Author: Vanyan Gary

Canada’s DM Sajjan briefed on potential Canadian military training for Armenia

Vanyan Gary
Journal Pioneer, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Jan 21 2021
Premium content
David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen, Postmedia News ([email protected])
Sajjan briefed on potential Canadian military training for Armenia | Canada | News | The Journal Pioneer

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan was briefed last year about plans for the Canadian Forces to train Armenian military personnel but his officials say such instruction won’t proceed.

Fighting broke out in September between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. During the six-week conflict, Turkey supported Azerbaijan with military aid, including drones equipped with Canadian surveillance equipment. A ceasefire was brokered by Russia.

Nine months before the conflict, National Defence policy advisors outlined to Sajjan the potential for Canadian military training for Armenia. They asked the minister for a decision on the matter, according to a briefing note prepared for Sajjan.

But Sajjan’s spokesperson Floriane Bonneville said there are no plans to conduct training with Armenia.

More than 5,500 people were killed during the fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Russia has sent around 2,000 military personnel to monitor the peace deal.

Azerbaijan’s military forces had the upper hand during the war with its use of more advanced technology. Among that equipment were Israeli-made drones and the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone which carried missiles and were used to destroy infantry positions, armoured vehicles, trucks

Armenian forces shot down a Bayraktar drone and displayed the Canadian-made equipment on the aircraft. The equipment was manufactured by L3 Harris Wescam in Burlington, ON.

The Canadian Forces has ongoing training missions in Latvia and Ukraine. It also has around 500 military personnel operating in various Middle East nations as part of efforts to counter the Islamic State of Iraq. That insurgency has been largely defeated, according to military officers, and the Canadian mission is scheduled to end March 31.

In a recent interview with the Canadian Press, Sajjan refused to say whether the mission would be extended. Canada has been involved in Iraq since 2014 and the mission has cost taxpayers more than $1 billion.

(Updated with new comment from Defence Minister Sajjan’s office)

Artsakh Foreign Minister Appeals to International Bodies on POW Issue

Vanyan Gary

January 19,  2020



Artsakh Foreign Minister David Babayan

Artsakh Foreign Minister Davit Babayan sent letters to the specialized agencies of the United Nations and the Council of Europe, as well as the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Tuesday highlighting the current dire situation faced by Armenian servicemen and civilians who are illegally held captive in Azerbaijan.

The letters states that Azerbaijan, by violating the November 9, 2020 trilateral statement signed by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan, has attacked and occupied Khtsaberd and Hin Tagher villages of Artsakh’s Hadrut region in December 2020 and captured 64 servicemen of the Artsakh Defense Army. Then, the Azerbaijani authorities have announced their intention to launch criminal cases against the Armenian prisoners of war, which, Babayan said, is a gross violation of the international humanitarian law.

The letters also reference that per international humanitarian law, in particular, the Geneva Conventions, continue to apply after the signing of the statement on ceasefire, therefore, the captured servicemen are prisoners of war according to the Article 4th of the Geneva Convention (III) on Prisoners of War, and they should be repatriated after the end of the military operations. Criminal prosecution against the POWs by Azerbaijan only for their participation to the military operations is a gross violation of the Third Geneva Convention.

In the letters, Babayan also says that Azerbaijan is delaying the return of other servicemen and civilians who have been captured on September 27, 2020 during the armed aggression launched by Azerbaijan against Artsakh and after that. He stressed that such a stance by Azerbaijan contradicts its commitments to fulfill the trilateral statement completely, which would help heal the wounds of the bloody conflict.

The Artsakh Foreign Minister has called on the international bodies to take urgent measures to ensure Azerbaijan’s implementation of the Geneva Conventions and to require official Baku to fulfill its obligations to guarantee all of the rights afforded to both prisoners of war and civilians, being kept in detention by Azerbaijan.

CivilNet: French Author’s Awarded Book on Hrant Dink Translated into Armenian

Vanyan Gary
CIVILNET.AM

15:01

Interview and translation by Ani Paitjan

Your book “Le Sillon” (The Furrow), focuses on the Armenian journalist from Turkey, Hrant Dink. He was assassinated in 2007 by a young Turkish nationalist. You are French, and before your journey to Turkey, you did not know much about the tensions between Armenians and Turks. Why did you decide to write a novel focusing on Hrant Dink?  

Valérie Manteau:

It happened gradually. I did not go to Turkey with the idea to write a book about Hrant Dink. It happened in the course of several meetings. In particular through the reading of a friend’s book, who is a Turk but she is in exile in France today. Her name is Pinar Selek. She published her book entitled “Because they are Armenians,” in 2015, at that moment I decided to go to Turkey. In her book, she writes about her education as a woman in Turkey and about the way she learnt about Armenians within the context of Turkish history, and how Turkish children are taught their own history in a very biased and misleading manner. They are taught to despise what remains of Armenians in Turkey. And in this book, she writes about Hrant Dink whom she knew when he was still alive. They were friends. And of course, she talks about his murder, the protest that followed and the awareness that rose in Turkish society. They understood that something terrible was re-happening. A kind of latent monster in Turkish society. And maybe, this time, it was necessary to talk about that and prevent this from continuing. It’s this awareness that interested me more than the assassination in itself. 

How does Hrant Dink’s case echo in Turkey and in other places fourteen years after his death?

V.M: Time passes by and weakens memories but there are two things. When I discovered this story, I was in Istanbul. I had very few Armenian friends, most were Turks. And I asked questions about Hrant Dink. What does this murder evoke for them? Had they ever heard about it? Do they remember it? And I was surprised and overwhelmed to realize that it was an extremely sore point for people. They all remember where they were the day of the murder, they remember what they felt. Someone told me that that day I felt extremely ashamed to be Turk. He said it was the first time he had that feeling. Most of these people don’t know much about the genocide, but in contrast they realized that this history was continuing. The fact that there was still a 17 year old child from the Black Sea who was able to come to Istanbul to kill such a peaceful person raised awareness about their collective responsibility. 

And second, beyond Turkish borders: I live in Marseille where the Armenian community is very important and very active in keeping the memory of the genocide alive. I know there are various events to talk about this topic. I feel that it is not easy to make this story readable in foreign countries. At least in France, where the image of Turkey is very monolithic. During the 2007 European Elections, Turkey was caricatured to disallow it from entering the EU with the argument that Turkey is a muslim country. When we say it is a muslim country, we unfortunately deny the existence of these minorities. We deny the existence of people like Hrant Dink. When we say it’s a muslim country, we forget to say that historically it is not, we almost validate the rhetoric of the Turkish President Erdogan. This is what he wants, that the country becomes fully a muslim country. However, this is not the historical truth. I wanted to highlight the diversity of this country and I think Hrant Dink was doing that magnificently well in his work.  

In many ways, democracy in Turkey is at its lowest point. Recently, many Turkish journalists were arrested and sentenced to many years in prison. In your book, you follow the ghost of Hrant Dink, who promised to “transform into heaven the hell where we live.” Is there an exit from this hell for Turkey?

V.M: He had this optimism, a little bit romantic, but I think that’s very moving. The Italian philosopher, Antonio Gramsci, used to say that we need the optimism of will and the pessimism of intelligence. And I think we need both. The situation now is a catastrophe. Will we witness a Turkey that bounces back? I hope so. There are people who are still struggling for this, so we need to support them.  For now, everything is more and more unfree. The murder of Hrant Dink was one of the junctures in modern Turkish history with democratic political suggestions during the elections that followed his case. During the protests of the Gezi Park (A wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Turkey began on 28 May 2013), Erdogan totally lost contact with the democratic functioning or the potential democratization of the country. Since these protests, we have witnessed only a descent into hell. When I came to Turkey in 2015, I wanted to talk to people who knew Dink, who were in solidarity with him. And actually the massive arrests of activists, journalists, lawyers these past years are the same people whom I met and who were supporting Dink. That’s why we need to support these people, it is the only way to get out of this situation. 

In September, Karabakh was attacked by Azerbaijan, a bloody 44 days war followed. Turkey was a strong ally of Azerbaijan. Some experts say it’s rather Turkey’s and Russia’s victory. How do you see the role played by Turkey, a country associated for Armenians with the 1915 Genocide, in this war?

V.M: It seems to me that there is an extremely belligerent and aggressive process in Turkey currently. This is partially due to the internal difficulty that Erdogan is facing. Unfortunately, the beginning of wars are often due to a crisis. There is a catastrophic economic crisis, Erdogan lost the last elections, at least symbolically. He lost the biggest cities of Turkey. He is in a bad state so what does he do? He picks up an internal and external enemy and he tries to create national unity based on that.  These are very well known processes. Why are Armenians the enemy? It is not a coincidence. Since my arrival here, I hear people make the parallel with the genocide, which is completely obvious. It is obvious. We know that the issue of negationism is not only a question of a symbolic recognition or reparation for the victims. The issue of the negationism also concerns the one who denies. The one who denies creates a field to repeat the genocide. That’s why we need to fight against negationism. Not only for the dignity, pride, reparation of the victims, but also because if you deny, you will repeat these acts. 

The genocidal mentality is, unfortunately, still present in the country. Inevitably because of the lack of education, of information and also a lack of political will. 

Your book, Le Sillon, has been translated in Armenian. How does it feel to know that your work has been translated in one of the two languages that Hrant Dink cherished? 

V.M: It is an extremely moving experience. This allowed me to come here to Armenia. It is like a transition for the book that continues to live. I tried to give a lot of space to Hrant Dink in this book but it is not only that.  It’s also a novel. It seems to me that the art of novels is also the art of empathy. Even more when the text is written in the  first person. You imagine yourself in the shoes of someone else in the book. From this point of view, it seems very important to me that this book should be read in Armenia and in Turkey. Unfortunately, a translation is not on the agenda. It is very important to try to understand what is happening in the head of the other. My book is written from the point of view of a foreign woman who is trying to understand what is happening in the head of modern Turkish people in the face of this history. I used the term of Agos (the name of Hrant Dink’s newspaper) which means furrow both in ancient Armenian and ancient Turkish, but in French too Le Sillon refers to the lyrics of the national hymn, La Marseillaise, which is a little bit nationalistic and belligerent, so that people hear the diversity of these voices and how it can echo for each of us. So, I hope that the Armenian translation will resonate with  Armenian people. And I hope that it will one day be translated in Turkish because I think it is fundamental for them to hear this voice too. 

Azerbaijan grossly violates post-war humanitarian processes, says Armenian ombudsman

Vanyan Gary
Panorama, Armenia 

Jan 11 2021
 
 
Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia Arman Tatoyan has relesed a statement early on Monday, blaming Azerbaijan for a gross violation of post-war humanitarian processes and the international human rights mandates and standards. The full text of Tatoyan’s statement is below.
 
“On December 28, 2020, the Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the United Nations (UN) addressed a letter to the UN Secretary General. The letter was distributed to the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.
 
The letter contains issues related to the citizens of the Republic of Armenia  (RA) who are being held captive in Azerbaijan, and their respective rights. Thus, the Human Rights Defender of Armenia considers it necessary to address those parts of the letter. In particular:
 
1. Paragraph 6 of the appendix to the letter of the Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN states, that within the framework of the anti-terrorist measure, the Azerbaijani authorities “found” 62 Armenian servicemen, who were drafted mainly from Shirak, and who are currently “detained” and are under “investigation” in Azerbaijan.
 
The letter refers to the Armenian servicemen as members of a subversive group of the Armenian Armed Forces and, it mentions that they were sent to the “Lachin region of Azerbaijan” ostensibly to carry out terrorist acts against Azerbaijani personnel and civilians.
 
Then, among other issues, the representative of Azerbaijan, mainly using the segment about the referenced Armenian servicemen held captive in Azerbaijan, made political conclusions, including proposing to the UN, that it take certain actions against Armenia. The letter concludes on the same premise that Armenia has violated the trilateral statement signed by Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, on November 10, 2020.
 
2. The Human Rights Defender of Armenia hereby states, that it is absolutely reprehensible to link the issue of Armenian servicemen in captivity in Azerbaijan with territorial issues, and to improperly politicize such issue. This affront grossly violates the post-war humanitarian processes and the international human rights mandates and standards.
 
Like the 62 Armenian servicemen referred to in the Azeri letter, all of the other Armenian servicemen are also prisoners of war. They were in their places and positions at the time of their “detention” solely in their lawful course and scope, and for the purpose of performing their legal duties, to serve in the army. They must be released and returned to Armenia without any preconditions. This conclusion is based on the results of the monitoring and investigation of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia and is supported by sound and incontrovertible evidence.
 
Therefore, initiating criminal proceedings against the 62 Armenian servicemen in captivity in Azerbaijan, detaining them, and in particular, calling them “terrorists,” is a gross violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in general. They may not be prosecuted or detained for participating in the hostilities. These are requirements that are specifically enshrined in the 1949 Third Geneva Convention.
 
3. The Human Rights Defender of Armenia also considers it necessary to make a special report on the politicization of human rights by Azerbaijan, and the humanitarian issues ripened by its misconduct in the post-war process, all of which are impermissible under international norms and standards.
 
The return or release of prisoners is independent of any political process.
 
This must be ensured immediately after the cessation of hostilities.
 
This is a universally applicable automatic requirement that exists in international law in every case, whether or not it is enshrined in specific conflict resolution documents.
 
Therefore, point 8 of the tripartite declaration of November 10, 2020 has an autonomous meaning and should act exclusively with an autonomous interpretation. In any case, it should not be considered in connection with, or with dependence on, other points of that announcement.
 
4. It is absolutely inappropriate to interpret the November 10 tripartite statement as if it applies only to the situation before the signing of that statement. Such an approach grossly violates human rights and the post-war humanitarian process.
 
The referenced statement should be discussed in the framework of both before November 10, and all the situations that arose after it, and for as long a period as there is an objective need for the protection of human rights and the humanitarian process due to the aftermath of hostilities.
 
Moreover, the Human Rights Defender notes that, in practice, there have already been cases when the Azerbaijani armed forces captured Armenians after the November 10 tripartite statement, but they later were returned to Armenia.
 
5. It is a matter of fundamental importance that the Azerbaijani authorities are delaying the return of 62 Armenian prisoners of war by distorting the legal process, and by artificially labeling them with the status of “suspects” or “an accused,” and are using detention as a form of punishment.
 
Inasmuch as international humanitarian law prohibits unjustified delays in the release of prisoners of war, and it considers any such delay as constituting a “war crime,” it is clear to the Human Rights Defender that the Azerbaijani authorities are unquestionably abusing legal processes to achieve their goals. Their conduct is contrary to international laws and norms.
 
This behavior of the Azerbaijani authorities directly contradicts the intentions of the parties who are the signatories to the trilateral statement executed on November 10th.
 
The point is, that based on the requirement of point 8 of that statement, the Republic of Armenia has already transferred to Azerbaijan, perpetrators of crimes in Artsakh, including two convicted murderers of civilians. Azerbaijan has also handed over Armenia, some Armenians who were “formally” convicted in that country on the same principle.
 
Therefore, the above also makes it rather obvious that, even by initiating criminal proceedings and making the Armenian servicemen suspects or labeling each of them as an accused, the delay in the return of the captives is not only quite obviously artificial, it is also a clear abuse of legal processes; and, it violates not only international humanitarian law, but also the November 10 trilateral statement and the intentions of the parties that signed it.
 
6. The research and the results of the investigation of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia continue to consistently confirm that the Azerbaijani authorities initially artificially delayed the release of the captives of the Armenian side, and otherwise deprived them of their liberty, and continue to avoid announcing the real number of the Armenians in captivity.
 
Moreover, the evidence gathered by the Human Rights Defender’s Office confirms that their number is higher than that which the Azerbaijani authorities have thus far confirmed (referring to the already returned 44 prisoners).
 
The Human Rights Defender has registered numerous cases when, despite the overwhelming evidence confirmed by videos and other evidence, the Azerbaijani authorities deny people access to them and/or delay the approval process for visitations.
 
Studies have already shown that all of this is being done to cause mental suffering to the families of the captives and to the Armenian society in general, to play with the emotions of the Armenian society, and to keep the atmosphere tense. This applies equally to prisoners of war and civilians.
 
7. The absolute urgency of the issue of the release of prisoners should be considered in the context of the organized policy of propaganda of anti-Armenianism and hostility in Azerbaijan.
 
The reports published by the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, which are based on objective evidence, confirm the deep roots of the anti-Armenian policy in Azerbaijan, the encouragement of hostility and atrocities by the Azerbaijani authorities, and even by their cultural figures.
 
This issue is closely related to the letter of the Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN, in the sense that the Armenian servicemen, first of all, protected the rights of their compatriot Armenians, as well as protection of their health, property and other vital necessities. This issue is especially important against the background of the war crimes and crimes against humanity, the mass destruction of peaceful settlements in Artsakh, all of which were committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces; and, such similar acts are still being committed.
 
8. I, therefore, call to the attention of the United Nations and other international human rights bodies all of the issues addressed in this Declaration.
 
9. The highest authorities of Armenia should take into account the circumstances referenced in this statement of the Human Rights Defender when engaged in any negotiations.
 
Based on these principles, the highest bodies of the Armenian government must act in such a way, and with such guarantees, that the return of our compatriots to the Homeland is ensured within the framework of the humanitarian and human rights processes.”
 

Armenian ambassador to UN: Azerbaijan’s actions set dangerous precedent to the detriment of international peace and security

Vanyan Gary
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 15 2021

Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN Mher Margaryan addressed a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres regarding Azerbaijan’s persistent, gross and systematic violations of the Charter of the United Nations and the norms and principles of international law in the context of the maintenance of international peace and security.

“Azerbaijan has repeatedly demonstrated a blatant disregard towards its pre-eminent obligation to strictly adhere to the principles of non-use of force or threat of force and the pacific settlement of disputes by opting, instead, for instigation of violence, conflict and atrocity crimes in relation to the people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh),” the ambassador said.

He stressed that the authorities of Azerbaijan consistently promoted the language of threats, fueling ethnic hatred and propagating war and violence against Armenians. In doing so, the leadership of Azerbaijan “sought to push for a deceptive, victim-blaming narrative on the basis of misplaced, manipulative invocation of the concept of “self-defense” as a purported justification for military action.”

“Videos of public executions, mutilations, inhuman treatment of prisoners of war and civilian hostages and other atrocities have been widespread in online media.

“Despite overt, unconcealed glorification of violence, sponsoring of international terrorism and genocidal ideology, both Azerbaijan and Turkey have been increasingly seeking to manipulate the right to “self-defense” to cover up Azerbaijan’s criminal conduct. Much to the embarrassment of those behind this fabricated argument, it must be clearly stated, however, that, in the case of Azerbaijan, neither the conditions of “self-defense” nor of “pre-emptive self-defense” are applicable,” Margaryan stated.

He called attention to Azerbaijan’s widespread acts of atrocity crimes.

“In addition to the direct explicit evidence of genocidal intent, as communicated by Azerbaijan’s and Turkey’s leaders themselves, Azerbaijan’s goal of ethnically cleansing the indigenous Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh may be inferred from Azerbaijan’s commission of the following atrocity crimes: (1) inhuman treatment, torture, executions and beheadings of captive Armenian civilians; (2) torture, beheadings and mutilations of prisoners of war; (3) widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure; (4) destruction of cultural and religious heritage; and (5) hate speech by the Azerbaijani political leadership and public figures encouraging identity-based crimes against Armenians,” the letter said.

The top diplomat highlighted that throughout its 27 September to 9 November 2020 offensive against Artsakh Azerbaijan deliberately targeted civilian sites.

“Azerbaijan has, indeed, waived any self-defence argument by its capture and torture of ethnic Armenian civilians, including humanitarian aid workers, before and after the 10 November 2020 ceasefire. The relevant reports by the Human Rights Defenders of Armenia and Artsakh contain abundant evidence documenting the barbaric atrocities committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces against captured ethnic Armenian civilians, detailing the torture, mutilation and killing of captured Armenian civilians, including after the 10 November 2020 ceasefire.

“Moreover, Azerbaijan’s atrocious treatment of Armenian prisoners of war – including mutilation, torture and beheadings – belies any “self-defense” argument. These are not acts of self-defense but acts of genocidal intent. As reported by several international sources and as documented in the Ombudsman’s reports, Azerbaijan committed multiple acts prohibited under the Third Geneva Convention, such as executions of Armenian soldiers by gunfire, decapitation of Armenian prisoners of war, deliberate execution of injured, non-resistant wounded soldiers, brutal execution of an alive, captured person, mutilation of the bodies of dead Armenian soldiers 10 and other inhumane acts and atrocities.

“The genocidal intent does not stop at the bodies of ethnic Armenian civilians and prisoners of war; it also seeks to destroy Armenian cultural heritage, while erasing any evidence of the more than 2,000-year-old Armenian civilizational presence. Notable examples of such cultural erasure involved the shelling of the Tigranakert archaeological site, the best-preserved city of the Hellenistic and Armenian civilizations of the Caucasus, as well as the targeted destruction of the Armenian cathedrals in Shushi, including the removal of the Armenian cross and rounded, pointed dome from the “Kanach Zham” (“Green Chapel”) Armenian Church of Saint John the Baptist.

“Despite Azerbaijan’s unsubstantiated claims that the ancient Christian cultural heritage in the region is not Armenian but rather exclusively “Caucasian Albanian”, such claims have not stopped Azerbaijan from destroying cultural heritage that it labels as “Caucasian Albanian”, as confirmed by Azerbaijan’s devastating campaign against the largest medieval Armenian cemetery in the world – the historical khachkars (cross-stones) in Old Jugha in Nakhichevan, destroyed by the Azerbaijani Government between 1997 and 2006. Notably, Azerbaijan not only denies such conduct – which was captured on video – but also denies the existence of this Armenian cultural heritage at all, in line with Azerbaijan’s genocidal indoctrination directed against ethnic Armenians and Armenian culture and history.

“Sadly, such dangerous indoctrination is cultivated at the highest political level in Azerbaijan and Turkey, as reflected in the extensive use of inflammatory, derogatory language in relation to Armenians.

“The past weeks have clearly indicated that bellicosity, warmongering and anti-Armenian sentiments have taken firm hold of the public discourse in Azerbaijan and Turkey, and that these represent serious risks of atrocity crimes. On 22 October 2020, a group of 80 prominent Genocide scholars published a joint letter on the imminent genocidal threat deriving from Turkey and Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh, in which they point out the continuous policy of denial and justification of the Armenian Genocide.16 It is clear that Azerbaijan’s violent conduct, encouraged and supported by its enabling State, Turkey, has been aimed not at defense but at intentional infliction of maximum casualties on the Armenian side.

“At their core, the belligerent actions of Azerbaijan that began on 27 September 2020 violated international law as Azerbaijan’s conduct resulted in the resumption of hostilities, civilian casualties and widespread destruction. Plied with Turkey’s illicit caches of military command and counsel, hardware and technological munitions, and universally outlawed foreign terrorist fighters and mercenaries, Azerbaijan’s actions also led to the intensification of the conflict undermining peace and security in the region.

“Azerbaijan, therefore, demonstrated not only that it was not acting in “self-defense” under international law, but also that it had no intention of complying with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, international humanitarian law and human rights law, or any of the Security Council resolutions that it has so often invoked for manipulative purposes. This was further evidenced by Azerbaijan’s failure to adhere to the 10 October, 17 October and 25 October agreements on humanitarian ceasefire.

“The fact that Azerbaijan chose to attack in the midst of a global health pandemic exemplifies Azerbaijan’s unwillingness to engage in peaceful resolutions and eagerness to resort to force.

“Not only are Azerbaijan’s actions incompatible with the core values and objectives of the United Nations, but they also set a dangerous precedent to the detriment of international peace and security and must be unequivocally acknowledged for what they are – an attempt to solve an international dispute by force, contrary to the obligations under international law, including customary law,” the letter reads.

FM Aivazian presented the situation around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in a letter sent to UN Secretary-General

Vanyan Gary
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 13 2021
 
 
Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian sent on Wednesday a letter to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres comprehensively presenting the situation over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict following the large-scale military aggression launched by Azerbaijan on September 27, 2020, the press department at the ministry reported.
 
In his letter, FM Aivazian notes that amid the unprecedented global health crisis, the violation of the decades-long ceasefire in the region has led to numerous casualties, large-scale ethnic cleansing of the indigenous people of Artsakh, deliberate destruction, desecration and vandalism of the Armenian religious and cultural monuments.
 
In the letter, the minister touched upon the cases of violations of the November 9 trilateral statement’s provisions by Azerbaijan, noting that more than a month after the ceasefire was established, Azerbaijan carried out military operations in Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd villages in Hadrut region of Artsakh. It was noted that during the military attack, the Azerbaijani armed forces captured 64 Armenian servicemen, violating Azerbaijan’s commitments to maintain the ceasefire established by the trilateral statement.
 
The incomplete implementation of the Article 8 of the trilateral statement by Azerbaijan was emphasized in the letter, which mandates the “exchange of prisoners of war, hostages, and other detained persons and dead bodies”. It was stressed that Azerbaijan, in fact, refuses to implement its commitment which is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.
 
Minister Aivazian drew the attention of the UN Secretary General to the reluctance of Azerbaijan regarding the cooperation with international organizations in cultural heritage protection. “Lasting and sustainable peace in the region could be achieved only through the comprehensive resolution of the conflict that will include the status of Nagorno-Karabakh based on the realization of the right of self-determination of the people of Artsakh,” concluded the FM.
 

Russia has never said the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement must be confined to the return of seven regions – Igor Popov

Vanyan Gary
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 13 2021
 
 
Russia has never said the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement must be confined to the return of seven districts of the region to Azerbaijan without taking care of its status, the Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, special ambassador Igor Popov said in the wake of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s article Origins of the 44-Day War.
 
“Claims to the effect Russia called for returning seven districts ‘in exchange for nothing’ and forgetting about its status have nothing to do with the reality,” the diplomat said, according to TASS news agency.
 
Popov said that in his article Pashinyan most likely used the term “Russian proposals” in relation to the multi-stage settlement plan. Its latest version was handed over to the conflicting parties in June 2019.
 
“That plan, largely identical to the Kazan document, is based on the fundamental principles of the Karabakh settlement, such as the return of five districts to Azerbaijan in the first phase and another two in the second phase. It should be stressed that the handover was firmly linked with the determination of Nagorno-Karabakh’s status,” he explained.
 
The diplomat also stressed that among other elements of the first stage reflecting Armenia’s interests was the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh’s rights that would guarantee full-scale activity of its population, participation of Nagorno-Karabakh’s representatives in OSCE sessions, the lifting of the blockade, the opening of borders and the bilateral pledge not to use force.
 
About the question of the territories’ status Popov said it should be remembered that among the proposals that remained on the negotiating table in recent years there were the determination of the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh “by means of holding (within the dates agreed by the sides and under the aegis of the UN or the OSCE) popular voting that would express in a free way the will of Nagorno-Karabakh’s population and be legally binding in accordance with the rules and norms of international law.” The diplomat stressed that the question or questions to be put to the vote would be formulated with no restrictions set and that any outcome of the voting was to be respected by the sides.
 
“Incidentally, it was proposed that the width and status of the Lachin corridor would be considered only in the second phase following the return of the Kelbajar and Lachin districts to Azerbaijan,” he added.
 
Popov stressed that neither the Armenian side nor the Azerbaijani one rejected this proposal. Although complete accord remained unachieved, negotiations had continued on a regular basis up to 2018, when Yerevan came out with new approaches.
 

Azerbaijan Arrests Soldiers Suspected Of War Crimes In Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict

Vanyan Gary
The Organization for World Peace
Jan 4 2021
January 4, 2021  in Current Events by Kristen Morris (updated on January 4, 2021)

In the last week, Azerbaijani soldiers were arrested for committing war crimes. These soldiers are charged with dishonouring bodies of Armenian troops, violating rights of Armenian soldiers, and vandalizing Armenian gravestones, claims the International Center for Transitional Justice. This news became public as multiple videos were recorded and released online of the soldiers executing these crimes. The Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan insisted that others involved in similar inhumane acts would also be arrested.

This is just the latest news in the six-week-long conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the contested territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The region is universally acknowledged to belong to Azerbaijan, but it has been home to 150,000 Armenians since a conflict over the territory that ended in 1994. In 1988, Armenians living in the Nagorno-Karabakh region attempted to obtain independence, resulting in close to 30,000 deaths and one million displaced people, according to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). The conflict ended when Russia facilitated a ceasefire agreement. CFR claims this agreement was largely followed until 2016 when Azerbaijan reclaimed some of the contested land by force, reigniting ethnic tensions. In July of 2020, a scuffle took place again, causing deaths and prompting even higher pressures that led to the current conflict.

Eurasianet claims that the current conflict is among the worst fighting the South Caucasus region has seen for 25 years. Since violence erupted in September, dozens of civilians have been killed as well as hundreds of soldiers in their early 20s, according to Al Jazeera. UNHCR claims the number of displaced people ranges from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands.

A few weeks ago, both parties signed a peace agreement led by Russia to bring an end to the battle. According to Al Jazeera, some viewed the peace deal as favouring Azerbaijan over Armenia. To this end, Azerbaijan gained some territory back from Armenians, including land outside Nagorno-Karabakh, claims Reuters. Additionally, Azerbaijan led a military parade recently which was supported by Turkish President Erdogan to celebrate reclaiming parts of the contested region. To make matters worse, the ceasefire was broken a few days ago when Azerbaijani soldiers were killed and Armenian troops were wounded, suggesting that fighting has started again, claims Al Jazeera.

In the last few days, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in a Facebook post that he claims responsibility for the conflict and is working toward securing peace, revamping election and military processes, overseeing return of refugees, and supporting Armenia’s economic growth. Despite this statement, Armenians are calling for his resignation, like many did three years ago which ousted the former prime minister and brought Pashinyan to power, claims Eurasianet.

This conflict is not just threatening to civilians living in the war zones but also to the South Caucasus region in general, according to CFR. This source claims that continued fighting could cause an even greater refugee crisis, further destruction of infrastructure, and economic and social consequences for Georgia. There are also international factors tied to this regional conflict. Armenia is home to about 25,000 refugees from Syria and 2,000 Armenians who fled Lebanon after the August explosion, according to International Organization for Migration. Additionally, with Turkey supporting Azerbaijan and Russia backing Armenia while supplying weapons to both sides, these countries are risking strife between them, which could in turn complicate their involvement in the civil wars in Syria and Libya, claims CFR.

For decades, the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, led by the U.S., France, and Russia, has attempted to mediate talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia with little substantial progress, claims CFR. In fact, the U.S. is dissuading external actors from intervening yet multiple countries are already involved with little success. It is clear that Azerbaijan and Armenia are unable to adhere to ceasefire agreements, and the Minsk Group is failing.

Throughout the conflict, both sides have suggested the other is guilty of various war crimes, claims Al Jazeera. International humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions protect human rights of civilians and prisoners of war at all times. Therefore, these such acts committed by the Azerbaijani soldiers are certainly war crimes that should result in proper legal action. With human rights violations, war crimes, and displacement of people, it is past time for a decisive and permanent plan to be implemented. Whether led by countries or IGOs, negotiations should focus on understanding each side’s wishes, handling transgressions, and building a plan for peace. For far too long, control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region has been disputed. Armenians and Azerbaijanis living in the Caucasus region need stability and effective leadership.

Kristen Morris
Kristen received an International Studies degree from Rhodes College in 2020 and joined the OWP team as a Junior Correspondent a few months later. Understanding the causes of migration through previous work and research experiences, she is interested in finding effective solutions to humanitarian crises. Her research passions include terrorism, migration, conflict analysis, and the MENA region. In the future, Kristen plans to pursue graduate studies in peacebuilding or conflict prevention.

Ombudsman concerned over Azerbaijani signboards installed near Armenia’s border settlements

Vanyan Gary
Panorama, Armenia

Dec 29 2020

Armenia’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan has expressed concerns over the Azerbaijani signboards installed close to several border towns and villages in Armenia’s Syunik Province. A statement posted by Tatoyan on Facebook on Tuesday reads: 

“Yesterday, on December 28, on the road between the Armenian town of Goris to the village of Vorotan, the placement of a sign by Azerbaijanis featuring the map of that country caused deep concern in Goris, Vorotan and a number of other peaceful settlements. This, in addition to the installation of Azerbaijani flags on that section of the road, as well as near the village of Vorotan.

The residents of these settlements have submitted their concerns to the Human Rights Defender’s Office of Armenia regarding their life, physical security and inviolability, property, and other vital rights. It was stated in the alerts that this is a gross violation of their rights.

The staff of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia immediately initiated a detailed investigation. Both the observations of the Syunik regional and central subdivisions of the Defender’s Office and the alerts of the local community bodies and residents were analyzed.

It turned out that in the middle of the border settlements of Armenia, the Azerbaijani military placed a sign reading “Welcome to Azerbaijan.” The map shown on that sign is made in such a way that a significant part of Syunik Province of Armenia and a number of other settlements of our country are represented as part of Azerbaijan. In any case, it is obvious that this was done to create such a perception. The sign was placed on the road connecting one residential community of Armenia to another.

The results of the study clearly confirm that the mentioned step of the Azerbaijani military was taken in a way that violates the rights of the residents of the RA border communities, by openly and notoriously intimidating them (foremost, children and women).

This is a step with a clear intention to intimidate and terrorize civilians, first of all taking into account the torture, inhumane treatment and other war crimes, and the ethnic cleansing that the Azerbaijani armed forces committed against our people, especially during and after the September-November 2020 war.

Such steps are especially reprehensible against the background of the Azerbaijani state policy of a propaganda against the Armenian Genocide and the anti-Armenianism in Azerbaijan, as well as the open call for war against Armenia by the Azeris who have public recognition and visibility in that country and have declared themselves human rights defenders. (The staff of the Human Rights Defender’s Office has secured the requisite proof).

This announcement will be disseminated to international organizations today.”


Armenian, Russian FMs discuss bilateral and international agenda

Vanyan Gary

Save

Share

 19:26,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ara Ayvazian discussed with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov a number of bilateral and international issues, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Russian MFA.

The sides emphasized with satisfaction the high intensity of allied partnership in the passing year and confirmed the mutual readiness to continue in the same spirit in 2021.