Category: 2020

 18:43,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Russian Novaya Gazeta has published an extended investigative article, presenting the mechanisms of recruiting Syrian mercenaries, conditions and their use by Azerbaijan against Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh). ARMENPRESS reports author of the article Wadih El Hayek notes that though up till now Turkey and Azerbaijan deny the information of Syrian mercenaries sent by Turkey to Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone, the facts proof the opposite.

The author published the photo of a mercenary, noting that it’s Mohamed Shaala, killed during military operations in Nagorno Karabakh.

‘’He is Syrian, born in Al Atārib,a small town near Aleppo. In the past he used to fight with Suvar al-Sham under the Free Syrian Army. After the start of military operations in Nagorno Karabakh, he went there to fight for Azerbaijan. He was killed in the first days of the conflict’’, the author writes.

Wadih El Hayek also published the data of the Syrian observatory for human rights.

‘’According to the data, 134 Syrian citizens have died during Nagorno Karabakh fights. 13 of them during the last 48 hours. All of them have been recruited by Turkish citizens for participating in Nagorno Karabakh conflict from the Azerbaijani side. A representative of the secular opposition of Syria told us that so far 185 Syrian mercenaries have been killed’’, Wadih El Hayek writes.

According to him, some Syrians who have been sent to Azerbaijan have already asked the Turkish brokers to help them to return to Syria without getting their promised payment.

‘’It’s hard to say how many Syrians are now in Azerbaijan, but in the initial reports 1000 mercenaries were mentioned. It’s important to understand that during the first days of the NK escalation the main recruitment process was taking place. Later it declined a little for the reason that clashes in Karabakh have acquired other nature. There is no direct shooting between the infantry, the clashes take place mainly with the help of UAVs and artillery. But we don’t know if Azerbaijan will need some more fresh Syrian blood’’, the author writes.

Wadih El Hayek presented some details of the conditions of the deal.  According to him, the mercenaries are promised attractive salary (1800 USD) which they will receive upon arrival, and in case of not returning his family will get the sum and 30 thousand USD.

‘’In any outcome, the mercenaries and their family members are guaranteed to get Turkish citizenship. These conditions are quite attractive for the Syrians to go and protect the Turkish interests in Azerbaijan’’, the author writes, noting that they get just 77 USD in Idlib for fighting against the regular Syrian army. Wadih El Hayek says that these mercenaries rose during the Syrian civil war and see no life perspective.

”This generation is the core of militants faithful to Turkey, whom president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan uses in conflicts from Caucasus to northern Africa, confronting that force to Russia’’, Wadih El Hayek writes.

 20:05,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan visited Central Clinical Military Hospital. Pashinyan met with the servicemen injured during the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, the medical staff informed the PM about the health situation and treatment process of the servicemen. PM Pashinyan talked with the servicemen, wished speedy recovery and thanked them for selfless service.

 19:12,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. The meeting between Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo took place in Washington, ARMENPRESS reports AFP released a video of the meeting.

Before meeting with the Armenian FM, Pompeo met with Azerbaijani FM Jeyhun Bayramov. Zohrab MNatsakanyan has also met with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Reeker.

[see video]

 22:12,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. The tensions on the contact line of Artsakh and Azerbaijan remain, mainly local clashes occur, ARMENPRESS reports representative of the MoD Armenia Artsrun Hovhannisyan said in a press conference.

‘’Starting from the morning the Azerbaijani armed forces continued attacks in different directions of the front line. In addition to the military operations of the front line, different civilians settlements of Artsakh were bombed, including Martakert city with nearby settlements, and Berdzor town and nearby settlements’’, Hovhannisyan said.

He added that particularly heavy clashes took place during the neutralization of the subversive groups and criminals that had penetrated near Shekher and Jivani villages in the central direction.  

‘’In this direction there are clear achievements. Shekher settlement has nearly totally been cleaned, in some places the works of neutralization are still going on. In the southern direction during the entire day the Azerbaijani units tried to attack in the direction of Vorotan, failing a number of attempts. They have been repelled, suffering serious losses. Some entire units have been dismantled, and loosing armored vehicles have fled. The tensions remain, the clashes are mainly local, near different roads, rivers’’, Hovhannisyan said.

 20:20,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, who is in the USA on a working visit, met with U.S. Secretary Mike Pompeo on October 23, during which the sides reaffirmed the necessity of observing the agreements on immediate ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone, as well as to continue the peace process in the sidelines of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs’ format.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, the situation resulted by the Azerbaijani large-scale aggression was the focus of the discussions.

Minister Mnatsakanyan informed the U.S. State Secretary about the war crimes committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces during the military operations, which are manifested in the deliberate targeting of the civilian population and infrastructures of Artsakh, humiliating treatment towards civilians and prisoners of war, cases of beheadings and murder.

”State Secretary Pompeo offered condolences on the occasion of victims.

The Foreign Minister of Armenia emphasized that this aggression of the Azerbaijani side is taking place with the direct involvement of Turkey, which is expressed by the direct military-technical support by the latter with the deployment of armed terrorists in the region. According to Minister Mnatsakanyan, Azerbaijan’s decision to become a zone of influence of Turkey and international terrorism – is a serious threat to regional security.

Minister Mnatsakanyan noted that the violation of the ceasefire agreements by Azerbaijan and the continuation of hostilities against the people of Artsakh once again demonstrate Azerbaijan’s goal of resolving the issue by military means.

Both sides reaffirmed the need to implement the agreements reached on the immediate ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, as well as the need to continue the peace process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

 22:21,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to hold substantial negotiations for Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, ARMENPRESS reports, citing the official website of the US State Department, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department Morgan Ortagus said, summing up the separate meetings of Mike Pompeo with the Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs.

‘’Secretary of State Michael Pompeo met with Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov separately today in Washington, D.C. Secretary Pompeo emphasized the need to end the violence and protect civilians. The Secretary also stressed the importance of the sides entering substantive negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to resolve the conflict based on the Helsinki Final Act principles of the non-use or threat of force, territorial integrity, and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples.’’, Morgan Ortagus said.

The Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs held separate meetings with State Secretary Mike Pompeo on October 23.

 20:48,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. U.S. President Donald Trump has informed that participates in negotiations Nagorno Karabakh, ARMENPRESS reports members of the White House press corps informed.

”Trump has informed that he participates in the mediation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but did not inform if he has talked with the leaders of the countries or not’’, the reporters said.

The Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs are in Washington where they have met with State Secretary mike Pompeo.

 00:03,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Genocide Watch organization assessing genocide risks ranked Azerbaijan at stage 9 for Extermination and stage 10 for Denial. ARMENPRESS reports Genocide Watch referred to the war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh starting from September 27, presented below.

‘’In September 2020, Azerbaijani troops crossed the “Line of Contact” dividing Karabakh. Turkey intervened on the side of Azerbaijan. Armenia supports Artsakh. Azerbaijan uses laser guided drones supplied by Turkey and Israel to target Armenian troops, villages and civilians. Azerbaijani military offensives against civilians are war crimes under the Geneva Conventions.

The establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918 began with the systematic extermination of the Armenian populations living in Azerbaijan and the provinces of Nakhichevan and Nagorno-Karabakh. Often viewed as an extension of the 1915 deportation and genocide of Ottoman Armenians, Azerbaijani forces in Baku slaughtered at least 15,000 Armenian civilians in the ‘September Days.’ Azerbaijanis also slaughtered 1,000 Armenians in 1919-1920 in the Karabakh cities of Shusha and Khaibalikend. These historic genocidal massacres contribute to Armenian distrust of Azerbaijan today.

Soviet rule brought the massacres against Armenians to an end, but the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh during the dismantling of the Soviet Union reignited violence against the Armenian minority in Azerbaijan. From 1988 to 1990, Azerbaijani mobs robbed, beat, raped, and murdered ethnic Armenians in the towns of Sumgait, Baku, and Kirovabad. This campaign of terror caused the forced expulsion of nearly all Armenians living in Azerbaijan.

In 1988, a parliament was formed in Nagorno-Karabagh and in a referendum, the region’s Armenian citizens voted for independence, declaring the Republic of Artsakh. Azerbaijanis boycotted the referendum. A 6-year civil war followed. Armenian forces defeated Azerbaijani forces and many Azerbaijanis fled from Nagorno-Karabakh. During the war, Azerbaijani forces shelled Stepanakert, killing over 100 Armenian civilians, and Azerbaijani forces destroyed Armenian villages, killed civilians, and mutilated corpses. In one significant massacre in the village of Marga, Azerbaijani forces murdered over 100 Armenian civilians in April 1992.

The Azerbaijani government under Ilham Aliyev denies any violence against Armenians and is also a denier of the 1915 Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire.

Today, Azerbaijan denies displaced Armenians the right to return and forbids a person of Armenian heritage from entering its territory. The Azerbaijani government promotes hate speech and encourages violence against Armenians. Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani soldier murdered Armenian soldier Gurgen Margaryan with an ax in 2004. Upon Safarov’s return home, the Azerbaijani government acquitted Safarov of murder and awarded him honors for his service to Azerbaijan. In 2016, Azerbaijani troops decapitated the Yazidi-Armenian soldier Kyaram Sloyan and posted photos of his severed head on the social media site VKontakte.

In September 2020, Azerbaijani troops crossed the “Line of Contact” dividing Karabakh. Turkey intervened on the side of Azerbaijan. Armenia supports Artsakh. Azerbaijan uses laser-guided drones supplied by Turkey and Israel to target Armenian troops, villages, and civilians. Azerbaijani military offensives against civilians are war crimes under the Geneva Conventions.

The U.N., Russia, and Red Cross have called for a ceasefire, but it has been disregarded by both sides.

Due to its denial of past genocide against Armenians, its official use of hate speech, and the current targeting of civilians in Artsakh,

Genocide Watch considers Azerbaijan to be at Stage 9: Extermination and Stage 10: Denial.

Genocide Watch recommends:

1. The U.N. Security Council should demand that Azerbaijan stop all offensive maneuvers against the Republic of Artsakh and order a Chapter 7 “ceasefire” in the current conflict.
2. The Security Council should request the “good offices” of the U.N. Secretary-General and the Minsk Group to resolve the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
3. The Security Council should impose an embargo on the sale of arms to Azerbaijan.
4. A U.N. Peacekeeping Force should be created and positioned along the Line of Contact to deter attacks by Azerbaijan against Armenians in Artsakh.
5. World leaders should condemn hate speech and genocide denial by the Aliyev regime’’.

 20:32,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian forces have neutralized a large Azerbaijani special unit in the southern direction, ARMENPRESS reports spokesperson of MoD Armenia Shsushan Stepanyan wrote on her Facebook page.

”As a result of a successful operation, the Armenian forces neutralized a large special unit of Azerbaijan in the southern direction, destroyed 9 military equipment and confiscated some other equipment. An Azerbaijani serviceman has been taken captive, who is now undergoing surgery by Armenian military doctors”, she wrote.