Author: Janet Ekmekjian

UN experts call fo immediate release of prisoners of war and other captives from the Nagorno-Karabakh war

Janet Ekmekjian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 1 2021

UN human rights experts today called for the prompt release of prisoners of war and other captives from the recent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and for the return of bodies to families for burial with due respect for cultural customs, according to the statement released by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights)

“Everyone deprived of their liberty for reasons related to the conflict should be returned to their homes, and relatives of those killed must be able to receive the mortal remains of their loved ones, in line with the ceasefire agreement signed on 9 November 2020,” the experts said.

“We are alarmed at allegations that prisoners of war and other protected persons have been subjected to extrajudicial killing, enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment,” the experts said, adding: “No exceptional circumstances whatsoever – whether a state of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency – may be invoked as a justification of torture and enforced disappearances,” they said. “Such acts, when perpetrated in armed conflict, may also constitute war crimes.”

It is reminded of numerous reports of human rights violations against civilians and military captives, and of desecration of the dead.

“We are seriously alarmed at reported acts of ill-treatment and the desecration of bodies,” the experts said. “We note that both parties have commenced the return of prisoners of war and other captives, and we call on them to complete the all for all exchange, to clarify the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared, and to treat dead bodies with dignity.

“We appeal to the authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan to carry out thorough, prompt, independent and impartial investigations into allegations of serious human rights violations committed during the conflict and its aftermath in order to hold perpetrators to account and provide redress to the victims. These actions will facilitate truth, reconciliation and healing,” they said.

The experts will continue to engage with the authorities of both countries and closely monitor the situation, according to the statement. 

Tehran: Iran urges Armenia to be serious about Aras pollution

Janet Ekmekjian
Mehr News Agency, Iran
Jan 25 2021

TEHRAN, Jan. 25 (MNA) – Iranian energy minister announced on Mon. that Iran-Armenia third power transmission line is to be inaugurated soon adding, "we expect Armenia to be more serious about removing pollution from Aras River."

Reza Ardakanian made the remarks on the sidelines of his meeting with the Armenian Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan.

"Today and in this meeting, the issue of completing the third power transmission line between the two countries was discussed, and although the work was interrupted due to the widespread outbreak of Coronavirus, it will be operational in the first half of this year," he said.

Ardakanian also noted that "One of the issues is the pollution of the Aras River, which we expect from Armenia to be more serious in this regard."

"We expect Armenia to be more serious about removing pollution from the river."

The Armenian minister vowed that his country will do its best in removing the pollution of the river.

Kerobyan added that before traveling to Iran, he went to the region and was closely acquainted with the progress of the actions and expressed hope that this issue would be resolved as soon as possible.

According to agreements between Iran and Armenia at the 16th session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission in Tehran in July 2019, it was decided that the third electricity transmission line project between the two countries should be completed by the end of 2020, deputy energy minister for international affairs said.

HJ/IRN84198550

PACE calls on to implement provisions of trilateral statement on Karabakh

Janet Ekmekjian

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 12:58,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has called on to implement the provisions of the trilateral statement signed by Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh.

“With regard to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the Assembly calls on all parties involved to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric hindering political dialogue, Armenia and Azerbaijan to implement as soon as possible the provisions of the trilateral statement related to humanitarian issues, all parties involved to immediately put in action the exchange of prisoners of war and bodies, to respect cultural heritage; it invites the Monitoring Committee to explore avenues to contribute at parliamentary level to an atmosphere conducive to the peace process”, stated in the report released by the PACE Monitoring Committee.

In the report the PACE expressed its serious concern about reports and allegations of violations of humanitarian and human rights law during the conflict and allegations of degradations to some religious sites and monuments, as well as destruction of private property.

US administration to review security assistance to Azerbaijan – Secretary of State-Designate Blinken

Janet Ekmekjian

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 12:10, 22 January, 2021

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. US President Joe Biden’s nominee to serve as Secretary of State, Antony Blinken – in written responses submitted following his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee – expressed support for U.S. funding to meet the security needs of Armenia and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“We welcome Secretary-designate Blinken’s commitment to renewed U.S. leadership that supports the security needs of Armenia and the protection of Artsakh” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “In the wake of months of reckless U.S. indifference to Azerbaijan’s relentless aggression, we look forward to constructive, responsible engagement by the Biden-Harris Administration on the full range of issues of special concern to Americans of Armenian heritage and our many coalition partners.”

In four detailed responses to Questions for the Record submitted by Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Blinken voiced support for “the provision to Armenia of security assistance and aid to strengthen democratic governance and promote economic growth, both of which will help to strengthen Armenia’s security and resilience.” He added that: “In light of the recent outbreak of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, our administration will review our security assistance to Azerbaijan”, noting that, “if the circumstances warrant, the Biden-Harris administration will be prepared to suspend waivers of requirements under section 907 of the Freedom Support Act.” In three of his responses, he underscored his commitment 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.”

In response to a question by Chairman Menendez regarding U.S. reengagement in the OSCE Minsk Group process in a way that advances “a sustainable peace that reflects the interests of Armenians, not just Aliyev, Erdogan, and Putin,” Blinken stated that he 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.”

Prosecutors didn’t take part in discussions on returning Robert Kocharyan’s passport, his lawyers say

Janet Ekmekjian
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 19 2021

The Prosecutor General’s Office did not participate in the discussions on returning second Armenian President Robert Kocharyan's passport, his legal team said in a statement on Tuesday. The statement reads:

"After hearing the motions of second Armenian President Robert Kocharyan's attorneys, the prosecutors expressed their position, not agreeing with them and bringing their arguments.

During the speech of prosecutor Gevorg Baghdasaryan, an incident took place at the court between the lawyers of second President Robert Kocharyan and Baghdasaryan. The tensions grew when Robert Kocharyan hinted that one of the people who handed over Shushi was Gevorg Baghdasaryan. A break was announced to stop the dispute, after which the judge reprimanded the participants in the dispute.

Robert Kocharyan clarified what he meant by hinting at handing over Shushi. "When they have been attempting for 2.5 years to try the liberators of Shushi, Kelbajar and others, it has directly contributed to all that happened two months ago, it has directly contributed by discrediting the army, discrediting 3 colonel-generals. And in general, there is a saying that if a nation does not honor its heroes, it is left without heroes. That's all I meant.

“And if people helped the officials who were directly responsible for all of it – land losses, casualties, missing people – willy-nilly, deliberately or not thinking about the consequences, they factually contribute to it. This is my conviction, which I will express everywhere, including at this court hearing,” Kocharyan said.

“I am accused of declaring a state of emergency for 20 days and imposing certain restrictions. We have been living in a state of emergency or martial law for nearly a year. It has been 2.5 months since the war ended, but the martial law remains in force. Do prosecutors have anything to do here or not? Do you consider this normal?

“For whom is the martial law being maintained? With the martial law in place, the Azeris come to Shurnukh and force people out of their homes, and only the village head and a handful of his fellow villagers are defending the border. The main function of the state is to defend the state borders and to ensure the security of its citizens. But who does this? Was the constitutional order overthrown then or on 1 March 2008?” Kocharyan announced.

Following Prosecutor Baghdasaryan's position, defense lawyer Hovhannes Khudoyan partially withdrew his motion for recusal, as the prosecutor stated that he did not know how Kocharyan's passport had been returned to him.

"The Prosecutor's Office has not participated in the discussions on it and has no information to object or not to object to it," Baghdasaryan said.

The court finished hearing the motions and went to the deliberation room. The ruling will be issued on January 22, at 1pm.”

ABC Australia republishes Serj Tankian article edited to appease foreign pressure

Janet Ekmekjian
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 17 2021
– Public Radio of Armenia

A public outcry led by the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) has forced the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) to republish an article it originally removed from its website, which featured an interview with Serj Tankian on the national broadcaster’s Triple J Radio Station. However the new version of the article has been heavily edited to appease Azerbaijani and Turkish complaints.

In the original version, Tankian, who is the frontman of Grammy Award-winning System of a Down, had been quoted discussing the importance of the recognition of the Republic of Artsakh to prevent a second Armenian Genocide, explaining this as the motivation for the band getting back together to produce new music after a 15-year recording hiatus.

Tankian, a New Zealand resident, was quoted on the history of the Armenian Genocide from the perspective of a grandchild of a survivor of the 1915 attempt by the Ottoman Empire to eradicate the Armenian race. He explained that what was going on in Artsakh by neo-Ottoman Azerbaijan was the motivation for the songs “Protect the Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz”.

The interview was broadcast on Triple J’s The Racket program before Christmas, before an article featuring some of his key quotes and the Artsakh story was published on the ABC website at this link, which was subsequently taken down for reasons yet to be explained.

The original article that was removed from ABC’s website was titled “Inside System Of A Down’s Reunion and the Armenian Genocide That Spurred It”, and the sanitised version it was forced to publish after the ANC-AU, Tankian and many Australians took to social media to correct the apparent censorship is titled “Inside System Of A Down’s reunion and the conflict that spurred it” – the replacing of “Armenian Genocide” with “conflict” is typical of the kind of changes that were made to the body of the article.

The republished version contains an Editor’s Note, which reads:

“EDITOR’S NOTE, January 14 2021: This story has been amended to include more context on the conflict in Artsakh / Nagorno-Karabach. The headline has been changed accordingly. This article has also been amended to remove some contested claims.”

“The only parties that would contest claims about the correct characterisation of the Armenian Genocide and the rights to self-determination of the indigenous Armenians of the Republic of Artsakh are Turkey and Azerbaijan, and whilst we appreciate ABC’s correction of its previous censorship, we find it unacceptable that our national broadcaster is being edited by the dictatorships in Ankara and Baku,” said ANC-AU Executive Director, Haig Kayserian.

“If Holocaust deniers contested the history of the Jewish Genocide at the hands of Nazi Germany, we would rightly find it appalling that our national broadcaster will edit such claims because there were contests made by bad actors,” he added.

“This is completely unacceptable censorship and pandering to the Turkish State’s offensive policy of genocide denial which goes to extraordinary extents, including using the sacred graves of our ANZAC Diggers buried in Gallipoli as ‘hostages’ to appease such genocide denial.”

“We do not intend to rest until the full, uncensored article, is republished,” Kayserian noted.

– Public Radio of Armenia

Among Tankian’s quotes in from the radio interview was a call to action to all Australians to support a petition published by the Armenian National Committee of Australia on the Australian Parliament’s website, calling for their recognition of the rights to self-determination of the Republic of Artsakh.

“In Australia right now, there’s a petition going on in parliament… to recognize Artsakh… so that in the future something like this [the war] will be less likely to occur. Go to www.anc.org.au and find the link to the petition to help,” Tankian said.

The petition closed with over 3,000 signatures.

Tankian also told Triple J: “In the 1920s, Joseph Stalin decided to give these lands [Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh] to Azerbaijan … these lands [Artsakh] were never really Azeri lands … Azerbaijan attacked with impunity … it was a David and Goliath situation … Not only did they [Azerbaijan] attack with missiles, bombs and modern technology, but they also attacked with propaganda… disinformation…”

He added: “It’s a difficult thing for Armenians around the world to watch yet another injustice after a hundred years happen to our people by some of the same people that are still denying that the Genocide occurred… Turkey still denies the role of their ancestors…”

“The media was just doing this false parity because the dictatorship of Azerbaijan and the dictatorship of Erdogan’s Turkey was basically saying ‘oh no, we’re not the ones who started the war, Armenia did’, even though they’re the ones who did (so) with impunity….”

“The guys from System of a Down … we were all upset about it. We all jumped on board. We made (the new songs dedicated to Artsakh awareness) happen in a miraculous amount of time…” Tankian added.

The new article can be read by clicking here.

The complete article, removed from the ABC website is pasted below, and the radio interview can be listened to in full by clicking here.

Turkish press: Hungary wants help reconstruct Nagorno-Karabakh

Janet Ekmekjian
Mehmet Yilmaz   |14.01.2021

BUDAPEST, Hungary

Hungary wants to take part in the reconstruction of Azerbaijani territories that were freed from occupation, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Thursday.

“After the end of the conflict [Nagorno-Karabakh], we have now discussed how Hungarian companies can participate in the reconstruction of areas previously affected by the war,” Szijjarto said in a Facebook post after speaking with Azerbaijani Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Population Sahil Babayev. “Hungary has always stood up for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.”

Hungary’s Exim Bank opened a $100 million credit line for companies who want to be part of the reconstruction program, according to Szijjarto, who said his government offered a €25,000 ($30,380) grant for demining the region.

He said gas supply is critical for Central Europe and beginning in 2025, Hungary can buy natural gas from Azerbaijan through a pipeline between Azerbaijan and Europe.

Karabakh dispute

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

When new clashes erupted Sept. 27, 2020, Armenia launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and even violated humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages, while at least 2,802 of its soldiers were martyred. There are differing claims about the number of casualties on the Armenian side, which sources and officials say could be as high as 5,000.

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

A joint Turkish-Russian center is being established to monitor the truce. Russian peacekeeping troops have also been deployed in the region.

The cease-fire is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces have withdrawn in line with the agreement.

Violations, however, have been reported in recent weeks, with Armenian soldiers reportedly hiding in the mountainous enclave.

*Writing and contribution by Busra Nur Bilgic Cakmak in Ankara

Russia reports 24,763 daily COVID-19 cases

Janet Ekmekjian

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 14:30,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Russia confirmed 24,763 new coronavirus cases in the past day, bringing the total caseload to 3,495,816, TASS reports citing the anti-coronavirus crisis center.

This is a new high since January 2 when 26,301 cases were recorded.

The average growth rate stood at 0.7%.

Currently, 549,832 people are undergoing treatment for the coronavirus in Russia.

Russia’s coronavirus recoveries rose by 27,956 to 2,882,044 in the past 24 hours.

Russia has documented 570 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, compared to 566 deaths the day before. In total, 63,940 people have died from the virus in Russia.