15:27,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. The Human Rights Ombudsman’s staff of the Republic of Artsakh has updated the interim report on the cases of killing of civilians by the Azerbaijani armed forces including also the cases found after December 22, 2020, as a result of search operations, the Ombudsman’s Office told Armenpress.
The Report summarizes the cases of civilian casualties, caused as a result of the military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan and Turkey against the Artsakh Republic since September 27, 2020, as well as killings of civilians who were imprisoned in the areas fallen under the control of the Azerbaijani armed forces. The cases are introduced with relevant brief information.
From September 27, 2020, to , the killings of 72 civilians by the Azerbaijani armed forces have been recorded: 41 – from targeted strikes, 31 – in captivity. A number of cases of torture and mutilation of corpses, inevitably targeted civilian deaths were recorded. The Human Rights Ombudsman also recorded the cases of 163 civilian injuries, most of which resulted from strikes that resulted in the deaths of others.
The Report presents only the cases on irrefutable grounds, at the same time the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman still receives information on the alleged cases of civilian deaths, that require investigation, the results of which will be included in further updates of the Report.
At the time of updating the Report, the Ombudsman’s staff still has information on missing civilians some of whom most probably are in captivity, and others are allegedly killed by the Azerbaijani armed forces. This is proved by the regular cases of finding the bodies of civilians in the communities of Artsakh under the control of Azerbaijan.
Bodies of some of the victims have been found a long time later of the death, hence, it requires an in-depth professional examination to detail the circumstances of the death in specific cases and to reveal traces of the crimes committed. However, in some cases, preliminary conclusions of the forensic examination were also presented.
The updated version of the report is available at the following link:
Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 29-01-21
17:32,
YEREVAN, 29 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 29 January, USD exchange rate up by 0.11 drams to 518.27 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.23 drams to 627.83 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.09 drams to 6.80 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 3.43 drams to 708.16 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 41.75 drams to 30887.77 drams. Silver price down by 3.15 drams to 419.99 drams. Platinum price down by 246.04 drams to 18162.41 drams.
Russian, Azerbaijani FMs discuss implementation of agreements over Nagorno Karabakh
17:36,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a telephone conversation today with Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
The foreign ministers discussed the implementation of the agreements reached by the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021, around Nagorno Karabakh, as well as urgent issues relating to the bilateral cooperation and external political collaboration, including in the UN and the OSCE.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Colonel-General Sergey Istrakov presents results of negotiations to Armenian Defense Minister
18:30,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. Defense Minister of Armenia Vagharshak Harutyunyan received on January 29 the head of the Russian delegation led by Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Colonel-General Sergey Istrakov, who visisted Armenia to participate in negotiations over Armenian-Russian defense cooperation.
As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Defense Ministry of Armenia, Sergey Istrakov presented to the Armenian Defense Minister the results of the works done during the negotiations and informed about future joint programs.
Latvia’s foreign ministry refers to solution of NK status in its annual report
Latvia’s foreign ministry refers to solution of NK status in its annual report
19:37,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. The main political document of Latvia, the annual report of the Foreign Ministry, referred to Nagorno Karabakh conflict, emphasizing that Armenia and Azerbaijan, in cooperation with the international community should continue seeking a solution to the question of the status of Nagorno Karabakh.
ARMENPRESS reports the document released by the Foreign Ministry of Latvia reads, ”The South Caucasus region saw an escalation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian and Azerbaijani forces engaged in intense fighting that also resulted in civilian casualties. Following a trilateral agreement between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia, and Turkey’s involvement, a ceasefire is presently in effect and further escalation of the conflict has been halted. At the same time, the conflict has considerably changed the balance of power in the South Caucasus. Armenia and Azerbaijan, in cooperation with the international community should continue seeking a solution to the question of the status of Nagorno Karabakh. The European Union underlines the need for the parties to the conflict to seek a solution concerning the status of Nagorno-Karabakh in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group’’.
Armenpress: AGBU Announces Artsakh Research Grants
AGBU Announces Artsakh Research Grants
21:59,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. In response to the Artsakh war, the subsequent media conflict, and the imperative need for incontestable scholarly research and analysis, AGBU is announcing the Artsakh Research Grants. This newly established initiative will raise awareness and enhance knowledge of Artsakh by expanding both mainstream and scholarly access to the region’s history, culture, and current affairs and disseminate this array of information to the public. The AGBU grant will enrich assets on Artsakh studies by adding original published work to a greater pool of primary resources and accurate accountings based on pioneering research and other existing publications, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the AGBU.
“The genesis of this grant was the concept of knowledge-based identity formation,” said AGBU Central Board Member and Education Specialist Lena Sarkissian. “We established the grant to enhance the skills and research methods that help shape the Armenian identity to further understand the Armenian reality, promote awareness, and build reliable knowledge of Armenia and Artsakh. We want to control and spread our narrative to the world with quality data, verifiable sources, and on-the-ground research that will withstand the test of time.”
The grant is open to students and scholars of all heritages. Graduate students, academics, researchers, post-doctoral scholars, independent writers, freelance journalists, and others interested in developing an expertise and understanding of Artsakh are encouraged to apply.
Research may include but is not limited to historical and/or contemporary work examining social, cultural, psychological, legal, economic, technological, humanitarian, and environmental issues of the region’s past, present and future. Published work may include articles, reports, papers, as well as high-quality videos and podcasts.
Grant proposals must include samples of previously published work, a resume/CV, and a proposed budget with strategy for the on-the-ground research project. Proposals and completed works can be submitted in English, French, Spanish, or Russian.
Applications are in English and will be accepted on a rolling basis until April 30, 2021.
To learn more about the AGBU Artsakh Research Grants, visit www.agbu.org/artsakhgrants.
The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the world’s largest non-profit organization devoted to upholding the Armenian heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs. Each year, AGBU is committed to making a difference in the lives of 500,000 people across Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenian diaspora. Since 1906, AGBU has remained true to one overarching goal: to create a foundation for the prosperity of all Armenians. To learn more visit .
RFE/RL Armenian Report – 01/29/2021
Friday,
Top Russian General Visits Armenia
Armenia -- Colonel-General Sergei Istrakov (second from left), the deputy chief
of the Russian military’s General Staff, meets with Armenian Defense Minister
Vagharshak Harutiunian, Yerevan, .
A visiting top Russian general met with Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutiunian
on Friday for the second time in five days to discuss Russia’s close military
ties with Armenia.
Colonel-General Sergei Istrakov, the deputy chief of the Russian military’s
General Staff, arrived in Yerevan on January 25 for what the Armenian Defense
Ministry described as “staff negotiations” between the armed forces of the two
allied states. Istrakov began the trip with separate meetings with Harutiunian
and his Armenian opposite number, Colonel-General Onik Gasparian.
A Defense Ministry statement released on Friday, said Istrakov met with
Harutiunian again to brief him on the results of the talks that touched upon
“all directions of Russian-Armenian bilateral military cooperation.” They
discussed joint activities planned by the two sides, the statement said without
elaborating.
The Russian ambassador in Yerevan, Sergei Kopyrkin, met with Harutiunian and
Gasparian on Thursday to congratulate them on the 29th anniversary of the
official creation of the Armenian army.
Armenia -- Senior Armenian and Russian military officials start "staff
negotiations" in Yerevan, January 25, 2021.
On Tuesday, Harutiunian inspected the main command post of a joint
Russian-Armenian system of air defense protecting Armenia’s airspace. He was
accompanied by a Russian Air Force general.
“Vagharshak Harutiunian stressed the need to deepen Russian-Armenian military
cooperation, including in the area of air defense,” said the Defense Ministry.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian similarly announced plans to deepen
Russian-Armenian relations in a televised address to the nation aired on New
Year’s Eve He said his country needs “new security guarantees” after the recent
war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia already has close political, economic and military ties with Russia. It
hosts a Russian military base and has long received Russian weapons at knockdown
prices and even for free.
Moscow deployed 2,000 peacekeeping troops to Karabakh as part of a
Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement that stopped the war on November 10. In
addition, it dispatched Russian soldiers and border guards to Armenia’s Syunik
region southwest of Karabakh to help the Armenian military defend it against
possible Azerbaijani attacks.
Court Upholds Acquittal Of Former Judge In Kocharian Case
• Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia -- District court judge Davit Grigorian leaves the courtroom after
ordering former President Robert Kocharian's release from prison, May 18, 2019.
Armenia’s Court of Appeals rejected on Friday prosecutors’ appeal against a
lower court’s decision to throw out controversial criminal charges brought
against a judge who had released former President Robert Kocharian from prison.
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,
Grigorian not only freed 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 the Court of Appeals overturned
Grigorian’s decisions. Three weeks later, law-enforcement officers searched and
sealed the judge’s offices. A state body overseeing the Armenian judiciary then
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 described them as government retribution for Kocharian’s
release.
Investigators denied any connection between the Kocharian case and Grigorian’s
prosecution.
In June 2020, a Yerevan court of first instance threw out the case against
Grigorian for lack of evidence even before starting the suspended judge’s trial.
The Court of Appeals upheld that decision, ruling on an appeal filed by
Armenia’s prosecutor-general. One of Grigorian’s lawyers, Georgi Melikian,
thanked it for the “principled judicial act.”
The judge who took over Kocharian’s trial later in 2019, Anna Danibekian,
repeatedly refused to release the ex-president from custody pending a verdict in
the case. In June 2020, the Court of Appeals overturned Danibekian’s decision to
deny Kocharian bail and ordered him freed.
Kocharian, who ruled Armenia from 1998-2008, rejects the coup and corruption
charges leveled against him as politically motivated.
Top Judicial Official Hails Government Plans For New Judges
• Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia -- A court building in Yerevan, June 9, 2020.
The head of a state body overseeing Armenian courts backed on Friday a
government proposal to hire new judges who would deal only with corruption cases
or pre-trial arrests of criminal suspects.
A bill approved by the Armenian government earlier this month calls for the
selection of up to 21 such judges for the courts of first instance. Three other
new judges specializing in arrests or corruption-related offenses would be
appointed to the Court of Appeals.
Justice Minister Rustam Badasian said on January 14 that the new judges would
reduce the workload of courts increasingly overwhelmed by pending criminal and
civil cases. He said they should also hand down “more objective” rulings on
arrest warrants demanded by investigators.
In recent months Armenian judges have refused to allow law-enforcement bodies to
arrest dozens of opposition leaders and members as well as other anti-government
activists. Virtually all of those individuals are prosecuted in connection with
angry protests sparked by the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s handling of the
autumn war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Pashinian charged last month that Armenia’s judicial system has become part of a
“pseudo-elite” which is trying to topple him after the disastrous war. Ruben
Vartazarian, the chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, rejected the
criticism.
Critics of the government have expressed concern over its plans to install
magistrates tasked with allowing or blocking pre-trial arrests. They claim that
the government wants to make sure that courts stop hampering politically
motivated investigations ordered by it.
The head of the Armenian Chamber of Advocates, the national bar association,
echoed those concerns when he spoke with RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “Given past
[court-related] events, I think that there are political considerations here,”
said Ara Zohrabian.
Vartazarian disagreed. “The [new] judges will be selected by the Supreme
Judicial Council,” he said. “It will be guided only by the law and will take
into consideration only their professional skills just like it has selected
other judges. I therefore rule out political decisions by those judges.”
Five Held Over Anti-Government Protest In Yerevan
• Artak Khulian
Armenia -- Protesters demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's resignation
clash with riot police outside the main government building in Yerevan, January
28, 2021.
Law-enforcement authorities arrested five protesters who clashed with riot
police while demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s resignation on Thursday.
They were among several hundred people who rallied outside the main government
building in Yerevan. The demonstration was organized by several nationalist
activists holding Pashinian responsible for the outcome of the recent war in
Nagorno-Karabakh.
Riot police used force against the protesters when the latter tried to break
into the building that houses the prime minister’s office.
In a statement announcing the arrests on Friday, Armenia’s Investigative
Committee described the protesters’ actions as an attempt to seize the building.
The law-enforcement agency said the five detainees are suspected of violating
relevant articles of the Armenian Criminal Code. It did not identify any of them.
The organizers of Thursday’s protest are not known to be linked to a coalition
of 17 Armenian opposition groups that staged a series of anti-government
demonstrations late last year in a bid to force Pashinian to resign and hand
over power to an interim government. The prime minister has rejected the
opposition demands.
In a separate development, the National Security Service (NSS) arrested and
indicted Vahan Badasian, a prominent war veteran from Karabakh who called for
Pashinian’s ouster earlier on Thursday.
Badasian said that Pashinian will be removed from power “physically” and through
an armed revolt if he keeps refusing to step down. “Let the NSS arrest me,” he
told reporters at Yerevan’s Yerablur Military Pantheon.
The NSS said on Friday that Badasian has been formally charged with calling for
a violent overthrow of the constitutional order. A Yerevan court was due to
decide later in the day whether to allow investigators to hold him in pre-trial
detention.
Badasian’s lawyer, Arayik Papikian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that his
client rejects the accusation as politically motivated.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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Newspaper: Opinions at Armenia parliament majority faction are divided
YEREVAN. – Hraparak daily of Armenia writes: Unprecedented few MPs took part in the urgent sitting of [the majority] My Step [faction of the National Assembly (NA)] yesterday.
They were invited to discuss [My Step MP] Vahagn Hovakimyan’s draft on self-dissolution of the parliament without the resignation of the prime minister. But before that, it is necessary to make an amendment in the Constitution.
The [PM Nikol] Pashinyan supporters [in this faction] perceived the boycott of the [other My Step] MPs as an attitude to the idea of self-dissolution, so the issue was discussed briefly, and opinions were voiced that first, one should come to an agreement with the opposition on snap [parliamentary] elections, then think about dissolving the NA, since if the political forces boycott the snap elections, the crisis will deepen further.
[Subsequently,] the My Step [MPs] made a smooth transition to the amendments to the Electoral Code, the Laws on Parties.
Russia servicemen preparing for work at Russian-Turkish joint Karabakh ceasefire monitoring center
The Russian servicemen, who will be part of the Russian-Turkish joint center for monitoring the ceasefire and cessation of hostilities’ at the Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)] conflict zone, are undergoing training and getting ready to leave for Azerbaijan, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
This joint monitoring center will be located in Azerbaijan, in accordance with the memorandum signed by the Russian and Turkish defense ministers on November 11, 2020.
Sports: Aleksandre Karapetian leaves for UAE with FC Ararat-Armenia
Forward for the Armenia national football team and FC Tambov Aleksandre Karapetian today joined FC Ararat-Armenia and left for the United Arab Emirates where Armenia’s champion will train until February 12, NEWS.am Sport’s sources reported.
The 33-year-old footballer arrived in Armenia and started training with FC Ararat-Armenia a few days ago. He is expected to sign a contract with the Yerevan football club.
Before this season, Aleksandre Karapetian moved from FC Sochi to FC Tambov, with which he played 16 matches of the current Russian football championship and scored 3 goals. Due to serious financial issues, FC Tambov is on the brink of being closed.
Recently, Karapetian participated in the training that took place in Russia’s Krimsk, but later he left the team.
In the UAE, FC Ararat-Armenia will hold friendly matches with FC Ural (January 30), FC Rodina (February 3), FC Zenit (February 4) and the Latvian FC Riga (February 11).
During the current football championship in Armenia, FC Ararat-Armenia have 18 points after 9 games and are on top of the table with FC Ararat and FC Alashkert.