Category: 2021

 12:37,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. On February 25, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh sent a Memorandum to international organizations on the occasion of the visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to the occupied territories of Artsakh, the ministry told Armenpress.

The document, in particular, notes that after the end of the 44-day war imposed on Artsakh by Azerbaijan with the support of Turkey and mercenaries from various terrorist groups, the Azerbaijani authorities have set a course to impose a fait accompli created through the use of military force in blatant violation of norms of international law. According to the document, among the instruments for implementing this policy are the visits of the President of Azerbaijan to the seized territories, the most striking of which is Aliyev’s visit to the city of Shushi, where he made a number of statements replete with outrageous threats and militant rhetoric containing outright hatred towards the Armenian people.

The Memorandum also states that the provocative and inflammatory nature of the visits and the accompanying statements evidence Azerbaijan’s intent to disrupt the resumption of the negotiation process on a comprehensive settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict and to keep the conflict unsettled. Such destructive and defiant behavior of Azerbaijan should be strictly condemned by the international community, the Memorandum reads.

The document underlines that the people of Artsakh exercised their right to self-determination and established statehood in those territories. As noted in the document, the failure to respect this fundamental right is not only a violation of human rights, but is also one of the core sources of serious threats to security in the region.

The Memorandum notes that any legislative and administrative actions of Azerbaijan to change the status of the territories of the Republic of Artsakh, including the expropriation of land and properties, the transfer of populations to the occupied territories and the incorporation of the occupied territories, are invalid under international law and cannot change their status. No territorial gains resulting from the threat or use of force should be recognized as legal.

The document notes that the current military occupation by Azerbaijan of the territories of the Republic of Artsakh, including the city of Shushi, also cannot change their status. The city of Shushi is an integral part of the Artsakh Republic in a number of aspects, including territorially, culturally, economically and historically. Any attempt to seize it is a gross violation of the territorial integrity of Artsakh.

The Memorandum underlines that only a just settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict—one that will eliminate its root cause associated with Azerbaijan’s unwillingness to recognize the rights of the people of Artsakh—will reverse the consequences of the illegal use of military force by Azerbaijan and re-institute the primacy of the principle of peaceful resolution of disputes.

 12:23,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. President Armen Sarkissian is planning to have a meeting with Onik Gasparyan, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces.

“As we had informed, President Sarkissian is initiating a series of discussions with the purpose of finding ways for peaceful resolution of the situation and de-escalation of the tension in the country,” Sarkissian’s Office said.

On February 25, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he was dismissing Gasparyan from duties. This still requires the President’s approval.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 11:07,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. 283 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Armenia in the past one day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 171,510, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention said today.

181 patients have recovered in one day. The total number of recoveries has reached 163,165.

4 patients have died, raising the death toll to 3183.

3947 tests were conducted in the past one day.

The number of active cases is 4349.

The number of patients who had coronavirus but died from other disease has reached 813 (4 new such cases).

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 11:03,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Demonstrators demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stayed on Baghramyan Avenue in front of the parliament building overnight February 25-26. The protesters set up tents on the street.

The Homeland Salvation Movement – the initiator of the demonstrations – said they will hold a rally outside the parliament building at 13:00, February 26.

Early in the morning the movement’s leader Vazgen Manukyan was seen visiting the venue of the demonstration.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 17:45,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called for dialogue between the supporters of Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and the opposition for the sake of protecting democracy, ARMENPRESS reports, Ria Novosti informed.

”France advocates  dialogue based on the legitimacy of the Prime Minister and the President… for ensuring calm situation in the country which is living difficult period’’, Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a brieifing with his Ukrainian counterpart.

”Armenia’s democracy must resist’’, the French FM said.

On February 25 the General Staff of the Armenian Forces of Armenia issued a statement, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his Cabinet.

In his turn Pashinyan commented on the statement, calling it as a “military coup attempt”. He invited all his supporters to the Republic Square to discuss the ongoing developments. The meeting was followed by a march across Yerevan.

In turn the opposition also held a rally in the Freedom Square. Thereafter, they moved to the Parliament’s building and blocked the traffic in the Baghramyan street.

 18:16,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian met with the leadership of ‘’Fatherland Salvation Movement’’ on February 26 – the joint candidate for Prime Minister of the movement Vazgen Manukyan, Artur Vanetsyan, Vahram Baghdasaryan and Artsvik Minasyan.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the President’s Office, during the meeting the sides exchanged views on the situation in the country, discussed options for de-escalating the situation and finding a peaceful solution to the issue.

The representatives of the opposition presented their views and approaches to the President.

 18:22,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian visited the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia where he met with the Chief of the General Staff, Colonel-General Onik Gasparyan, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the President’s Office.

 19:44,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Artsakh Republic welcomes the statement of the Secretary-General of the European Ombudsman Institute (EOI) Joseph Siegele on the immediate release of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian captives held in Azerbaijan, creating artificial obstacles to the return of Armenian captives, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh. The Ombudsman calls on international structures and human rights organizations to condemn Azerbaijan’s non-fulfillment of its international obligations and the creation of artificial obstacles to the return of Armenian captives.

The statement of the Secretary-General says in particular:

“I call on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held captive in Azerbaijan from the recent war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Everyone deprived of their liberty for reasons related to the armed conflict should be returned immediately after the cessation of hostilities and without any preconditions.

It should be considered exclusively in the context of human rights and the humanitarian process as an international requirement which is to be automatically applied.

Delaying the return of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians undermines human dignity and seriously violates the fundamental requirements guaranteed by the Geneva Conventions. This grossly undermines the post-war humanitarian processes and the international human rights mandates.

The release of the captives and their safe return require immediate resolution. “

The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Artsakh Republic is a member of the European Ombudsman Institute since 2009.

 20:57,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. The European Union deems it necessary to respect the international law and to fully implement the privision of returning all war prisoners enshrined in the November 9 joint declaration signed by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan. ARMENPRESS reports the statement of the EU at the 46^th session of the UN HRC regarding Nagorno Karabakh runs as follows,

՛՛As regards Nagorno-Karabakh  the EU stresses that international humanitarian law must be respected and calls for full implementation of the provisions of the November 9, 2020 cease-fire agreement on the exchange of prisoners of war and the repatriation of human remains. Should any foreign fighters still remain in the region, they should be promptly and fully withdrawn. The EU calls for the negotiation of a comprehensive and sustainable settlement of the conflict resulting in lasting peace in the region՛՛.