Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

Armenpress: Issue of Constitutional amendments remains on Government’s agenda – PM Pashinyan

Tatoyan Vazgen

Issue of Constitutional amendments remains on Government’s agenda – PM Pashinyan

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 17:46,

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan assured that the issue of Constitutional amendments remains on the agenda of the Government, ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan said during parliament-Cabinet Q&A session, answering the question of independent MP Arman Babajanyan.

Babajanyan noted that the PM and the President had disccused issues related to improving the Constitutional and ligislative fields, and asked the PM to make some clarifications.

”I said that based on the analysis of the situation and conditioned by the well-known factors, the issue of Constitutional amendments remain on our agenda, but it’s necessary to discuss its parameters and content and try to reach an agreement’’, the PM said.

Armenian minister attacks reporter in Yerevan cafe (VIDEO)

Tatoyan Vazgen
News.am, Armenia
19:02, 18.03.2021

Later the journalist went live on his Facebook page noting that the incident took place…

The Mediaport Telegram channel has shared footage of the Minister of High-Tech Industry of Armenia Hakob Arshakyan attacking a journalist in a cafe.

The Prosecutor General’s Office sent a message about the attack to the Special Investigation Service.

Later the journalist went live on his Facebook page noting that the incident took place in one of the Yerevan cafes. 

watch video at

Lebanese-Armenian freed from Azerbaijani prison lands in Beirut after four months in jail

Tatoyan Vazgen
Middle East Eye
March 12 2021
Maral Najarian left Beirut after last year’s port blast, only to be caught up in the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict 

By Kareem Chehayeb
 in Beirut, Lebanon
Published date: 12 March 2021
  | Middle East Eye

A Lebanese-Armenian woman who spent four months in an Azerbaijani prison following last year’s conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh has landed in Beirut.

Maral Najarian, who went missing on 10 November following a Russian-brokered ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, landed in the Lebanese capital late on Wednesday.

“Up until I got on the plane [to Beirut], I could not believe any of this was real,” a distraught Najarian told Lebanese-Armenian radio station Voice of Van.

“I kept thinking ‘they’re going to come and kidnap me again’.”

Lebanese-Armenian family searches for woman who disappeared in Nagorno-Karabakh

Lebanon’s caretaker Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe thanked the Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian governments, as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross for facilitating her release following weeks of negotiations.

Born and raised in Lebanon, Najarian moved to Armenia in August 2020, just weeks after the devastating Beirut Port explosion.

She claimed her Armenian citizenship, and moved to the Artsakh Republic in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.

After hostilities flared between Armenia and Azerbaijan, she temporarily moved back to the Armenian capital for the duration of the six-week conflict.

More than 5,000 combatants and at least 143 civilians were killed in the fighting. Tens of thousands of people were displaced. 

Upon returning to Nagorno-Karabakh the day of a Russian-brokered ceasefire, Azerbaijani forces arrested both Najarian and family friend Viken Euljekian. 

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told MEE on 11 February that Euljekian was being held on a number charges including “terrorism”, but did not respond to questions about specific accusations against Najarian or details of the charges against her.

They confirmed she was detained, adding that she had an “unofficial marriage” with a family friend.

On 13 February, Hagop Pakradounian, the president of the Lebanese-Armenian Tashnag Party, contacted the Lebanese foreign ministry to enquire about Najarian and help facilitate her release.

According to the party, the Lebanese foreign ministry called on ambassadors in Armenia, Russia, and Iran for information on her case. They said she would be released within the following two days, although that failed to transpire. 

Najarian, 49, said on Thursday that she had contemplated self-harm after seeing several razor blades in one of the bathrooms at the prison.

Meanwhile, Najarian’s sister, Sossi, feared she would return in a “worse condition”.  

“When her [Maral’s] daughter told me Wednesday morning that she was coming home while I was at work, I was so overwhelmed with emotion – my manager told me to take the day off,” she told MEE.

“We burst into tears when we saw each other. It’s a miracle that she’s home.”

Najarian’s family said she had been transferred to a hospital to run medical tests and see a therapist. 

The United Nations has expressed concern about alleged mistreatment of both military and civilian captives in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Amnesty International has also documented torture and extrajudicial killings of captives. 

Armenian president, opposition discuss ways out of political crisis

Tatoyan Vazgen
TASS, Russia
March 7 2021
Armen Sarkissian held a meeting with member of the executive body of the Republican Party Vahram Baghdasaryan

YEREVAN, March 7. /TASS/. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian met with representative of the opposition Homeland Salvation Movement, board member of the Republican Party Vahram Baghdasaryan to discuss ways out of the internal political crisis, the presidential office’s press service reported on Sunday.

“President Armen Sarkissian held a meeting today with member of the executive body of the Republican Party of Armenia within the Homeland Salvation Movement Vahram Baghdasaryan. The meeting was held at the invitation of the republic’s president. The sides exchanged opinions on the variants of settling the situation in the country and reducing tension caused by recent developments,” the statement says.

The political crisis in Armenia broke out after the end of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh and escalated on February 25 when Armenian General Staff Chief Onik Gasparyan and about 40 top officers issued a statement demanding Prime Minister Pashinyan and the government step down.

Armenia’s President Sarkissian, who is authorized by the national constitution to appoint and dismiss the chief of the General Staff at the prime minister’s behest, refused to sign the decree removing the general. However, he also did not challenge Pashinyan’s motion on Gasparyan’s resignation at the Constitutional Court. Instead, Sarkissian sent the 2017 law on military service, which vests the prime minister with the right to initiate dismissal of senior officers of the army command without providing any reasons for that to the Court for examination.

Conspiracy theorists in Turkey consider Pope’s visit to Iraq a secret message

Tatoyan Vazgen
News.am, Armenia
March 7 2021
Conspiracy theorists in Turkey consider Pope’s visit to Iraq a secret message
15:28, 07.03.2021

With the Turkish pro-government media already flooded with conspiracy theories, anti-Semitism and propaganda, Pope Francis I’s current visit to Iraq has prompted Islamist conspiracy theorists to raise the issue that the visit amounts to Western meddling in Turkey’s affairs, Ahval reported.

One of the most prominent pro-government Islamist columnists for the Yeni Safak newspaper, Yusuf Kaplan, described the pontiff’s visit as a Vatican-Zionist siege.

Ibrahim Karagul, another pro-government Islamist columnist, commented on a photo taken during a meeting between the Pope and Ayatollah Sistani, a leading spiritual leader of Iraqi Shia Muslims.

He referred to the photo as alarming noting the image can be used to write a book.

Executions of Armenian POWs a results of Azerbaijan’s past uncondemned crimes

Tatoyan Vazgen
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 27 2021

The executions of the Armenian prisoners of war and civilians in the Hadrut region of Artsakh and other settlements fallen under the military control of Azerbaijan are the results of the past uncondemned crimes, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Thirty-three years ago, on February 27-29, 1988, pre-planned massacres of Armenians were carried out in the city of Sumgait (Azerbaijan) amid the encouragement of the Azerbaijani authorities and the permissiveness of the law enforcement bodies. Hundreds of Armenians were killed, including women, children and elderly, and thousands of Armenians were forcibly displaced.

Sumgait massacre was a response to the aspiration of the people of Artsakh to assert their inalienable right to a dignified and safe life in their historical homeland and to exercise their right to self-determination. Azerbaijan opposed the attempts of exercising human rights with the policy of collective punishment, subjecting the Armenian population of the Sumgait town to severe violence and torture.

The atrocities of Sumgait instigated the ethnic cleansing and massacres of Armenians in other cities of Azerbaijan, such as Baku and Gandzak. Moreover, the unequivocal justification of such crime, the glorification of the murderers for killing Armenians were reflected in the efforts of the Azerbaijani authorities to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with the use of force. 

“Last year, on September 27 the full-fledged war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh and its people was accompanied by similar war crimes against the Armenian identity, with one difference – the murders of the civilians were not carried out by controlled mobs, but by servicemen of the Azerbaijani armed forces and the relevant videos were uploaded on the Internet,” the Foreign Ministry said.

“During the 44-day war, the Azerbaijani armed forces, driven by a sense of impunity, committed numerous violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, which are manifestations of mass atrocities, including ethnic cleansing and war crimes. While adhering to the behaviour of terrorist groups, the Azerbaijani armed forces committed violations against prisoners of war, civilians, barbarically destroyed historical-cultural monuments and desecrated sanctuaries,” the Ministry said.

It added that the executions of the Armenian prisoners of war and civilians in the Hadrut region of Artsakh and other settlements fallen under the military control of Azerbaijan are the results of the past uncondemned crimes.

“Today, by paying tribute to the innocent victims of the Armenian massacres in Sumgait, we once again emphasize the determination of the Republic of Armenia, Republic of Artsakh and all Armenians to live a free, independent and dignified life in their homeland,” the statement reads.

 

Aurora Prize Selection Committee member Bernard Kouchner visits Armenia and Artsakh

Tatoyan Vazgen

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 11:13,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 25, ARMENPRESS. Internationally renowned humanitarian and physician Bernard Kouchner has arrived to Armenia at the invitation of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative that continues to bring the world humanitarian leaders to Armenia and Artsakh, exploring new opportunities to help the local population and to support Artsakh’s international standing, IDeA Foundation told Armenpress.

Mr. Kouchner, co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières, former French Foreign Minister and member of the Aurora Prize Selection Committee, is accompanied by humanitarians Alain Boinet, Founder of Solidarités International, and Patrice Franceschi, former Chairman of the Société des Explorateurs Français. Together, they will have a chance to take a closer look at the regional humanitarian projects supported by Aurora and focused on promoting micro and small enterprises, restoring infrastructure, and boosting economy.

Bernard Kouchner co-founded the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in 1971 and co-founded Médecins du Monde in 1980. He organized humanitarian operations to Somalia, El Salvador, Lebanon and Vietnam. In 2018, Mr. Kouchner joined the Aurora Prize Selection Committee comprised of Nobel Laureates, former presidents, prominent political figures, highly respected humanitarians and well-known human rights activists dedicated to recognizing modern-day heroes and the exceptional impact their actions have made on preserving human life and advancing humanitarian causes in the face of adversity.

After arriving to Armenia, Mr. Kouchner went to the Genocide Memorial Complex to honor the victims of the Armenian Genocide and had an opportunity to pay respect to the doctors who volunteered in Artsakh during the war. The next day, the delegation went to Artsakh to show their solidarity and support local humanitarian efforts, including those assisted by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. In Stepanakert, Mr. Kouchner and others visited the Lady Cox Rehabilitation Center to meet with wounded soldiers in treatment.

Aurora supports the infrastructure improvement of the Center within the framework of the Initiative’s aid program for Artsakh, focused on assisting projects that facilitate the region’s long-term social development. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative has already allocated a total of $581,740 (300,660,500֏) to aid fifty-seven local and international projects implemented by its numerous partners.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to come to Armenia and Artsakh and show my solidarity to those affected by the war. I was impressed by the philosophy of the Lady Cox Center to integrate the whole family and environment in the therapeutic process. The whole place had a quiet and positive atmosphere, and I am happy that Aurora supports this institution that is so much needed in Artsakh,” Dr. Kouchner said after the visit.

On February 24, Mr. Kouchner’s delegation toured the areas of Stepanakert that had been most affected by the war and talked to the representatives of the projects assisted by Aurora, including The HALO Trust’s operation to clear cluster munitions and other explosives in civilian areas to allow the safe return of displaced people to Artsakh.

“People [here] know very well that their existence depends, first of all, on a secured environment, and we understand now how important it is to create the proper structure for their health to respond to the needs of this strong and courageous population,” Mr. Boinet remarked upon leaving the Stepanakert Republican Hospital.

On their way to Yerevan, Mr. Kouchner and his group will travel to Dilijan to tour the UWC Dilijan school and town. On Friday, before concluding his visit, Bernard Kouchner plans to take part in a moderated discussion at the Yerevan State Medical University and to go to the Matenadaran, Armenia’s national repository of ancient manuscripts supported by Aurora Grants.

Turkish press: Erdoğan, Putin discuss Nagorno-Karabakh, Syria, Libya in phone call

Tatoyan Vazgen
 ANKARA DIPLOMACY 
FEB 18, 2021 3:59 PM GMT+3
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaks at a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the capital Ankara, Turkey, April 3, 2018. (Courtesy of the Turkish Presidency)

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday discussed regional issues including Nagorno-Karabakh, Syria and Libya in a phone call.

The two countries discussed steps to further enhance relations between Ankara and Moscow, while regional issues were also on the agenda of the two leaders.

According to a statement by the Communications Directorate, Erdoğan underlined the need to preserve the cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh, highlighting that the joint observation center in the Aghdam region of Azerbaijan is operating successfully.

The center, which both countries agreed to set up in November, officially opened in January. Both Turkey and Russia sent up to 60 personnel each to run the center.

Erdoğan further stated that as part of reconstruction efforts in the region, Turkish and Russian experts could come together with their Azerbaijani interlocutors for more efficient highway and railway access following the Jan. 11 agreement, signed by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia to develop economic ties and infrastructure to benefit the entire Caucasus region.

Azerbaijan is getting ready to rebuild the recently liberated Nagorno-Karabakh in accordance with modern urbanism, after 30 years of Armenian occupation.

Nagorno-Karabakh is entering a new period marked by construction and infrastructure work that will reshape the outlook of the region. Currently, the majority of the liberated land has the appearance of “ghost towns” as it suffered heavy damage during and after the occupation.

Following the 44-day conflict launched back in September 2020, as Azerbaijan declared a definite victory, Armenian forces left the region after vandalizing the houses and looting everything they could on their way out. Now, it is difficult to have a building in the cities of Nagorno-Karabakh, including Jabrayil, Fuzuli and Lachin, other than piles of stones. Although the symbolic city of the region Shusha was relatively luckier than the others in terms of surviving the vandalism, the religious and cultural monuments in the city still suffered from the aftereffects of the war.

Speaking on the Syrian civil war, Erdoğan stressed that it is for the benefit of everyone to find a solution as soon as possible, while he also said that it is important not to miss the opportunity to establish peace and stability in Libya following the election of a new interim government that will lead the war-torn country until national elections in December.

CivilNet: Aurora Doubles Artsakh Aid Funding, Pledges Support to 57 Projects

Tatoyan Vazgen
CIVILNET.AM

13:06

By Emilio Luciano Cricchio

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative has revamped and outlined its new Artsakh aid program, which will focus on Nagorno-Karabakh’s long-term social needs.

Aurora has also doubled the amount of funding that will be directed to its Artsakh relief fund. 

In a written statement, Aurora pledged to assist projects that will support the business community in Karabakh, as well as restore infrastructure, aid vulnerable families and boost the local economy. 

Aurora has already allocated around $580,000 to support 57 projects related to Artsakh. The statement also listed the various causes Aurora is in the midst of supporting, which include repairing various schools, hospitals and houses, restoring roads, providing basic and home items to displaced families, purchasing ambulances and medical supplies, along with many other initiatives. 

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is an Armenian aid organization founded by Noubar Afeyan (chairman of the US pharmaceutical giant Moderna), Russian-Armenian businessman Ruben Vardanyan, and Carnegie Corporation President Vartan Gregorian. They recently donated around $1 million to the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, on behalf of the Aurora Initiative. 

The statement furthermore states that Aurora will engage and utilize Armenian diasporan experts and individuals to optimize its projects, and on top of this will bring together the initiative’s partners and many diaspora experts for a conference some time in April, in order to develop projects, plan ahead and connect all the various stakeholders.

The full list of the 57 projects Aurora has embarked on in Artsakh is available here.

Armenia ombudsman on Khndzoresk incident: Villagers’ rights need to be guaranteed

Tatoyan Vazgen
News.am, Armenia
Feb 14 2021
10:10, 14.02.2021

The unlawful taking constituting theft of 173 sheep by Azerbaijani armed forces from the shepherd of Khndzoresk village in the Syunik region on February 11 confirms what the Republic of Armenia (RA) Human Rights Defender has been cautioning and forewarning about for several months. Armenia’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan wrote about this on Facebook on Sunday morning.
“In particular, yesterday the Khndzoresk municipality announced that on February 11, a resident of the village of Khndzoresk in the Syunik region, had grazed a total of 185 small cattle in the pastures near the village. During the grazing, some of the animals approached the area controlled by the Azerbaijani soldiers, after which the Azerbaijani armed forces unlawfully took 173 of the 185 sheep and carried it away with the intent to permanently deprive the shepherd of his personal property, to wit, the sheep.
The animals were returned only after negotiations between the RA Border Troops and the Armed Forces Corps Command.
The referenced information was confirmed to the RA Human Rights Defender by a number of villagers and community bodies. To be clear, the Syunik regional subdivision of the Defender’s Office discovered that the pastor himself, was not negligent in guiding his flock, but rather, was very careful, however, the incident happened because habitually the animals historically are accustomed to grazing in those areas; and, the relevant pastures are such that it is difficult and quite impractical to exercise sufficient control over the animals.
All of these factors confirm the need to guarantee the rights of the villagers, including their safety while making use of pastures, to protect their livelihood, and to safeguard against the dangers and/or violations of their property rights. In order to prevent this, responsible commission work and a correct assessment of the needs of the villagers are critical, to ensure an unequivocal and total elimination and neutralization of all such obstacles and concerns,” added Armenia’s ombudsman.