevan, 
March 1, 2023.


Armenia’s Interior Ministry and national bar association agreed on Tuesday to 
set up a joint working group tasked with protecting lawyers against violent 
police actions.

The agreement was announced after hundreds of lawyers again went on a one-day 
strike and marched to the ministry headquarters in Yerevan to show support for 
their colleagues allegedly beaten up by police officers.

Interior Minister Vahe Ghazarian received the leaders of the Armenian Chamber of 
Advocates, which organized the protest. One of them, Ara Zohrabian, was 
satisfied with the meeting that lasted for less than an hour.

Zohrabian said they received assurances that “there will no such instances 
involving lawyers anymore.” Lawyers assaulted by police officers will now be 
able to swiftly appeal to the joint commission that will comprise three Interior 
Ministry officials and three lawyers, he told journalists.

Neither Ghazarian nor the ministry’s press office made any statements to that 
effect immediately after the meeting.

The protests began late last month after one attorney, Karen Alaverdian, claimed 
to have been subjected to “undue physical force” while trying to stop several 
policemen kicking and punching his client at a Yerevan police station.

Armenia - Lawyers protest outside the Interior Ministry in Yerevan, July 11, 
2023.

Armenia’s Investigative Committee denied the allegations on June 13, saying that 
Alaverdian himself shoved and even hit the officers in a bid to free the 
criminal suspect. The law-enforcement agency charged him with “hooliganism” and 
obstruction of legitimate police actions. The Chamber of Advocates voiced 
support for Alaverdian and demanded a proper investigation into the incident.

Alaverdian revealed on Tuesday that two senior officers working at the police 
department of Yerevan’s central administrative district have been indicted by 
another law-enforcement body, the National Security Service (NSS), and suspended 
as a result. He welcomed the development.

Two other lawyers claimed to have been ill-treated at another Yerevan police 
station in February while representing a teenage criminal suspect. Their 
allegations were likewise denied by the Armenian police and the Investigative 
Committee.

The protesting lawyers say that the national police chief, Karlen Hovannisian, 
is personally responsible for the alleged violence. More than 500 of them have 
signed a petition demanding his dismissal.

According to Zohrabian, Hovannisian also attended the interior minister’s 
meeting with the Chamber of Advocates leadership. The latter insisted on 
Hovannisian’s resignation during and after the meeting.




Azerbaijan Again Blocks Medical Evacuations From Karabakh

        • Artak Khulian

Armenia - A Red Cross vehicle is seen in Syunik province, June 1, 2023.


Azerbaijan has again banned the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) 
from evacuating seriously ill persons from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.

Azerbaijan’s state border guard service said on Tuesday that it made the 
decision because Karabakh residents returning home from Armenia repeatedly tried 
last week to “smuggle” cigarettes, mobile phone screens, gasoline and other 
items. The ICRC failed to stop such “illegal actions,” it said, adding that the 
Azerbaijani checkpoint controversially set up in the Lachin corridor in April 
will remain completely closed until the end of its inquiry into the alleged 
smuggling attempts.

The ICRC has transported hundreds of Karabakh patients to Armenian hospitals 
since Baku blocked last December commercial traffic through Karabakh’s sole land 
link with Armenia. Only Red Cross vehicles as well as convoys of Russian 
peacekeepers were able to pass through the road.

The ICRC said later on Tuesday that four of its 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,” it added in a statement.

"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.”

Baku already blocked the medical evacuations in late April and on June 15. They 
most recently resumed on June 25.

Karabakh’s leadership did not immediately react to the latest Azerbaijani ban. 
The Armenian Foreign Ministry expressed concern about it, saying that “more 
international efforts and actions are needed to lift the 7-month blockade of 
Nagorno-Karabakh.”

“It is obvious that Azerbaijan is simply looking for excuses to finally close 
the only way through which medicines and other medical supplies were brought to 
Karabakh,” Artur Harutiunian, a senior Karabakh lawmaker, told RFE/RL’s Armenian 
Service.

Harutiunian argued that family members accompanying Karabakh patients on their 
way back from Armenia did not try to smuggle weapons or drugs. He said they only 
carried things that are running out in Karabakh due to the Azerbaijani blockade.

Baku further tightened the blockade on June 15, banning the Russian peacekeepers 
from shipping limited amounts of food to Karabakh. It has also been blocking 
Armenia’s electricity and gas supplies to the Armenian-populated region.


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.

Armenpress: Azerbaijan fired in the direction of the Armenian positions in Tegh village. One soldier injured

Emil Lazarian

 09:45,

YEREVAN, JULY 12, ARMENPRESS։ On July 12, at 05:30 a.m. Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire in the direction of the Armenian positions in Tegh village, as a result of which an Armenian serviceman was injured, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia.

The health condition of the serviceman is assessed as satisfactory, his life is not in danger.