Author: Emma Jilavian

Azerbaijan has declared war on UNESCO

Emma Jilavian

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 13:56,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian and international community has become concerned with the protection of the rich Armenian spiritual, historical, and cultural heritage found in the territories transferred to the control of Azerbaijan as a result of the recent bloody war unleashed against Nagorno-Karabakh. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Russia and France, as well as the EU, have emphasized the importance of protecting the Armenian Christian heritage found in these territories, and have supported the involvement of UNESCO in the process.

As early as November 20th last year, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay declared the necessity of protecting the monuments of Nagorno-Karabakh and the inadmissibility of attempts to distort their identity. In her statement, she also offered to send a mission to the region to provide technical assistance. The proposal of the Director-General was approved by the member states of the organization, which was reflected in the Declaration of the UNESCO Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, adopted on December 11th, 2020. 

The concerns expressed by the international community are quite understandable and natural, given the attitude of the Azerbaijani authorities towards the Armenian cultural heritage under their control for years. The whole world knows of the annihilation of 89 medieval churches, 584 khachkars (cross-stones), and 22000 tombstones found on the historical Armenian area of Nakhichevan, conducted by the Azerbaijani authorities between 1997-2006. Unfortunately, it is noteworthy that the international community did not take sufficient steps to prevent this barbarism at the time.

In addition to the physical destruction of Armenian monuments, Azeri “scientists” who follow the orders of the Azerbaijani authorities continue their attempts of appropriating Armenian historical and cultural heritage, rejecting their Armenian identity and circulating the anti-scientific thesis of their “Caucasian Albanian” affiliation. Without going into further detail regarding this Azerbaijani anti-scientific thesis or the attitude of the international academic, it nonetheless must be noted that the Azerbaijani authorities utilize it for political purposes, publicly spreading absurd lies. This policy of the Azerbaijani authorities openly violates Resolution 2347 adopted by the UN Security Council Resolution in 2017, which explicitly states the inadmissibility of the distortion of cultural heritage as it is fraught with the risk of a new conflict. (…the attempt to deny historical roots and cultural diversity in this context can fuel and exacerbate conflict and hamper post-conflict national reconciliation, thereby undermining the security, stability, governance, social, economic, and cultural development of affected States.)

The Aliyev regime – which carried out one of the greatest cultural genocides of our time, adopting the terrorist ways of the Islamic State – was not satisfied with the bloody war against the people of Nagorno Karabakh based on ethnic and racial hatred and has now started a war against UNESCO, preventing it from carrying out its mission of protecting cultural heritage in Artsakh. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the media outlets serving him have been criticizing UNESCO, accusing the organization of “bias and serving the interests of other countries.” It should be noted that this policy of the Azerbaijani authorities is not new, and they have previously obstructed the UNESCO, the European Parliament, and the Council of Europe fact-finding mission to Nakhichevan under various pretexts, thus trying to conceal the massive scale of the crime.

At present, Azerbaijan’s obstruction of the mission to Artsakh raises reasonable suspicions that the Azerbaijani authorities, following the example of Nakhichevan, are preparing another large-scale cultural vandalism as a continuation of the policy of ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Artsakh and the elimination of the Armenian presence. During the war, on October 8th, 2020, the Azerbaijani military twice targeted the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi with the help of high-precision weapons. Additionally, after the ceasefire agreement signed on November 9th, 2020, by the Prime Minister of Armenia and the Presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan, the dome and the bell tower of Saint John the Baptist Church in Shushi (a.k.a “Kanach Jam”) were blown up by the Azerbaijani military, along with other acts of vandalism. In the absence of appropriate measures by UNESCO and other specialized international organizations, this criminal practice of the Azerbaijani authorities will continue.

Furthermore, it is important to note that Azerbaijani authorities have specifically targeted UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. The reason is understandable, since Azoulay, unlike her predecessor Irina Bokova, has not been involved in seemingly corrupt, suspicious transactions with the Azerbaijani authorities, and she defends the impartiality of UNESCO and the universal mission of cultural heritage protection. Consequently, the authorities of Azerbaijan, a country among the most corrupt in the world according to international rating indexes, are “upset” that they have not been able to involve UNESCO in their “game”, to advance their false agenda.

On various occasions, the Azerbaijani regime speaks of its imaginary multiculturalism, while at the same time systematically destroying the rich Armenian cultural heritage and propagating ethnic hatred towards the Armenian people. It is further worth mentioning that the first Vice President of the country, Mrs. Aliyev, is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. The obstruction of UNESCO’s activities in Artsakh has become the latest example exposing the façade of a “tolerant, multicultural” Azerbaijan. It is no longer possible to mislead the international community, as Azerbaijan’s policy of cultural genocide is already a well-known fact for everyone; this explains the attacks launched by Azerbaijan against UNESCO, which are nothing but a confrontation with the the international community and universal values.

Astghik Alimyan




Construction of new residential settlements to kick off in Artsakh in nearest days

Emma Jilavian

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 18:15,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. Construction works of a new residential settlement will start in the territory of Astghashen community in Artsakh’s Askeran region on February 13 for the citizens displaced as a result of the Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of Artsakh Hayk Khanumyan said during the National Assembly session, adding that the citizens will choose a name for their new settlement on their own.

Armenia’s first president meets U.S. ambassador, discusses situation in Artsakh and Armenia

Emma Jilavian
Aysor, Armenia
Feb 5 2021

Armenia’s first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan hosted today in his mansion U.S. ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy.

This was reported by first president’s spokesperson Arman Musinyan.

He reported that during the meeting that lasted more than an hour the interlocutors discussed a number of issues on the situation created in Armenia and Artsakh.

“The sides stressed the importance of the humanitarian assistance of the international community and the USA. They attached significance to the issue of immediate return of the prisoners of war, ensuring social needs of population of Artsakh and Armenia, the families of those killed in the war, wounded and handicapped,” Musinyan reported.

 

Medvedev says cooperation with Turkey is not a long-term solution in Nagorno-Karabakh

Emma Jilavian
AHVAL News
Feb 1 2021

  • Feb 02 2021 12:01 Gmt+3
  • Last Updated On: Feb 02 2021 12:06 Gmt+3

Dmitriy Medvedev, Russia’s deputy chairman of the Security Council, said cooperation with Turkey in Nagorno-Karabakh was not a long-term solution to the conflict, Russian state-run TASS reported on Monday. 

Medvedev remarked that it was a necessity to work with Turkey in the region because of its close relationship with Azerbaijan. He noted that “this factor cannot be ignored” and that Russia sees Turkey as an important partner. 

“We have a productive dialogue, our president constantly communicates with [Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan] on this issue,” he said.

Turkey was not a signatory to the ceasefire last year that ended the fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, despite the overwhelming support it provided to Baku. According to the terms of the truce, Turkey would be permitted to send a military contingent to operate alongside Russia but no peacekeeping forces.

On Saturday, the  joint monitoring centre was opened by representatives of Russia, Turkey and Azerbaijan in the Aghdam district of Nagorno-Karabakh. 

Despite this cooperation, Medvedev insists that it did not represent a long-term solution to ending all hostilities over the disputed region. He described the centre’s opening as simply a stabilisation measure. 

“But I would refrain from treating it as an element of some long-term policy or build a conspiracy theory here. We were simply obliged to take the realities in our region into account. And the reality is that this issue must be discussed with the Turkish partners,” Medvedev said.

Artsakh reports 3 COVID-19 daily cases

Emma Jilavian

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 11:15, 25 January, 2021

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 25, ARMENPRESS. 3 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Artsakh in the past 24 hours.

65 tests were conducted on January 24, the ministry of healthcare told Armenpress.

A total of 2285 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Artsakh.

The number of active cases is 40.

The death toll stands at 31.

The ministry of healthcare has again urged the citizens to follow all the rules to avoid new outbreaks and overcome the disease.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Anti-government demonstrators rally in central Yerevan

Emma Jilavian

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 17:17,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 28, ARMENPRESS. Anti-government protesters are again rallying at Republic Square in Yerevan, demanding the resignation of the Pashinyan Administration and the formation of an interim government.

The demonstration began with a prayer, and then a moment of silence was held in honor of fallen troops as the rally is taking place on January 28 – Army Day.

A prominent filmmaker in attendance, Arshak Zakarian, announced that this gathering has no affiliation with any political party. “Of course, here I saw people representing various political parties. But we’ve all come here as Armenians, as citizens of Armenia. Representatives of national minorities are also here,” he said, adding that the demonstrators will march down the street to continue protesting outside the prosecutor’s office.

Renowned artist, actor Hrant Tokhatyan, who was also in attendance, told reporters: “Many of my colleagues are here. Some of them are not, I don’t know why they aren’t here, perhaps they support the incumbent government. Some of them think that going out to the streets is unnecessary.”

Photos by Hayk Manukyan

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenians Displaced By Post War Demarcations

Emma Jilavian
IWPR – Institute for War and Peace Reporting
Jan 20 2021

Some villages have been divided in two by new boundaries.
By Manya Israyelyan

Armenian officials warn that citizens within the state borders of Armenia risk displacement due to the arbitrary way post-ceasefire boundaries are being designated.

As well as parts of Karabakh, the November 9 deal transfers seven regions surrounding the breakaway republic back to Azerbaijan.

It remains unclear how the border is being decided, given large discrepancies between Soviet-era demarcations – when such internal boundaries were largely meaningless – and current facts on the ground.

So far, demarcations in the southern and northern regions of Syunik and Gegharkuniq have reportedly been carried out by Azerbaijani officials using GPS or Google maps, with military personnel dispatched to tell locals that they had to leave their land and homes.

Human rights ombudsman Arman Tatoyan told reporters on January 12 that the demarcation process was violating the rights of Armenian citizens as well as impinging on the country’s internationally recognised borders. 

He pointed to specific examples of cases under dispute, for instance in the village of Shurnukh in Syunik, now divided by a narrow road into an Armenian and an Azerbaijani part. One villager he named as Styopa Movsisyan had had his home and farm split between the two.

“Border demarcation without proper research and working commissions is a violation of international law,” Tatoyan said. 

Tatoyan highlighted other cases in Shurnukh, Vorotan, Agarak Yeghvard and elsewhere in which locals had lost both their homes and hundreds of acres of agricultural land. In Gegharkunik, investors also lost property including the Sotk gold mine, most of it now under Azerbaijani control.

He said that all those concerned had the right to compensation from the Azerbaijani authorities.

Shurnukh village chief Hakob Arshakyan said that 12 families – comprising 37 people – had been displaced, all of whom had property certificates issued by the administrative headquarters in Goris during the Soviet era.

He said that the villagers had complained to officials in Yerevan as well as local lawmakers.

In late December, Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan travelled to Syunik to meet residents and was met by furious protestors.

Narek Ghahramanyan, a lawmaker from the ruling My Step party, who comes from Syunik and represents the area, said that he saw no human rights violations inherent in the demarcations.

“Those are state borders, ratified by the Republic of Armenia’s National Assembly back in 2010. Who violated their rights? The border?” he asked.

Tigran Khzmalyan, co-chair of the European party of Armenia, said that the demarcation was provisional and that the issue could eventually be brought back into the circle of international law and Minsk Group.

“I reiterated more than once that [Russian president Vladimir] Putin was working in collusion with the Azeris and especially Turks,” he said. “That was a humiliating trade for us.”

Political commentator Armen Chibukhchyan said that it was concerning Russia was willing to accede to Azerbaijani demands for control over Armenian territories and strategic positions. 

“It raises eyebrows that the Russian president called that process a demarcation, but demarcations assume totally different procedures,” he said, adding that introducing international rather than Russian peacekeepers into Karabkah would have reduced the risks of territorial loss and kept the Minsk Group more involved in the process.

Moscow, he continued, was consistently serving Azerbaijan’s best interests “at our expense”.

“Russia’s attempt to share [its influence over] Azerbaijan with Ankara while consistently trying to avoid escalations with the latter will inevitably play down Armenian interests,” he concluded.

Antony Blinken: Biden Administration will consult with Congress on April 24th statement

Emma Jilavian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 23 2021

U.S. President Joe Biden’s nominee to serve as Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, confirmed that the incoming Administration will consult with Congress on the wording of its April 24th statement, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

In response to a written question from Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) during his confirmation hearing, Blinken noted that: “As a presidential candidate, President Biden pledged in his Remembrance Day statement to support a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide,” adding: “The Administration will determine the wording for the White House statement to mark Remembrance Day once in office and will consult with Congress on this important issue.” The U.S. House and Senate nearly unanimously passed Armenian Genocide Resolutions in 2019.

Senator Markey also asked about what steps the Administration plans take “to ensure the immediate return of POWs being held by Azerbaijan.” Blinken stressed, in response, that: “the United States should be leading a diplomatic effort to find a lasting resolution to the conflict, working together with our European partners, including facilitating the return of prisoners of war.”

“We join with Armenian Americans and our pro-Armenian allies from across Massachusetts and around the country in thanking Senator Markey for his leadership in calling out and confronting the continuity of official Turkish and Azerbaijani genocidal intent and actions against the Armenian people,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “In the wake of Baku’s war crimes against Artsakh – armed and incited by Ankara – it is more urgent than ever for the United States to signal both Turkey and Azerbaijan that the U.S. will no longer turn a blind eye to their genocidal drive to destroy the Armenian nation.”

The full text of Senator Markey’s questions and Secretary of State-designate Blinken’s responses are provided below.

Sen. Markey: Will you formally recognize the crimes committed against the Armenian people by the Ottoman Empire as Genocide?

Blinken: As a presidential candidate, President Biden pledged in his Remembrance Day statement to support a resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide. Our administration will be committed to prioritizing human rights and ensuring such a tragedy is not repeated. The Administration will determine the wording for the White House statement to mark Remembrance Day once in office and will consult with Congress on this important issue.

Sen. Markey: In the aftermath of the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia last year, what steps will the Administration take to ensure the immediate return of POWs being held by Azerbaijan?

Blinken: As the President has said, the United States should be leading a diplomatic effort to find a lasting resolution to the conflict, working together with our European partners, including facilitating the return of prisoners of war. If confirmed, I will reinvigorate U.S. engagement to find a permanent settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that protects the security of Nagorno-Karabakh and helps to ensure another war does not break out. This includes stepping up our engagement via the Minsk Group, of which the United States is a co-chair, and additional diplomatic work to prevent any further interference by third parties.

Sen. Markey: Will the Administration restrict funding to Azerbaijan, fully enforcing Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, as President-elect Joe Biden urged the Trump Administration to do?

Blinken: In light of the recent outbreak of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Biden-Harris administration will review our security assistance to Azerbaijan. If the circumstances warrant, we will be prepared to suspend waivers of requirements under section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. If confirmed, I look forward to working with Congress and the Secretary of Defense to determine the appropriate level of assistance to meet the security needs of Armenia and the region.

Ombudsman: Propaganda of Armenophobia and hostility towards Armenian people has deep roots in Azerbaijan

Emma Jilavian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 22 2021

Utterances recorded by the staff of Armenia’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan prove that the propaganda of Armenophobia and the animosity towards the Armenian people has deep roots and high public support in Azerbaijan.

In a post on Facebook, the ombudsman shared some Armenophobic statements made by Azerbaijani cultural and sports figures during the 2020 autumn war in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

“The following are statements made in 2020 by the Azerbaijani cultural and sports figures about Armenians during the September-November war. These are their words:

1) “Karabakh will be cleansed of the satanic scum of Armenian fascism. “These Armenian fascists are deprived of honor and are being annihilated in place,” said an Azerbaijani Folks Artist;

2) “Armenians are a tribe, an ethnos, which destroys itself. They are very pitiful and ungrateful creatures. “Armenians are such a liars, cowardly, greedy and hypocritical people that it is impossible to convey in words,” said the People’s Folks Artist of Azerbaijan;

3) “This Karabakh war is the beginning of the end of the Armenians of the world, who were created on the basis of lies, hypocrisy” — People’s Artist of Azerbaijan;

4) “Our enemy is dishonorable, deceitful and unworthy. “They are barbarians, terrorists, obsessed with fascist ideas about their own superiority.”

5) “Armenians are nothing, they are people who hide in their nests like rats.” — A Famous Artist of Azerbaijan;

6) “A child of a prostitute will also become a prostitute. They are all foxes. “When the right time comes, they will show themselves,” said a Member of the Writers’ Union of Azerbaijan about an elderly Armenian woman;

7) The Armenian people are really sick. Medicine is hopeless, it is incurable. Chronic Armenian Diarrhea.” — Winner of “Voice of Turkey” song contest;

8) “Do not call Armenians prostitutes. The prostitute sells herself, the Armenian acquires someone else,” said a Lecturer at the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts;

9) “We must kill Armenians, whether they are women, children or the elderly (…)” — Media head of Qarabag football club;

10) “If the human race was really created by God, then Armenians are the offspring of evil,” said the Head of the Media, Public Relations and Association of the Football Federation of Azerbaijan;

These are utterances recorded by the staff of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia. They are evidence which attest to, and prove that the propaganda of anti-Armenianism and the hostility towards the Armenian people in Azerbaijan has deep roots and high public support.

The persecution and torture of Armenians by the Azerbaijani military during this war had deep-rooted reasons; it was carried out solely because of the ethnicity of the Armenians,” Tatoyan said.

The details are reflected in a 2020 joint special report of the ombudsmen of Armenia and Artsakh in accordance with the results of the monitoring carried out during the autumn war, he noted. 

Government appoints new Governor of Shirak

Emma Jilavian

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 11:53,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. The Cabinet installed Hovhannes Harutyunyan to be the new Governor of the Shirak Province, after Tigran Petrosyan resigned from office.

Harutyunyan, a former deputy Minister of Healthcare who served briefly in 2019, told the Cabinet members at a meeting today that he would do his best for the development of the province.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wished good luck to Harutyunyan in his new capacity.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan