17:52, 8 June, 2020
YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian signed a decree on appointing Argishti Kyaramyan Director of the National Security Service, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.
According to another presidential decree, Eduard Martirosyan has been relieved from the post of the NSS Director.
The President signed the respective decrees based on the prime minister’s proposal.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
18:18, 8 June, 2020
YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan expresses satisfaction over the fact that in the last days positive dynamics can be noted in the preservation of anti-pandemic rules, ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan said in a briefing following the session of the Commandant’s Office.
‘’I wish to thank our compatriots who join this ant-pandemic movement, who followed and follow the rules, and those who still want to join. These anti-pandemic measures, such as wearing mask by everyone, can being positive results in a week at the earliest since the most difficult incubation period for the virus is considered to be 7 days. I want to emphasize that it’s very important to preserve the anti-pandemic rules not only in a formal way, but also effective way’’, the PM said.
State of emergency in Armenia has been prolonged until June 13.
Reporting by Lilit Demuryan, Editing and Translating by Tigran Sirekanyan
18:35, 8 June, 2020
YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. The Penitentiary Service of Armenia has filed a motion to the administrative court for cancelling the decision on allowing 2nd President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan to stay at Izmirlian Medical Center until the end of the coronavirus pandemic, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Penitentiary Service of the Justice Ministry of Armenia.
Earlier, the administrative court had satisfied the motion of Kocharyan’s lawyer Aram Orbelyan, according to which Kocharyan was allowed to stay at the medical center until the end of the pandemic.
The court session took place behind doors, since medical information was presented during the session.
Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
18:24, 8 June, 2020
YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh Republic President Arayik Harutyunyan convened an enlarged working consultation on June 8 dedicated to the elaboration of further steps of the Commandant’s Office aimed at minimizing the risk of spread of the novel coronavirus “COVID-19” in the republic, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of Artsakh President’s Office.
The President considered necessary to tighten the rules set by the Commandant based on the statistics provided during the consultation on the growth of the pandemic. “In order to avoid irreversible consequences, it is necessary to make drastic changes in people’s lifestyles, strengthening control everywhere and tightening the rules set by the Commandant’s Office, which will first and foremost change the citizens’ attitude towards the pandemic and make the fight against the disease easier and more efficient”, noted the Head of the Republic.
As a result of the discussions, it was decided to reconsider the procedure for entering the territory of the republic. Rapid test opportunities will be created in the checkpoints and only those citizens who are tested negative will be granted an entry permit. The demand and control for wearing masks and using disinfectants in closed spaces, public places and other crowded sites, which are the source of infection, are becoming more severe.
In the end of the consultation, President Harutyunyan gave assignments to the heads of the structures on further activities and demanded to pursue their implementation.
Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
Monday, June 8, 2020
Ex-President’s Son-In-Law Faces More Charges
• Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia-Former Armenian Ambassador to the Vatican Mikael Minasian,undated
Four days after Armenia’s Court of Appeals revoked an arrest warrant issued for
Mikael Minasian, investigators said on Monday that they have broadened
corruption charges brought against former President Serzh Sarkisian’s fugitive
son-in-law.
The State Revenue Committee (SRC) said Minasian has been charged with more
counts of “illegal enrichment,” false asset disclosure and money laundering. It
claimed to have collected an “unprecedented” amount of information about his
dubious financial activities.
Minasian, who rejects the accusations as politically motivated, was first
indicted in March one month before the SRC moved to arrest him. A district court
in Yerevan agreed to issue an arrest warrant for him on May 6. However, the
Court of Appeals overturned that decision on Thursday.
One of Minasian’s lawyers, Amram Makinian, scoffed at the investigators’
decision to bring more and “equally baseless” charges against Armenia’s former
ambassador to the Vatican. He said that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian could not
come to terms with the Court of Appeals ruling.
Makinian said earlier that the money laundering charge stems from large sums of
cash which Minasian transferred from one of his bank accounts to another in
2017-2018. The lawyer also claimed that the other accusations are based on a
“technical error” committed by the employee of a private firm which drew up and
filed his client’s income declarations.
In a statement released on Monday, the SRC charged that Minasian had also failed
to declare his “de facto” ownership of a 49 percent stake in Armenia’s largest
food-exporting company, Spayka. The stake formally belonged to another person,
Roza Stepanian. She too has been indicted as part of the same criminal case,
according to the statement.
In a related development, Hrachya Hakobian, a pro-government lawmaker and
Pashinian’s brother-in-law, said that investigators have recovered thousands of
deleted files from a computer that belonged to Minasian. He claimed that the
files contain detailed information about Minasian’s financial transactions and
illegally acquired assets.
Hakobian refused to say how he gained access to the supposedly classified SRC
data when he was contacted by RFE/RL’s Armenian service.
Minasian, 42, enjoyed considerable political and economic influence in Armenia
when it was ruled by his father-in-law from 2008-2018. He is also thought to
have developed extensive business interests in various sectors of the Armenian
economy.
A bitter critic of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, Minasian left Armenia shortly
after he was dismissed as ambassador to the Vatican in late 2018. He has
declined to reveal his current whereabouts in a series of video messages posted
on Facebook in recent weeks.
Minasian has said that he is not returning to Armenia because he believes that
the investigators are acting on Pashinian’s orders. He has also accused the
prime minister of corruption and misrule.
For his part, Pashinian has repeatedly accused Minasian of illegally making a
huge fortune during Sarkisian’s rule.
Former Judge In Kocharian Case Acquitted
• Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia -- District court judge Davit Grigorian leaves the courtroom after
ordering former President Robert Kocharian's release from prison, May 18, 2019.
A court in Yerevan has thrown out controversial criminal charges brought against
a judge who ordered former President Robert Kocharian’s release from prison a
year ago.
The judge, Davit Grigorian, presided over the ongoing trial of Kocharian and
three other former officials when it got underway in May 2019. A few days later,
he not only agreed to free the ex-president but also suspended the trial,
questioning the legality of coup charges brought against him.
The decisions angered political allies and supporters of Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian. Heeding Pashinian’s calls, hundreds of them blocked the entrances to
court buildings across Armenia. Pashinian demanded a mandatory “vetting” of all
Armenian judges, saying that many of them remain linked to the country’s
“corrupt” former leadership.
Kocharian was arrested again in June 2019 after Armenia’s Court of Appeals
overturned Grigorian’s decisions. Three weeks later, law-enforcement officers
searched and sealed the judge’s offices. Later in July, a state body overseeing
the Armenian judiciary suspended Grigorian and allowed the Special Investigative
Service (SIS) to prosecute him.
Grigorian denied the ensuing accusations of document forgery brought against him
and his secretary. He considers them government retribution for Kocharian
release.
Investigators have denied any connection between the Kocharian case and
Grigorian’s prosecution. Prosecutors endorsed the accusations and sent the case
to a Yerevan district court last month, paving the way for the suspended judge’s
trial.
It emerged on Monday that the court decided to throw out the case due to lack of
evidence even before the start of the trial.
Grigorian’s lawyer, Yervand Varosian, hailed the decision made by a district
court judge, Davit Balayan.
“Justice in Armenia will not be killed,” Varosian wrote on Facebook. “On the
contrary, it will recuperate and consist of competent, courageous and
independent judges.”
“Today Judge Davit Balayan took a very important step in that direction,” said
the lawyer critical of the Armenian government.
The Office of the Prosecutor-General and the SIS did not immediately react to
the development.
Kocharian’s high-profile trial has been presided over by another judge, Anna
Danibekian, since August. Danibekian has repeatedly refused to release him
pending the outcome of the trial.
The ex-president rejects the coup and corruption charges leveled against him as
politically motivated.
Pashinian, Family Recover From Coronavirus
Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian holds a news briefing outside his
official resdience, Yerevan, June 4, 2020.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on Monday that he and members of his family
have recovered from the coronavirus just over a week after testing positive for
the disease.
Pashinian announced their infection and went into self-isolation on June 1.
Since then he has run the Armenian government from his official residence in
Yerevan where he lives with his wife and three young daughters.
Despite the self-isolation Pashinian held daily news briefings with other
officials outside the residence throughout last week. The officials wore face
masks and stood a couple of meters away from him during the briefings. The prime
minister insisted that neither he nor any other member of his family is showing
any symptoms of COVID-19.
In a Facebook post, Pashinian said that the entire family twice tested negative
for the virus over the weekend. “I am returning to full-fledged work,” he said.
The 45-year-old premier suggested on June 1 that he most probably caught the
virus from a government employee who served him water during a recent government
meeting. He said he believes he might have only infected “as few people in the
government as possible.”
No mass testing of members of Pashinian’s staff and other government officials
was reported in the following days.
The Armenian authorities have recorded 13, 325 coronavirus cases and at least
211 deaths so far. The daily number of new infections has grown steadily and
significantly since the authorities began lifting in mi-April a nationwide
lockdown imposed in late March.
Pashinian Sacks Top Military, Security Officials
Armenia -- Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan meets the newly appointed Police Chief
Arman Sargsian (R) and National Security Service Director Eduard Martirosian,
March 20, 2020.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian sacked on Monday Armenia’s top army general and
the heads of the police and National Security Service (NSS) amid a deepening
coronavirus crisis in the country.
Pashinian gave no reasons for the unexpected shakeup announced on his Facebook
page. He only thanked Lieutenant-General Artak Davtian and national police chief
Arman Sargsian and NSS Director Eduard Martirosian for their work.
Pashinian indicated later in the day that they were dismissed because of
breaching or failing to enforce the coronavirus-related state of emergency in
Armenia.
Sargsian and Martirosian were named to run two law-enforcement bodies on a
permanent basis less than three months ago. They had served as acting heads of
the police and the NSS respectively since September.
Pashinian said that Sargsian will be replaced by another police colonel, Vahe
Ghazarian, while Martirosian’s replacement is his recently appointed deputy,
Argishti Kyaramian.
The 29-year-old Kyaramian headed an anti-corruption government body until last
month. Unlike his predecessor, he has never worked in Armenia’s most powerful
security service before. Kyaramian is widely seen as a political appointee.
The new chief of the Armenian army’s General Staff is Lieutenant-General Onik
Gasparian. He has served as Davtian’s first deputy until now.
Armenia -- General Artak Davtian inspects Armenian troops deployed in Tavush
province.
Pashinian commented on the sackings when he chaired in the evening a meeting of
senior government officials dealing with the coronavirus epidemic. Sargsian and
Martirosian were also present at the meeting.
“It’s high-ranking state officials that must first and foremost demonstrate with
their actions the importance of following anti-epidemic rules,” said Pashinian.
“Unfortunately, we see cases where that does not happen.”
At an ensuing news briefing, Pashinian effectively confirmed that Davtian was
fired because of hosting on Sunday his son’s wedding party despite the state of
emergency. He also seemed to fault the police and NSS chiefs for not preventing
the wedding.
“In crisis situations things get to a point where discipline, order and precise
and unconditional execution of actions stemming from the country leader’s
statements take precedence over all other issues,” he said in that context.
According to “Hraparak” daily, the wedding was attended by about 100 guests in
possible violation of social distancing rules set by the government.
A government task force enforcing the state of emergency pledged in the morning
to look into the wedding’s legality and, if necessary, hold the general’s family
accountable.
“Everyone is equal before the law, and if I committed any violation I will
certainly bear responsibility for that,” Davtian said in a statement issued
shortly before his sacking. “Of course, I believe that there was no violation
but let relevant bodies determine that.”
Davtian was appointed as army chief of staff shortly after the 2018 “Velvet
Revolution” that brought Pashinian to power.
The sackings come as a growing number of opposition figures accuse Pashinian of
mishandling the coronavirus crisis and demand his resignation. The premier’s
political allies dismiss such calls.
More Armenian Hospitals To Treat COVID-19 Patients
Armenia -- A healthcare worker clad in protective gear looks after COVID-19
patients at the Surb Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center, Yerevan, June 5, 2020.
The Armenian authorities scrambled to set up more hospital beds at the weekend
after admitting that the country’s healthcare system has been overwhelmed by the
continuing rapid spread of the coronavirus.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on Saturday that about 200 people infected
with the virus are “waiting for their turn for hospitalization” because of a
lack of vacant beds at about a dozen Armenian hospitals treating COVID-19
patients.
Pashinian said that one infected person died at home while waiting to be
hospitalized while two others died at hospital due to a shortage of
intensive-care beds.
“Our healthcare system is now so overwhelmed that we are unable to promptly take
to hospital patients subject to hospitalization,” he said in a video address
livestreamed on Facebook.
“We are already walking through hell,” added the premier.
Health Minister Arsen Torosian warned last Thursday that the hospitals coping
with the coronavirus pandemic may soon be unable to admit all infected people in
need of urgent treatment. Torosian had earlier warned of an impending shortage
of beds at the intensive care units of those hospitals.
The authorities are facing growing criticism of their handling of the
coronavirus crisis. Some media outlets and medical experts claim that they could
and should have organized life-saving treatment for a larger number of people
suffering from the grave respiratory disease.
Pashinian announced on Sunday three more hospitals located outside Yerevan will
join the fight against the pandemic “in the coming days.” They will be able to
treat a total of about 240 COVID-19 patients, he said.
There are currently around 2,000 hospital beds available for such patients
across Armenia.
Armenia -- An ambulance races through streets of Yerevan, June 2, 2020.
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country of about 3
million reached 13,325 on Monday morning after the authorities reported 195 new
infections. The daily figure was sharply down from previous days’ official
statistics because the largest Armenian coronavirus lab was shut down on Sunday
for what the Ministry of Health described as “prophylactic” maintenance.
The ministry said that only 829 COVID-19 tests were performed on Sunday,
compared with some 2,500 tests carried out on Saturday. The number of new cases
reached a fresh daily of 766 as a result of Saturday’s tests.
The ministry also reported 11 more coronavirus deaths on Monday, bringing the
official death toll to 211. The figure does not include the deaths of 72 other
people who were also infected with the coronavirus. The ministry says that those
fatalities were primarily caused by other, preexisting conditions.
The Armenian government issued stay-at-home orders and shut down most
nonessential businesses in late March following the first outbreaks of the
virus. It began easing those restrictions already in mid-April and lifted
virtually all of them by the beginning of May.
The number of COVID-19 infections has increased sharply since then, fuelling
growing calls for a renewed nationwide lockdown. Critics of the government say
that it never properly enforced the March-April lockdown and ended it too soon.
Pashinian again spoke out against restoring a “total lockdown” on Saturday,
saying that it would have “dire economic consequences.” He also claimed that
Armenians would not comply with renewed restrictions on their movements.
The authorities, the prime minister said, will therefore continue to focus
instead on getting more citizens to practice social distancing, wear masks in
all public and enclosed spaces, frequently wash hands and stay away from large
gatherings. Critics are skeptical about the effectiveness of this strategy.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
By Ulviyya Zulfikar
The whole Caucasus and world are well aware of friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia. Unfortunately, from time to time some forces try to overshadow these relations. The reports (dated 17 April 2020) of the State Security Service on internal, external threats to Georgia also expressed the country’s concern over the attempts to undermine these relations. The documents noted that over the past two years, certain destructive groups have tried to undermine the Azerbaijan-Georgia strategic partnership by creating an artificial tension around the Davit Gareji Monastery (the Azerbaijani name – Keshikchidag). Turkey from time to time was also faced with such attitudes. In fact, when analyzing such an attitude towards Azerbaijan and Turkey, it is no secret that who is the enemy of both countries and who backs these groups. However, there are more convincing facts that Georgian citizens do not to succumb to the provocations of these forces.
Landslides on the Armenia-Georgia border. The landslides pushed over 400 meters of territory to the north, as a result of which the Khujabi Monastery, visited by Georgian clergy, as well as pilgrims, came under the control of Armenians. Moreover, the Armenians illegally deployed their troops to this territory. However, some forces prefer to be silent on these processes, as well as on the Khujabi Monastery.
Furthermore, there is a need to point out the atrocities committed by the Bagramyan battalion against the Georgians in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the brutal killing of hundreds of Georgian civilians, the territorial claims by separatist Vahagn Chakhalyan against the area, called “Javakh”, as well as the high spirit of separatism among Armenians living in Georgia. However, during these wars more than 500 Azerbaijanis died fighting for Georgia.
During the period after Georgia regained its independence, as well as during the war, Azerbaijan supported its neighbor. Georgia’s leaders acknowledged that it would be extremely difficult for the country without the support of Azerbaijan, the most powerful country of the Caucasus. Azerbaijan is still Georgia’s largest investor, and it has always been so.
However, from time to time, a group of activists from Georgia, for various reasons, attempted to stage rallies outside the Embassy of Azerbaijan and to seize the weapons of Azerbaijani soldiers near the Keshikchidag Monastery.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry expressed regret over the latest incident, stressing the need to resolve the issue through negotiatiosn.
Various attempts to undermine the relations between the two countries that respect each other’s territorial integrity, culture and rich heritage, can, of course, serve the interests of Armenia, which is known for its destructive and separatist actions in the region and made territorial claims against both countries. In order to avoid steps that can overshadow the relations between the two friendly countries, such provocations should be ignored, and bilateral ties between the two peoples based on historical roots should be preserved. It should be noted that both countries consider such provocations ‘a crime’ and express their concern.
Turkey and Azerbaijan on Thursday celebrated the 102nd anniversary of establishing bilateral diplomatic relations.
Shortly after the foundation of the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic (ADR) on May 28, 1918, it inked the Treaty of Batumi with the then-Ottoman Empire on June 4, 1918, thus marking the beginning of friendly political, legal, commercial and military relations.
With the treaty, the Ottoman Empire recognized the independence of Azerbaijan, which could in turn apply to the Empire for military help in the case of any threat.
The agreement was signed by Halil Bey Menteşe, the head of the Ottomans’ Chamber of Deputies. and the Commander of the Caucasian Front of the Ottoman Army, Mehmet Vehib Paşa, and the President of the Azerbaijan National Council Mammad Amin Rasulzade and ADR’s Foreign Minister Muhammad Hasan Hajinski.
The treaty, which confirmed the friendship and cooperation between the two nations, also underlined that both sides would support each other in the development of rail transport and apply reduced tariffs in trade.
After the ADR proclaimed independence in Georgia, the government led by Fatali Khan Khoyski came to Ganja, in current-day northwestern Azerbaijan, in June and was not able to travel directly to Azerbaijan’s present capital Baku, which was then controlled by Armenian militants and the Bolsheviks.
On Sept. 15, 1918, an elite Ottoman force, dubbed the Caucasian Islamic Army, under the leadership of Nuri Pasha (Killigil), was sent by then Minister of War Enver Pasha to what is today Azerbaijan in the closing months of the World War I in response to a plea from the region’s people.
The Caucasian Islamic Army, comprising of Azerbaijani and Turkish soldiers, completed its mission in September, liberating Baku and thus laying the groundwork of the country’s independence decades later in 1991.
The liberation of Baku at the time paved the way for the transfer of the capital from Ganja and ensured the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, drawing the basis for its contemporary boundaries.
Enver Pasha personally conveyed the message that Baku had been liberated from Armenian gangs to the Ottoman capital Istanbul.
The Azerbaijani Democratic Republic was toppled after two years by the Soviet Union and the country regained its independence only after the collapse of the USSR in 1991.
Azerbaijan opened its embassy in Turkey In 1992.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Democrat Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has called on the Government Accountability Office to investigate “skyrocketing” U.S. military assistance to the Aliyev regime and whether it complies with Section 907 restrictions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan.
Demands Detailed Assessment Regarding Potential Violations of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act
WASHINGTON–Alarmed by a U.S. military aid program to Azerbaijan that has “skyrocketed” to more than $120 million over the past three fiscal years, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) Wednesday formally requested that the Government Accountability Office provide the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with a detailed report on this assistance program and its compliance with Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Enacted in 1992, Section 907 places statutory restrictions and requirements on U.S. taxpayer funding to Azerbaijan until that government takes “demonstrable steps to cease all blockades and other offensive uses of force against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.”
“We thank Senator Menendez for ensuring that the rapidly and recklessly expanding U.S. military aid program to an increasingly hostile Azerbaijan complies with all relevant provisions of U.S. law,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “His request today for a formal GAO assessment will bring much-needed sunshine – in the form of public scrutiny and Congressional oversight – to a secretive security scheme that, by all accounts, crosses multiple legal, moral, and humanitarian lines.”
Senator Menendez, who serves as the Committee’s Ranking Member, called on the GAO to “initiate an assessment that considers, at a minimum, the following questions:”
1. What is the nature and quantity of all U.S. foreign assistance provided to the Government of Azerbaijan pursuant to the waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, broken down by year, funding account, and implementing agency?
2. Was Congress informed of this assistance prior to its provision, as required by the waiver authority as outlined in the law? Was Congress informed through a formal Congressional notification, through a consult note, or through another procedure?
3. Since 2002, did the extensions to the waiver of Section 907 contain certifications of the elements as outlined in the law?
4. What is known about how assistance provided to the Government of Azerbaijan pursuant to the Section 907 waiver impacted ongoing efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan?
5. What is known about whether any of the assistance provided to the Government of Azerbaijan pursuant to the waiver was used for offensive purposes against Armenia or Nagorno-Karabakh, or may have enabled such offensive purposes, however indirectly?
6. In addition to the impacts described in questions four and five, what else is known about the impact of foreign assistance provided to the Government of Azerbaijan pursuant to the Section 907 waiver?
Senator Menendez’s letter is the latest in a series of Congressional calls for clarification on increased Azerbaijani security assistance, particularly in the face of increased Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) during the global COVID-19 pandemic. On May 21st, Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Vice-Chairs Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) were joined by over a dozen Congressional colleagues in calling on Secretary of State Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Esper to condemn Azerbaijan’s large-scale military exercises. The Congressional leaders were concerned that the over $100 million in military assistance “appears to have allowed Azerbaijan to shift resources toward offensive capabilities and further threaten Armenian lives and regional stability.”
The ANCA has issued a nationwide call to action – anca.org/alert — urging Congressional leaders to zero-out military assistance to Azerbaijan and to promote peace in the region by continuing U.S. de-mining aid in Artsakh.
The text of Senator Menendez’s letter to the GAO is provided below.
Dear Mr. Dodaro:
I am writing to request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) review the provision of assistance to the Government of Azerbaijan pursuant to the waiver for Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act [Pub. L. 102-511]. The waiver was created in the 2002 Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act [Pub. L. 107-115] and has been extended annually since then. I am concerned that Congress does not have a comprehensive understanding of the scope, nature, and impact of assistance provided to the Government of Azerbaijan pursuant to the waiver. This information is necessary to conduct proper oversight of that assistance and gauge how it affects American foreign policy and national security interests.
Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act [Pub. L. 102-511], which has been law since 1992, states that “United States assistance under this or any other Act (other than assistance under title V of this Act [Nonproliferation and Disarmament Programs and Activities]) may not be provided to the Government of Azerbaijan until the President determines, and so reports to the Congress, that the Government of Azerbaijan is taking demonstrable steps to cease all blockades and other offensive uses of force against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.” The Government of Azerbaijan is clearly not taking these steps.
In spite of this fact, the United States has been providing assistance to the Government of Azerbaijan since the inclusion of a Section 907 waiver in the 2002 Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act [Pub. L. 107-115]. I understand that this assistance has skyrocketed in recent years: since FY18, the Department of Defense alone has notified nearly $120 million in security assistance to the Government of Azerbaijan using the authority of Title 10 U.S.C. § 333.
In addition, an unknown amount of assistance has been provided to the Government of Azerbaijan pursuant to this waiver without a Congressional notification. For example, the State Department has confirmed that FY16 and FY17 Foreign Military Financing was provided to Azerbaijan with consult notes, not Congressional notifications. I am concerned that the lack of Congressional notifications makes it difficult to understand the full scope and nature of assistance provided pursuant to the waiver.
The Section 907 waiver and subsequent annual extensions require a number of certifications, including that granting the waiver “will not undermine or hamper ongoing efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan or be used for offensive purposes against Armenia.” I am unclear on whether these certifications have been made every year, as the State Department has not consistently submitted the waiver extension and memorandum of justification to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee did manage to obtain the past two years’ certifications and the accompanying memoranda of justification through other means. Those memoranda gave no indication that the Administration has conducted a comprehensive assessment of whether assistance provided to the Government of Azerbaijan pursuant to the waiver has avoided the negative impacts mentioned in the certification, or an evaluation of any other impact from said assistance. Understanding the impact of assistance provided pursuant to the waiver is a prerequisite to evaluating whether it benefits U.S. national security and foreign policy interests or represents a prudent use of U.S. taxpayer dollars.
This lack of information presents a serious challenge to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s ability to conduct oversight of U.S. assistance to the Government of Azerbaijan. For that reason, I request that the GAO initiate an assessment that considers, at a minimum, the following questions:
1. What is the nature and quantity of all U.S. foreign assistance provided to the Government of Azerbaijan pursuant to the waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, broken down by year, funding account, and implementing agency?
2. Was Congress informed of this assistance prior to its provision, as required by the waiver authority as outlined in the law? Was Congress informed through a formal Congressional notification, through a consult note, or through another procedure?
3. Since 2002, did the extensions to the waiver of Section 907 contain certifications of the elements as outlined in the law?
4. What is known about how assistance provided to the Government of Azerbaijan pursuant to the Section 907 waiver impacted ongoing efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan?
5. What is known about whether any of the assistance provided to the Government of Azerbaijan pursuant to the waiver was used for offensive purposes against Armenia or Nagorno-Karabakh, or may have enabled such offensive purposes, however indirectly?
6. In addition to the impacts described in questions four and five, what else is known about the impact of foreign assistance provided to the Government of Azerbaijan pursuant to the Section 907 waiver?
I appreciate your attention to this request and your cooperation as I seek more information on this important topic. I ask that GAO begin this work as soon as possible and provide the Committee with regular updates on the status of the work, including any access issues or other challenges impeding it. Should you have additional questions regarding this request, please contact the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff.
Sincerely,
Robert Menendez
Ranking Member
[Senate Foreign Relations Committee]
Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region continues to mourn the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer on May 25. This horrific killing stands as yet another shameful example of the racial injustice still deeply entrenched and institutionalized in the United States today.
As an organization committed to achieving justice for the victims of the deliberate and systematic killings on the basis of race and ethnicity we know as genocide, and as an organization that continues to combat and condemn the state-sponsored discrimination and incitement of violence perpetrated against our people in the world today, we condemn in the strongest possible terms the institutionalized discrimination and violence black communities face in our country.
We are also deeply saddened by the incitement and escalation of violence occurring across the country. We support the right to peaceful protest as a powerful demonstration of solidarity in the face of oppression. We are deeply concerned by excessive crackdowns on the fundamental right to free speech and assembly that have unfortunately resulted in the death of protesters, and the arrest and injury of journalists. We also strongly condemn the looting and rioting which have destroyed so many small businesses in local communities and have served as nothing more than a distraction from the important message conveyed by peaceful protesters. Such acts have been carried out by a small minority of provocateurs and opportunists and are not representative of the movement or the cause.
We must not allow these isolated incidents of violence to define this movement or obscure the cause for protest: the systemic inequality and injustice faced by communities of color in our country today. The legacy of slavery and segregation is a wound we are yet to close, and one that will continue to haunt its people until the injustice and inequities black communities face is confronted. That process can only start with recognition and accountability.
The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region stands in solidarity with the peaceful demonstrators in calling for justice for the death of George Floyd and all those who have become victims of racial injustice in the United States.
We call for the immediate deescalation of violence, a more compassionate approach by law enforcement toward peaceful protesters who are simply exercising our shared fundamental right to freedom of speech and assembly, and tangible steps toward finding short and long term solutions. Tremendous change is needed to achieve equal justice for all, and as a community-based organization, we stand ready to be a part of the important conversation to help us all move forward toward reform and mutual respect and understanding.
A photo of a Canadian-made armored personnel carrier that are being delivered to Azerbaijan. (Levon Sevunts/Radio Canada International)
OTTAWA, Canada—Global Affairs Canada on May 29 published its annual report on Canada’s Military Exports where it mentioned that no military export permits were issued to Azerbaijan during 2019, reported the Armenian National Committee of Canada.
Since the sale of armored vehicles from private Canadian companies to the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2017, this is the second year in a row that Canada has not included Azerbaijan in the list of countries with whom it trades military goods. Following Turkey’s “Operation Peace Spring” in Syria in October 2019, Canada also banned military exports to Ankara, which was renewed indefinitely in April 2020.
Following the publication of the report, on June 4th, 2020, the ANCC sent a letter to Canada’s Foreign Affair’s Minister, the Hon. Francois-Philippe Champagne, commending the government’s decision and urging the minister to continue refraining from engaging in arms trade with both Turkey and Azerbaijan.
In the letter, ANCC Co-Presidents, Hrag Tarakdjian and Shahen Mirakian said “Turkey and Azerbaijan pose a significant military threat within their immediate region and beyond. While Turkey continues to destabilize the Middle East and threaten the very existence of local minorities, Azerbaijan has significantly increased its military preparedness, constantly signaling a renewal of hostilities in the Republic of Artsakh, while threatening to attack the Republic of Armenia directly.”
ANCC’s co-presidents also shared their hope that based on Canada’s arm’s export regulations and Ottawa’s accession to the Arms Trade Treaty, military export permits bound for Turkey and Azerbaijan will become subject to a more rigorous assessment process.
“Canada simply cannot become complicit in the unspeakable war crimes and human rights abuses sanctioned and carried out by regressive dictatorships such as Turkey and Azerbaijan.”, mentioned the letter.
“We will continue to monitor the trade of military goods between Canada, Turkey and Azerbaijan and ensure that our government always does the right thing.” Concluded Tarakdjian and Mirakian.