Category: 2020

 12:10, 7 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Mercenaries and members of terror groups are involved in military attacks from Azerbaijan against Armenian population, Armenia’s Human Rights Defender said, adding that the evidence gathered from an independent investigation conducted by him will be sent to the international partners.

“According to the majority of credible sources, thousands of mercenaries from Libya and northern parts of Syria, who also have affiliations with ISIS, have been deployed to Azerbaijan by Turkey.

This is confirmed by evidence gathered from an independent investigation conducted by the Human Rights Defender of Armenia. The evidence includes photos and video materials objectively demonstrating the same.

This is occurring, right now, squarely in the territory of the Council of Europe.

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia calls upon the international community to turn its attention immediately to these extremely worrying, indeed criminal, developments.

Without urgent and real preventive steps, the ongoing humanitarian disaster that Azerbaijan and Turkey’s actions have directly caused on the peaceful population will certainly lead to severe consequences for the whole region. The use of mercenaries is a crime with multiple, complex consequences—including, of course, a threat to security, to peace and to the entire system of human rights. This fundamental principle is confirmed in the UN Human Rights Council’s 42/9 Resolution of 26 September 2019.

The collected evidentiary material and data will be sent to our international partners in all necessary and actionable formats.

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia continues to operate in an extraordinary manner, around-the-clock and 24/7. Close cooperation is established with the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh)”, the Ombudsman said in a statement.

 12:25, 7 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan is constantly shelling Artsakh’s civilian population and the city of Stepanakert, villages and so on, and, in fact, what we have also recorded it is the activity of thousands of mujahideen terrorists, and we have also recorded basically Turkish F-16 being involved and their drones being massively involved, President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian said in an interview to CNN.

Armenpress presents the President’s full interview:

Becky Anderson: So, to know about the conflict we now joined the Armenian president Armen Sarkissian, he is speaking from Armenia's capital Yerevan. He is talking about the attacks against its cities regionating from Armenia itself to Nagorno-Karabakh.

President Sarkissian: Well, unfortunately, this is a war started by Azerbaijan against the people of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh [Artsakh] and this is not a usual war we are seeing. I mean, these are not short conflicts for a day or two or three or four that have been happening during 26 years after the first war on Nagorno-Karabakh, which ended with a ceasefire in 1994. What is different here is the scale and it is already on the seventh day (it is coming the eight day) of the conflict because a week ago Azerbaijan started a war on Sunday, and there are already some clear results of that. First of all, this conflict of seventh days has shown that Azerbaijan is not gaining anything strategically, except creating a big mess and thousands of people that are killed on both sides. Secondly, this conflict is dramatically different from the previous clashes, which were happening between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh, supported by Armenia. It is now happening with the open support by Turkey with its military officers, generals, mercenaries, and terroristic Jihadists who are brought in thousands to Azerbaijan to fight against Nagorno-Karabakh, and Turkey with its military might is pretending that they are there just to protect some international, logistic structures.

Becky Anderson: We will get to Turkey and I just wanted to establish what is going on, even if the entire responsibilities falls on Azerbaijan, many people disagree and say that Armenia provoked them.

President Sarkissian: I think there is no logic in saying that Armenia has provoked it because in 1994 the people of Nagorno-Karabakh basically won the war and claimed again for our independence that was taken from us for 70 years of the Soviet rule by forcefully connecting us to Azerbaijan by Josef Stalin. And then, with the breakdown of the Soviet Union we started to claim, similar to many other nations, our self-determination to rule our own life. Since then, there were negotiations for 26 years after the ceasefire and the platform of that negotiations was one of the best or the highest in the world; this is the OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France. These peaceful negotiations were basically creating some trust between the sides and eventually talking about the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh. However, a week ago for this or that reason, the Azerbaijani side is claiming that they see no progress in negotiations and claim that this is about the territorial integrity. What is a territorial integrity for a piece of land that was given to them by the Soviet Union to keep it for 70 years, while Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh lived there for thousands of years? For people of Nagorno-Karabakh this is a fight for life because they have been fighting against Genghis Khan, Lenk Timur and the others for thousands of years, now it is about having a peaceful life on their own land.

Becky Anderson: How about that the Azerbaijani president said just yesterday "Azerbaijan will not let anyone to conquer Nagorno Karabakh, which is an Azeri territory, we must return, we will return it from Armenian occupation. He says "Azerbaijan will not cease military actions until you don't set a timetable for withdrawing frits". Are you willing to do that?

President Sarkissian: Well, I think, first of all, addressing it to the Republic of Armenia is a wrong appeal as they have to appeal to Nagorno-Karabakh or Artsakh as we call it, because their dispute is with this people. Now, this is not about Armenia occupying a territory. This is a territory that even under the Soviet rule, when it was part of Soviet Azerbaijan for 70 years, the absolute majority, I mean 95% of the population, were Armenians because they have been living there for thousands of years. How can anybody occupy a territory that you are living for thousands of years? So, this is not the right appeal…

Becky Anderson: Azerbaijan's Military Defense said today that they have recorded rockets at Azerbaijan from starting positions of Armenia. How would you explain this, sir?

President Sarkissian: I don't have to explain because that is not true, and in reality, the radar systems, computers and everything have been recording all the time how they were shelling the civilian population and the city of Stepanakert, villages and so on, from the Azerbaijani territory, and, in fact, what we have also recorded it is the activity of thousands of mujahideen terrorists, and we have also recorded basically Turkish F-16 being involved and their drones being massively involved. So, the short answer is that this is fake news.

Becky Anderson: Your Prime Minister spoke with the US national security advisor Robert O'Brien on Thursday about Turkey's role in the intensifying conflict. What was the outcome of that talk and is the US offering any support?

President Sarkissian: Well, there was a call, as you know, by the three Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group on the presidential level of relevant countries: the President of the United States, the President of France and the President of the Russian Federation who called upon the sides for a ceasefire. I fully support this call of the three Presidents but the key issue here is that if there were only these two sides-the Azeri side and the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh with its population plus Armenia that is supporting Nagorno-Karabakh-then there would be a chance for future ceasefire and coming to the negotiating table. But as we have the Turkish component, it destroys everything.

Becky Anderson: The New York Times is reporting that the Prime Minister of the US says that nothing is being done to stop Turkey from American-made F-16 against ethnic Armenians. So, what is the response from Washington?

President Sarkissian: You are asking me something that is probably up to the US President’s National Security Advisor to answer this question. I openly spoke about this to the big multinational community, to many Presidents, Prime Ministers of different countries, asking them to interfere and put pressure on Turkey to stop it to interfere in the region because their interference is leveling the conflict up in magnitude, in complexity, and also creating something that eventually will become another Syria of Caucasus. If it becomes a place like Syria, then God help everybody. God help Europe, God help Central Asia. It will affect everybody including Turkey, Iran and Russia. So, my plea is if Turkey is restrained with the help of Russia, US and France, then we have a chance of a ceasefire and further negotiations, maybe peacekeepers, and a chance to going back to the negotiation table. Because there is no military solution to this conflict, there can only be peaceful, and diplomatic solution. To be honest, the Turkish involvement in this gives feeling to everyone not only in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia but everywhere where are Armenians, and those people who are close to the Armenians, that Turkey wants to repeat something that happened 105 years ago-ethnic cleansings of Armenians from their homeland-and creating another genocide.

Becky Anderson: Turkey is denying the genocide. I wonder you asked US for help on Thursday just before Trump was tested positive for COVID-19, do you think he wants his eyes off of this conflict? Does that worry you?

President Sarkissian: I don't believe that Washington has its eye off of what is happening in the Caucasus because this is a crucial area. It is not only an important crossroad for many things but also in terms of a supply of hydrocarbons and the humanitarian side, and contains vital interests of many states. You spoke about the COVID-19 in the context of the President of the United States. So, let me take this opportunity to wish the President and the first lady good health and quick recovery because that is very is important not only for the Armenians but also for the elections in the US. By whishing health, we are hoping the US pays very serious attention to what is happening in the region. When you say Turkey is denying the genocide you can just look what the US Senate has decided, and countries like France, Russia and many other countries who have acknowledged what historically has happened. But also look at what is happening in the region; Turkey is involved in Libya, it was involved in Egypt, it has crossed the border and invaded Iraq and Syria, it is bullying people and countries in the Mediterranean, it has now tensions with Greece and Cyprus and now it is Karabakh, Azerbaijan and Armenia. The presence of Turkey in Azerbaijan and its involvement make a big change.

Becky Anderson: Turkey's foreign minister said that Armenia should immediately withdraw from this region. Will NATO be on the side of the Armenian forces? You have accused Turkey in bringing Syrian fighters to fight on Azerbaijani side, what evidence do you have about that, sir?

President Sarkissian: I am asking my colleagues both in NATO and also NATO member Turkey, when they were signing an agreement to join NATO, did that agreement allow Turkey to interfere in third party conflict regardless the reason they claim: ethnicity, [alleged] PKK fighters or protection of international energy pipelines? This is a nonsense, because Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh never have hit it. If they wanted to do so, they could have done this 20 years ago by stopping Azerbaijan to make billions of dollars, which were then used to buy armaments with which they now kill Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. That is one point. Secondly, I think we have to appeal, first of all, to bring this conflict back to the table of negotiations and to have a peaceful resolution. And the table of negotiations should not have Turkey around it. Turkey should withdraw from Azerbaijan and stop supporting them, because it becomes just another side of the conflict. Is NATO ready to accept that a NATO member is in war against Armenia? Neither Armenia, nor Azerbaijan are NATO members. We have a sort of partnership with NATO. And a NATO member is interfering.

Becky Anderson: What about evidence regarding sending Syrian fighters?

President Sarkissian: The evidence about Syrian fighters is open, it is on the internet, and the Government has provided all the necessary information. If you want, I can ask the Government to physically send it to you or your representative, if you have not seen them. It is obvious, there are video and audio recordings, captured people, and many other things. What else one needs to consider it as a clear evidence? And also, they did not come on their own.

Becky Anderson: What about Russia? What can Russia do?

President Sarkissian: Russia has allied relations both with Armenia and Azerbaijan. And again, we hope that Russia as a key member of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs will exercise a pressure first of all on Turkey. My formula is pretty simple: we need to exclude Turkey from this conflict militarily and politically. I do not know how on earth, there is shelling, there is fighting and Turkey is giving a sort of responses, organizing press-conferences, as if they are a side of the conflict. If Russia can put pressure, and then after that, the three Co-Chairs advising Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia to stop hostilities, I think it will work, and I hope it will work, and we will go back to the negotiations.

Becky Anderson: Thank you so much, sir. This was a very important speech.

 12:34, 7 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan is constantly bombarding Stepanakert City with missile strikes, Armenian Defense Ministry spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan said at a news briefing on October 7.

“Peaceful residents of Stepanakert City are being hit with Azeri combat drones and missiles,” he said.

ARMENPRESS correspondent reported from Stepanakert that the Artsakh capital was under unceasing missile attacks during the night as well. 

It has become nearly impossible for civilians to step outside their bomb shelters to take essential supplies.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 10:59, 6 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian parliament adopted at second reading a bill on extending for another 3 years the social assistance program for border communities.

The bill, authored by ruling My Step bloc lawmakers Sisak Gabrielyan and Sipan Pashinyan, passed with 100 votes in favor.

The bill was amended so that it envisages compensation to the farmers and other residents of border towns for damages they suffered from Azerbaijani military or terrorist attacks from across the border.

All kinds of agricultural damages ( livestock, agricultural equipment, harvest gardens, etc.) will be compensated by the government.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 11:43, 6 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Continuing unsuccessful attempts to achieve any of the set military goals and suffering serious losses in manpower and equipment, the armed forces of Azerbaijan, under the direct control and command of Turkey, continue with a rapidly growing intensity attack against the peaceful population and civilian infrastructure of the Republic of Artsakh, the Foreign Ministry of Artsakh said in a statement.

“The cities of Stepanakert, Shushi, Martakert, Martuni, Hadrut and other communities across the republic continue to be under massive missile and bomb attacks.

The ongoing attacks on civilians and civilian objects leave no illusion the that the real purpose of the aggressive war unleashed by Azerbaijan and Turkey, with support of the terrorist organizations fighters from the Middle East is the extermination of the people of Artsakh in continuation of the policy of the Armenian genocide.

We emphasize that countries providing military support to the criminal triple alliance, in particular those providing offensive weapons and ammunition, which is being used against peaceful population and civilian infrastructure, undoubtedly bear their share of responsibility for the ongoing crime against humanity. Particularly egregious is the fact that the supply of arms is taking place during the evolving military aggression, and while the entire civilized world has condemned the use of force and called for an immediate end to hostilities.

We call on the governments of the respective countries to stop feeding the ongoing aggression against Artsakh by two rogue states and international terrorists, as well as to suspend the supply of weapons to the criminal triple alliance, and not to provide their territory and airspace for military supplies to Azerbaijan and Turkey.

We once again call on the international community to recognize the independence of the Republic of Artsakh, which will allow eliminating the existential threat looming over the people of Artsakh, stop the inhuman aggression against Artsakh and restore long-term peace and stability in the South Caucasus”, the statement reads.

 11:51, 6 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Foreign Ministry commented on the statement of the foreign ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries.

Armenpress presents the MFA’s statement:

“Armenia values the statement of the Foreign Ministries of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries, in which the unprecedented massive targeting of the civilian population and infrastructure in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone is condemned in the strongest terms as an unacceptable threat to the stability of the region. 

Armenia reiterates the need for an immediate ceasefire, which the Foreign Ministry of Armenia has already emphasized in its statement issued on October 2, 2020.

We once again underscore that there is no alternative to the peaceful settlement and the peace process, and any attempt of military solution will be resolutely prevented”.

 12:27, 6 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Syrian President Bashar Assad has called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “the main instigator and initiator” of the renewed tensions in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Sputniknews reports.

“Let’s be blunt and clear; Erdogan has supported terrorists in Syria, and he’s been supporting terrorists in Libya, and he was the main instigator and initiator of the recent conflict in Nagorno Karabakh. So, I would sum up his behaviour as dangerous, for different reasons”, Assad told Sputniknews.

According to him, Damascus can confirm that Turkey is sending jihadists from Syria to fight against Karabakh.

“Second, because he's creating war in different areas to distract his own public opinion in Turkey from focusing on his behaviour inside Turkey, especially after his scandalous relations with Daesh in Syria”, Assad added.

 12:15, 6 October, 2020

GORIS, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan has voiced about the Azerbaijani military’s war crimes against Artsakh, particularly the indiscriminate attacks on civilians and health workers. He said ambulances very often come under bombardment and are unable to reach injured civilians.

Speaking at a press conference in the Armenian town of Goris on October 6, Torosyan said the Azeri forces are periodically bombarding with artillery and missile strikes Stepanakert City.

“I personally returned to Armenia from Stepanakert yesterday late in the evening, and this was my third visit since the attacks began,” he said. “The adversary is striking civilian, especially infrastructure facilities, disrupting the normal life of the civilian population. The fully mobilized medical community of Artsakh, as well as our colleagues who have left to Artsakh from Armenia to support them, are sometimes unable to provide help to people in need because Stepanakert and other cities are in permanent air raid alert and bombardment. Even ambulance vehicles are unable to reach the citizens who require medical assistance,” Torosyan said.

Torosyan said he personally witnessed an Azeri missile strike that hit very close to the Republican Hospital of Stepanakert. He said the explosion from the strike rocked the hospital building.

“The strike could’ve very likely hit the hospital. We, the medical personnel, upon witnessing the Azerbaijani military-political leadership’s intentions, have an impression that a direct, deliberate strike on medical infrastructure can’t be ruled out. This is a war crime against the peaceful population,” Torosyan said.

He displayed shrapnel from the prohibited cluster munitions that are used by the Azeris to bombard the cities in Artsakh. Torosyan said the Azeri forces are firing the banned munitions at virtually everything.

“Destroyed residential buildings, various civilian infrastructures that have been leveled to the ground – this is the situation there. We stand by our compatriots no matter what. The entire medical community of Armenia and Artsakh has set aside the less essential work and is dealing with the evacuation and treatment of those wounded.

As of October 5, the number of civilian casualties in Artsakh from the Azeri bombings stood at 21, with more than 80 others wounded.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 12:35, 6 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. US Congressman Chris Smith says Turkey is providing military support to Azerbaijan in the latter’s military operations against Artsakh.

In an interview to the Russian service of the Voice of America, the Congressman said there is a lot of evidence on this, but a deeper investigation is needed, especially over fighter jets which are being used, and there are opinions that these jets are provided by Turkey. “When we have a presence of several thousands of jihadists, it’s not a coincidence, it has been pre-planned. We believe that Turkey again played a role in this. People are being killed. Although the activity of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs has not given the desirable outcome, it has made great efforts. I think when Aliyev was refusing to negotiate, he was relying on the priority military force. We need to strongly react to this”, he said.

The Congressman stated that the use of force should be stopped. He highlighted the need to suspend also the military funding and support to Azerbaijan. “We need to revise our relations also with Turkey. Let’s remember Turkey’s actions in Cyprus. They continue acting in the same way after the illegal occupation of Cyprus. The fact that it had happened years ago doesn’t mitigate that terrible act. Turkey is moving on a wrong direction. I have organized two Congressional hearings on the Armenian Genocide. The one related to the 100th anniversary of the Genocide committed against Armenians, and the other one was back during the Clinton presidency”, he said, adding that he always remembers the attendance of a Turkish diplomat to the hearings. Both sides were represented. The Turkish side threatened with the Incirlik airbase if the US adopts resolution on the recognition of the Genocide.

Coming to the ongoing military aggression of Azerbaijan against Artsakh, the US Congressman said the situation is that Turkey is providing military support to Azerbaijan. “Our message is to stop. The bloodshed should stop immediately. A NATO member should not act in this way. This may turn into a broader confrontation. It is necessary to return to the 1994 ceasefire, and then to find a formula for the settlement. This is no longer a frozen conflict like many try to present very often”, he said.

On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale attack against the Republic of Artsakh, targeting also the civilian settlements, including the capital Stepanakert and the city of Shushi. In addition, the Azerbaijani armed forces have also targeted Armenia’s military and civilian infrastructures.

21 civilians in Artsakh and Armenia were killed, 80 were wounded as a result of the Azerbaijani aggression.

219 servicemen and volunteers have been killed in Artsakh from the Azerbaijani attacks.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 12:41, 6 October, 2020

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Turkey’s leadership was the one who forced Azerbaijan to attack Artsakh, and it is only the weaker side who strikes cities inhabited with peaceful civilians during war, Artsakh’s Speaker of Parliament Artur Tovmasyan said at a news conference on October 6 in Stepanakert City, the capital of Artsakh that has come under heavy Azeri bombardment.

“Aliyev was ready for an adventurism in the 2016 April War,” he said.  “Aliyev also made an adventurism in the direction of Tavush,” the Speaker added, referring to the 2020 July Azeri attack on Armenian territory.

“I think on September 27, 2020 it was the Turkish military-political leadership that forced Aliyev to go for this adventurism.”

Tovmasyan said he thinks that Aliyev is no longer in power in Azerbaijan. The Speaker noted that in response to any statement of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs the Azeri leadership – headed by Turkey – is saying that Turkey should also participate in those talks.

“I think the international community saw that the plans that Ilham Aliyev had on drinking tea in Stepanakert or Shushi in a brief period has failed,” he said, referring to an earlier belligerent remark by the Azeri president on capturing the Artsakhi capital by force.

“And because it failed, he must step down. Perhaps he is already no longer in power. The entire world already knows that this war that they unleashed is led by Turkey,” Tovmasyan said.

Tovmasyan reminded that ethnic minorities in Azerbaijan, particularly the Talysh and Lezgins, are already protesting against the Azeri leadership for being systematically and forcibly taken to the frontline to fight, which resulted in high numbers of deaths. The Talysh activists in Azerbaijan made a statement denouncing the Azeri leadership and called for peace.

“It is the weak side that strikes the capital city during war, it is the weak side that strikes cities where peaceful civilians are living,” Tovmasyan said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan