Category: 2021

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) takes every opportunity to remind states about their obligations stemming from the Geneva Conventions, and is ready to support in the issue of returning war prisoners of the 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020, ICRC Vice President Gilles Carbonnier told Armenpress, speaking about the opportunities of returning the Armenian POWs held in Azerbaijan.

The ICRC vice president informed that the representatives of the ICRC nearly every month visit the prisoners, assessing the treatment towards them, conditions of detention and make sure if they keep in touch with their families.

Gilles Carbonnier also spoke about his visit to Armenia, and three decades of neutral presence and humanitarian work of the ICRC in the region.

“A key issue we focused on was the ICRC’s commitment to facilitate the regional efforts aiming at clarifying the fate of people missing in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” he said.

The current Armenian authorities have resorted to a new method for the final disintegration of the country’s armed forces, security expert and opposition With Honor faction MP Tigran Abrahamyan said on Saturday.

He stated any criminal case initiated leads to a series of detentions and arrests, citing the case of former Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan.

“Since 2018, many such criminal cases have been initiated, and, accordingly, there are many isolated military personnel,” he wrote on Facebook, adding some of them have been arrested, while others have left the army ranks and even went abroad.

“Obviously, among them there may be people who have committed crimes at one stage or another, and those persons, of course, must be held accountable. But on the other hand it is clear that by exerting pressure, fabricating cases or simply annoying people, the authorities have shaken the system, leaving many military men out of the army ranks as a result.

“Well, such issues do not bother the chief of the General Staff, who by virtue of his position has the status of the chief military officer. He has solved his problem: after his disgraceful dismissal he was reinstated. And during this time, he has managed to cede several kilometers of territory in Syunik and Gegharkunik [to the enemy], and is living a peaceful life.

“But, of course, they will come after him too, Nikol does not forgive anyone, even those who serve him unconditionally. At some point, all of them will be sacrificed for Nikol. The case of Davit Tonoyan, who had the highest reputation in Pashinyan’s government, is a striking example. Where is he now? Of course, in prison,” Abrahamyan said.

Balasanyan bloc and Civil Contract party signed a memorandum of cooperation. The correspondent of Armenpress reports that according to the memorandum of cooperation, Vardges Samsonyan of the Balasanyan bloc will be nominated for the post of Gyumri Mayor, while the two deputy mayors will be from the Civil Contract party.

The names of the deputy mayors will be announced on November 1.

According to the memorandum, the parties undertake to implement a joint personnel policy, assuming joint responsibility for the management of the city.

The memorandum was signed by Sona Arakelyan from the Balasanyan bloc and Knarik Harutyunyan from the Civil Contract party.

In the October 17 local elections in Gyumri, the Balasanyan bloc received 9637 votes, the Civil Contract party received 7785 votes, the Republican Party of Armenia – 1333 votes, the Zartonk party – 2793 votes and Country to Live party – 1489 votes.

The first session of the newly elected Gyumri Council of Elders will take place on November 1, during which the mayor and deputy mayors will be elected.

Azerbaijani has been blocking the search for the bodies of fallen Armenian soldiers in the territories under its control since October 18, according to the spokesman of the Artsakh State Service of Emergency Situations, Hunan Tadevosyan.

“Our team is always ready to carry out a search. We constantly go to negotiations, but since October 18 we have been denied permission. The Azerbaijani side does not allow us to conduct search operations without providing a reason,” Tadevosyan told Panorama.am on Saturday.

According to him, during the whole period Azerbaijan provided a reason only once, saying some people were to visit those areas.

Since the end of hostilities, the remains of 1,686 servicemen and civilians have been found and recovered from the Azerbaijani-held territories.

Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist boxer Arman Darchinyan (71 kg) has won his opening bout at the 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships being held in Belgrade, Serbia from October 24 to November 6.

The Armenian boxer defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Nuradin Rustambek in the 1/16 final late on Friday, the Boxing Federation of Armenia reported.

After landing a second low blow during the second round, the referee stepped in and disqualified Rustambek, granting the victory to Darchinyan.