Author: Kevo Kalantarian

Defense Army denies report on disagreements with military-political authorities of Artsakh

Kevo Kalantarian
News.am, Armenia
20:11, 13.03.2021

Artsakh defense Army has denied a report on disagreements with military-political authorities of Artsakh.

"The information that President of the Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan, commander of the Russian peacekeepers, General Muradov, and a high-ranking representative of Armenian National Security went to a meeting with the commander of the Defense Army Mikael Arzumanyan and demanded that the Armenian servicemen be removed from Karmir Shuka so that the road could be handed over to the Azerbaijani military does not correspond reality," the statement noted. "We urge to refrain from publishing false information about non-existent disagreements between the military-political authorities of Artsakh."

Pashinyan tells military to continue mission and refrain from being drawn into political processes

Kevo Kalantarian

Tweet

Share

 16:57, 25 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 25, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told the military to carry on with their mission of protecting the borders and territorial integrity of Armenia and to stay away from politics.

“First of all as a representative elected by the people, as Prime Minister, my order to all soldiers, officers and generals of the Armed Forces is – gentlemen, do your job – the protection of the Armenian borders and its territorial integrity. This is my order, and no one can dare to [violate] this order,” Pashinyan said at a rally in Republic Square, Yerevan, after the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces demanded his resignation.

“Some [people] have attempted to draw our army, our armed forces into anti-democratic, anti-constitutional process, and today I have clearly assessed that the statement initiated by the General Staff is an attempted military coup, and the people will not allow a military coup in Armenia. But I’d also like to say that our army is our army, adored by us. And I am sure that many generals and high-ranking officers signed that statement under the orders of their superior officers. I have one thing to say to them – gentlemen, deal with the protection of the Armenian borders and territorial integrity, you must fulfill your work, the army cannot look back, the army cannot look in the rear, the army cannot be drawn into political processes, the army must be subordinate to the people and their elected political government only. Those who are acting outside of this logic are acting against the people, against the state, against the rule of law and the security of Armenia,” Pashinyan said.

 

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Armenian president rejects army chief’s dismissal after PM order

Kevo Kalantarian
Al Jazeera, Qatar
Feb 27 2021

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had urged President Armen Sarkissian to fire Colonel-General Onik Gasparyan after accusing the military of an attempted coup.

27 Feb 2021

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian has refused to sign a prime ministerial order to dismiss the army’s chief of staff, deepening a national political crisis.

The country has faced turmoil since Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a Russian-brokered peace accord in November, sealing a humiliating defeat to Azerbaijan after six weeks of fierce fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Divisions widened on Thursday when Pashinyan defied a call by the military to resign, accusing it of an attempted coup and ordering the chief of the general staff, Onik Gasparyan, to be fired.

On Saturday, Sarkissian said in a statement he would not back the sacking.

“The president of the republic, within the framework of his constitutional powers, returned the draft decree with objections,” the presidency said.

It added the political crisis “cannot be resolved through frequent personnel changes”.

For his part, Pashinyan said he will again send a demand for Gasparyan’s resignation.

“This decision does not contribute to resolving the situation at all,” he said in a Facebook post. “I am again sending the petition to dismiss the head of the General Staff to the President of the Republic, expecting that it will be signed in accordance with the established procedure.”

Pashinyan has been facing growing calls to quit his own position.

Earlier in the day, 5,000 opposition protesters waving Armenian flags and calling for Pashinyan’s resignation gathered for the third day running outside the Parliament in the capital, Yerevan.

Some protesters have now set up camp there.

Opposition supporters protest demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan on February 25, 2021 [File: Karen Minasyan/AFP]“Today Pashinyan has no support. I call on the security services and the police to join the army, to support the army,” said Vazgen Manukyan, a former prime minister who has been named by the opposition to replace Pashinyan.

“I am sure that the situation will be resolved within two to three days,” he told the crowd.

Al Jazeera’s Robin Forestier-Walker, reporting from Yerevan, said the presidency’s move was “definitely a sign that support from the political institutions in Armenia is waning for Pashinyan”.

Pashinyan has faced fierce criticism since he signed the Nagorno-Karabakh deal, which was seen as a national humiliation for many in Armenia. The prime minister said at the time he had no choice but to agree to sign the “unspeakably painful” deal or see his country’s forces suffer even bigger losses.

Court Reverses Newsom’s Rejection of Sassounian Parole

Kevo Kalantarian

February 25,  2021



Hampig Sassounian

The Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday reversed a decision by Governor Gavin Newson who rejected the parole eligibility and application of Hampig Sassounian, court documents obtained by Asbarez show.

Despite a recommendation in December 2019 by the Board of Parole in favor of Sassounian’s suitability, Newsom, last May, rejected that decision and denied his parole, saying in a lengthy decision that while he acknowledged the steps Sassounian had taken over decades to rehabilitate himself, he did not believe Sassounian to be fit for release.

“I commend Mr. Sassounian for his rehabilitative efforts in prison, but I find they are outweighed by negative factors that show he remains unsuitable for parole at this time,” said Newsom in his letter obtained by Asbarez at the time. “I believe that Mr. Sassounian has not yet demonstrated that he has developed and sustained the necessary insight and skills for a sufficiently long period.”

Saying Newsom’s decision was “arbitrary and procedurally flawed,” LA County Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan on Wednesday granted Sassounian’s attorney’s motion to reverse the governor’s decision ruling that Newsom “used an improper standard” when “considering both the ‘import’ of his offense and the notoriety of his victim.”

Ryan also said it did not find evidence to support Newsom’s decision that Sassounian “posed an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety.”

With its ruling on Wednesday, the court vacated Newsom’s decision to reject Sassounian’s parole and reinstated the California Parole Board’s decision to grant Sassounian parole.

“The wheels of justice sometimes move slowly, but this is the right time for this decision. I applaud the team of lawyers and activists working on this case for decades,” California State Senator Anthony Portantino told Asbarez on Thursday.

“This is an important case not just for his family but for California. We have done many things in justice reform on behalf of teenagers and it’s nice to see that it has benefitted Hampig,” added Portantino. “The community can sleep peacefully and joyfully tonight.”

“Wednesday’s decision by the court is a welcome change in the status for Hampig Sassounian, whose eligibility for parole was unjustly rejected last year by the governor,” attorney Levon Kirakosian told Asbarez on Thursday “The Armenian community has waited with bated breath for this moment and I am confident that Hampig’s release will be imminent.”

“Hampig’s family and the entire Armenian community applaud and appreciate the court’s ruling,” added Kirakosian, who for the past four decades has worked on or closely with Sassounian’s legal team.

“As an organization which expressed its disappointment last year to the governor for his decision to overturn the unanimous votes of two separate Parole Boards to grant parole to Hampig Sassounian on humanitarian grounds, we are gratified that the court has issued its favorable ruling today in which it overturned the Governor’s unfounded decision. We are confident that justice has finally been served, and we are grateful that the court agreed,” said Nora Hovsepian, Esq., the chair of the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region.

As Azeris destroy WWII memorial in Artsakh, newspaper warns of fascism rebirth and new Hitler’s rise

Kevo Kalantarian

 17:18, 18 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Multiple cases of vandalism are recorded in the territories of Artsakh that have gone under Azerbaijani control after the 2020 war.

Infoteka24, a leading online news portal, labeled the Azeri vandalisms as a “rebirth of fascist ideology”.

“The memorial honoring the heroes of the Great Patriotic War wasn’t chosen coincidentally by the brutes. Today, a rebirth of fascist ideology is taking place in Azerbaijan, against which the entire world fought in the 20th century. The silence of the international community will soon lead to two new Hitlers emerging in the world, in person of Erdogan and Aliyev,” Infoteka wrote in an article, referring to the desecration of the WWII memorial in the village of Avetaranots.

It mentioned that international organizations, politicians, including the Russian ministry of foreign affairs, have all condemned the vandalisms committed by Azerbaijanis in Artsakh, but no actions followed.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Rep. Sherman demands answers from U.S. Ambassador to Baku for congratulatory statements on Azerbaijani aggression

Kevo Kalantarian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 4 2021

Senior House Foreign Affairs Committee member Brad Sherman (D-CA) demanded answers from U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Lee Litzenberger following reports that the U.S. envoy congratulated the Aliyev regime for “restoring its territorial integrity” and pledging U.S. funds to rebuild on occupied Artsakh lands, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Rep. Sherman’s concerns followed news accounts in Azerbaijani press describing Ambassador Litzenberger’s January 27th meeting with Azerbaijan’s Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov.

In a strongly worded letter to Ambassador Litzenberger, Rep. Sherman asked the U.S. envoy to explain:

— Is it the policy of the United States to commend Baku on its successes as a result of the
recent war, which was initiated by Azeri aggression?

— Is it the policy of the United States to encourage investments in Azerbaijan meant to marginalize Artsakh?

Rep. Sherman noted that Amb. Litzenberger’s reported remarks, which have not been refuted by the U.S. Embassy in Baku, run counter to statements by Secretary of State Antony Blinken made during his confirmation process.  In response to inquiries by Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Ed Markey (D-MA), Secretary Blinken noted: “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, the Biden-Harris administration 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.”

Commenting to Asbarez News last week regarding Amb. Litzenberger’s reported remarks, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian stated, “We are troubled by unconfirmed reports that our Ambassador in Baku is celebrating Azerbaijani aggression and – even worse – enlisting Americans in the commercial exploitation of indigenous Armenian lands.  In light of published accounts characterizing his comments in this regard, Amb. Litzenberger should set the record straight – explaining whether he is in fact pushing U.S. investments in areas of Artsakh seized by Azerbaijan,” added Hamparian.

The full text of Rep. Sherman’s letter to Amb. Litzenberger is provided below.

Dear Ambassador Litzenberger,

As you are aware, Azerbaijani and Turkish forces initiated an unprovoked attack against Armenia on September 27, 2020, leading to six weeks of devastating fighting that killed an estimated 5,000 people and forced more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee from the Karabakh region. As a result of the intense fighting, a Russia-backed ceasefire was agreed to, which has resulted in an untenable situation for Artsakh’s long-term security and stability.

According to a press statement issued by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy on January 27th, in a meeting with Azerbaijan’s Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, you congratulated Azerbaijan for “restoring its territorial integrity” and expressed the United States’ readiness to take part in rebuilding lands that recently came under Baku’s control as a result of the war.

The United States is an active member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group process. U.S. engagement in the OSCE process is necessary to find a permanent settlement to the Artsakh conflict that protects the security of Artsakh and helps to ensure another war does not break out. I appreciate the statement Secretary Blinken gave during his confirmation hearing to this end.

Ambassador Litzenberger, your remarks to Azerbaijan’s Economy Minister are extremely concerning, and are all together out of step with Secretary Blinken’s statements to date. Thus, I would appreciate responses to the following questions:

— Is it the policy of the United States to commend Baku on its successes as a result of the
recent war, which was initiated by Azeri aggression?

— Is it the policy of the United States to encourage investments in Azerbaijan meant to marginalize Artsakh?

Church on sale on the Internet belonged to the Armenian Catholic Church

Kevo Kalantarian
Asia News, Italy
Jan 25 2021
by Marian Demir

After the Armenian genocide, the church passed into private hands and is now up for sale to make it a cultural centre or a hotel in Bursa. For Levon Zekiyan, head of the Armenian Catholic Church of Turkey, “the Armenian community does not have the financial means to buy this church”.

Istanbul (AsiaNews) – The church put up for sale on the Internet almost a week ago belonged to the Catholic Armenian Church, the head of the Armenian Catholic Church of Turkey, Archbishop Levon Zekiyan, said. With regret, he noted that “the Armenian community does not have the financial means to buy this church”.

More than a week ago, an ad appeared on the Internet offering for sale an ancient Armenian church in Bursa, a large city on the southern shores of the Sea of Marmara (north-western Turkey) on the slopes of the Uludağ (Great Mountain), the ancient Mysian Olympus (Mount), a famous tourist site.

The ad noted that the church had become “private property following the [city’s] demographic shift in 1923, and was used afterwards as a tobacco warehouse, then as a weaving factory.”

The reference to “demographic shift” is a vague allusion to the Armenian genocide, which resulted in the emptying of Armenian communities in the early 20th century.

The ad suggested that the church could be used as a cultural centre, a place for art, a museum or a hotel.

The church in question is dedicated to Saint Gregory the Illuminator (Surp Krikor Lusavoriç), and is located in Bursa’s Setbaşi district.

“Turning the church into a cultural venue serving the public won’t bother us,” said Archbishop Levon Zekiyan, stressing again that the Armenian community does not have the money to buy the church.

“We hope to have the authorisation to celebrate Mass at least once a year. I plan to discuss this in the coming days with local authorities.”

The Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate of Turkey issued a statement saying that “it is a very sad thing that some people perceive a church as a commercial asset or a source of income.”

Garo Pylan, an ethnic Armenian who is a Member of Turkey’s Grand National Assembly for the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), slammed the sale.

“An Armenian church for sale in Bursa?” he asks. “But is it ever possible to put a place of worship up for sale? How can the state and society allow all this? Shame on you!”

Armenian MP staging protest outside PACE session hall to raise the issue of Armenian prisoners

Kevo Kalantarian
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 25 2021    

Member of the Armenian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Edmon Marukyan staged a protest in front of the doors to PACE session hall,  as the Assembly started its winter session on Monday  in Strasbourg. Marukyan held a poster reading "Freedom to Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan." 

The Armenian MP shared the video from the scene on his Facebook account, saying: "We started the PACE session through raising our voice with the international community to exert pressure on Azerbaijan and immediately free Armenian prisoners and civilians," Marukyan wrote. 

To note, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is holding its 2021 winter plenary session from January 25 to 28 in a hybrid manner, allowing members to participate remotely or attend in person in Strasbourg.

 

Op-ed: myths that replaced reality led to Armenia’s defeat in Karabakh war

Kevo Kalantarian
JAM News
Jan 25 2021
    Sona Martirosyan, Yerevan

After the cessation of hostilities in Karabakh, a stage of reckoning with the situation has begun in the Armenian society.

Journalists and experts have put forward different explanations to try to answer the questions of: what happened and why?

Analyst, expert on the Karabakh conflict Tatul Hakobyan

Tatul Hakobyan believes that the 44-day war has debunked five myths rooted in Armenian society. It was their propaganda at the official level that dulled the vigilance of the public, the journalist says.

The first myth that led to defeat was the possibility of maintaining the status quo forever:

“The myth of the status quo took its first blow during the escalation in April 2016. It seemed that Azerbaijan was trying to test the strength of the front line. They did not achieve much success, capturing several hundred hectares of territory and about a couple of dozen strongholds, but they did find out that the Armenian defense line was not impregnable.

  • Op-ed: ‘Blood, toil, tears and sweat’ – solving the Armenian political crisis
  • Armenian veteran diplomat: “Why Armenia lost the war for Karabakh”
  • Op-ed: Armenia must consider political realignment for Karabakh

In the very first days of the war in September 2020, the Azerbaijani side managed to break through in the direction of Horadiz. The Armenian forces fought defensive battles near the Khudaferin reservoir, albeit with huge losses, and the enemy covered 50 kilometers from the reservoir to the Meghri border in a few hours without encountering resistance.”

The second myth is about the invincibility of the Armenian army:

“There have never been and there are no invincible armies in the world. The myth of the invincibility of the Armenian army was born after the victory in the 1991-1994 war. Then it was not the regular army that won, but the military association created on the wave of the volunteer movement from many groups.

This victory was achieved due to a number of circumstances, including through the fearless struggle of the Armenian volunteers and the Karabakh villagers, but also thanks to the internal political chaos and the struggle for power within Azerbaijan in those years.

Conscript soldiers who participated in the second Karabakh war

A number of objective factors must be taken into account:

  • it was impossible to defeat Azerbaijan and supporting Turkey with volunteer formations, since in fact the army of the 20th century fought with the army of the 21st century;
  • Armenia and NK, with a total population of three million people, fought against Azerbaijan with its population of 10 million, and Turkey, which has a population of 80 million.

The Armenian side was defeated because the forces were unequal. Azerbaijan, with the help of Turkey, terrorist mercenaries and Israeli drones, managed from the very first days of the offensive to achieve an advantage and preserve it until the moment when, with the mediation of Russia, hostilities were stopped.

The Armenian side proved inferior to Azerbaijan in terms of weapons, human strength, preparedness and responsibility of the leadership. This is the bitter truth, although some circles have already begun to spread lies and look for the guilty and traitors.”

Nagorno-Karabakh, in a bomb shelter

The third myth was formulated in the new military doctrine of Armenia – ‘new war – new territories‘

“This arrogant statement was put into circulation by Armenian Defense Minister David Tonoyan.

Armenian soldiers, militias and reservists made fun of Tonoyan in the trenches, saying that in the end he was right, only the names of the countries had to be changed. In the new war, Azerbaijan conquered new territories – more than 8,000 square kilometers”.

David Tonoyan in NK during the war

The fourth myth concerns the views of the Armenian side about the intentions of the enemy – ‘Azerbaijan will not start a war’:

“Despite the fact that this myth weakened to some extent after the April 2016 war, it continued to live and dull vigilance.

In fact, the war was inevitable, and it was important to realize and take appropriate steps, which they did not do. Moreover, this catastrophic war could have been avoided if in the fall of 1997 a phased solution had been adopted, in which the NKAO and the entire Lachin region, that is, Artsakh with an area of more than 6,000 km², had the right to vote and veto.

That is, twice as much as we have now. Then we were the winners and dictated the conditions, but today, bowing our heads, we signed the document before which we were put, and we accepted all or almost all the conditions of Azerbaijan.

It could have been avoided if in 1998 Vazgen Sargsyan [then Armenian Defense Minister], Robert Kocharian [Armenian Prime Minister], Serzh Sargsyan [Armenian Interior and National Security Minister] and Samvel Babayan [NK Defense Army Commander] had not carried out a palace coup and under the pretext of saving Artsakh they would not have seized power in Armenia.

It would be possible now if Nikol Pashinyan, the Armenian diplomacy and the military-political leadership soberly assessed their own strengths.

Volunteers who returned from the war participate in a rally of the opposition of Armenia demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister

The fifth myth concerns the economy: Armenia can develop with closed borders – without any concessions:

“This myth was supported not only by individuals, but also by political forces, building on it part of their election campaign. Although this thought has nothing to do with reality.”

Conclusion:

“There were many heroic deeds and displays of loyalty in this patriotic war – both on the part of 18-year-old soldiers and reservists and officers, but in the end, the Armenian side was defeated.

Within 44 days, the Armenian side territorially lost Fizuli, Jebrail, Zangelan, Gubatly, part of Lachin, as well as Hadrut and Shushi – on the territory of the former NKAO.

Three more districts – Agdam, Kelbajar and Lachin – were received by Azerbaijan according to the document signed by Nikol Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev and Vladimir Putin. Human losses are immeasurable. This is a national tragedy, a disaster.

Moreover, this is the second largest defeat in the last 100 years – after the loss of Kars in the Armenian-Turkish war of 1920. Then the Armenian authorities, represented by the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, lost about 30 thousand square kilometers of their homeland. Very soon Sovietization took place – and Armenia lost its independence.

Today, NK and Armenia, where My Step is in power, led by Nikol Pashinyan, have lost about 8 thousand km², which the Armenian people conquered in 1991-1994 during 1000 days of war, having lost 6000 people.

We misjudged our strength. We were guided not by the opportunities that we have, but by our desires – and we got another catastrophe.”

Photo from the page of war participant Tigran Baghishjanyan

Toponyms and terminology used in the publications, and views, opinions and strategies they contain do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of JAMnews or any employees thereof. JAMnews reserves the right to delete comments it considers to be offensive, or otherwise unacceptable.

Karabakh’s Kashatagh residents picketing outside Armenia government rip reporter’s banner quoting PM Pashinyan

Kevo Kalantarian
News.am, Armenia
Jan 29 2021
Karabakh’s Kashatagh residents picketing outside Armenia government rip reporter's banner quoting PM Pashinyan
13:56, 29.01.2021

YEREVAN. – One of the—now former—residents of Artsakh’s (Nagorno-Karabakh) Kashatagh region protesting in front of the main building of the government of Armenia tore the banner—quoting Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan's statement about Artsakh’s Shushi—in the hands of reporter Lia Sargsyan.

Subsequently, this demonstrator started chanting, "Nikol, Nikol."

To note, at Yerablur Military Pantheon in Yerevan on Thursday, in response to this reporter's remarks that, "You said that Shushi is an Azerbaijani city," PM Pashinyan had countered by saying: "You personally shall bring my quote on paper that I said, 'Shushi is Azerbaijani,' and I will respond to you live."

And the reporter on Friday brought Pashinyan's respective quote in writing—and on a banner—to outside the aforesaid government building. "Among the citizens carrying out the [protest] action there were Nikol Pashinyan's supporters, who forcibly snatched the banner from my hand and tore [it]. The situation is quite frightening, this situation is intolerable. Yes, I can ask that question to the Prime Minister again, at any occasion. I want the citizen of the Republic of Armenia to know whether our prime minister considers Shushi Armenian or Azerbaijani," the reporter said.