Category: 2021

Armenia tells World Court Azerbaijan promotes ethnic hatred

Emil Lazarian
EuroNews, EU
Oct 15 2021
By Reuters  •  Updated: 15/10/2021 – 11:10
   –   Copyright  Thomson Reuters 2021

THE HAGUE – Armenia on Thursday told judges at the World Court in The Hague that Azerbaijan promotes ethnic hatred against Armenians and asked the court to stop what its lawyers call a cycle of violence and hatred.

Armenia’s assertions, which Azerbaijan denies, are part of a case it filed at the World Court last month that says Azerbaijan has violated the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, to which both states are signatories.

Thursday’s hearing does not go into the merits of the case but instead deals with Armenia’s request for emergency measures to stop the alleged violations, while the court considers the claim.

After Armenia’s claim was made public Azerbaijan filed a counterclaim accusing Armenia of violating the anti-discrimination treaty. Azerbaijan is also seeking that the court order protective measures while the case is ongoing. Azerbaijan will address the court later on Thursday.

Lawyers for Armenia accused Azerbaijan’s authorities of fostering ethic hatred and a culture where murder and torture of ethnic Armenians were “systematic”.

“Generations upon generations are indoctrinated into this culture of fear and hate of anything and everything Armenian,” Yeghishe Kirakosyan said.

In fighting last September to November, Azeri troops drove ethnic Armenian forces out of swathes of territory they had controlled since the 1990s in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region, before Russia brokered a ceasefire.

The world court, formally known as the International Court of Justice, is the United Nations’ court for resolving disputes between countries. The court has yet to determine whether it has jurisdiction in this case.

(This story was refiled to fix typo in headline)

​Armenia says six troops​ ​injured in Azerbaijan attack

Anna Tamamian
UAE – Oct 15 2021

Armenia says six troops injured in Azerbaijan attack

/ 1:24 PM
Russian peacekeepers stand at their checkpoint during the military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh

Sharjah 24 – AFP: Armenia said on Friday that six of its soldiers had been injured by Azerbaijani forces in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, which was at the centre of a war last year.

“Six servicemen were wounded in an attack by Azerbaijani armed forces” in Karabakh’s Nor Shen community, Armenia’s rights ombudsman, Arman Tatoyan, said on Facebook, adding that two soldiers were in a critical condition.

The war for Nagorno-Karabakh last autumn claimed about 6,500 lives and saw Armenia cede territories it had controlled for decades, while Russia deployed peacekeepers in the area.

The region was also at the centre of a 1990s war that cost 30,000 lives during the death throes of the Soviet Union, when ethnic Armenian separatists broke away from Azerbaijan.

Since the latest conflict, both Azerbaijan and Armenia have reported occasional exchanges of fire along their shared border, sparking fears of another flare up in their territorial dispute.

Azerbaijan’s defence ministry denied any role in the incident saying “there was a shootout between illegal Armenian armed units”.

On Thursday evening, Azerbaijan said one of its soldiers was killed in sniper fire by “illegal” Armenian forces.

News of that incident came as Armenia and Azerbaijan’s foreign ministers were holding talks with Russia in Belarus on Thursday, aimed at mending ties.

Six Karabakh militaries wounded near Nor Shen village

Emil Lazarian
Caucasian Knot, EU
Oct 15 2021

Azerbaijani militaries have attacked the positions of the Karabakh Army near the village of Nor Shen; six servicemen were seriously wounded, the Nagorno-Karabakh Ombudsperson has informed.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on October 14, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the death of its serviceman as a result of a sniper’s shot made from the responsibility zone of Russian peacemakers. The MoD has treated the incident as a terror act.

In the evening on October 14, the positions of the Karabakh Army stationed near the Nor Shen community in the Martuni District were attacked; six servicemen were wounded; all of them are now in a military hospital, Gegam Stepanyan, the Nagorno-Karabakh Ombudsperson, told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

“Two of them are in grave condition; the state of four others is assessed by doctors as moderately grave. The Azerbaijani side is periodically shelling army positions and dwelling settlements; this is the second case when servicemen were wounded. A few days ago, a similar incident was fixed near the village of Shosh, Askeran District: an Armenian serviceman was wounded by shelling from the Azerbaijani side,” Mr Stepanyan has stated.

In its turn, the Azerbaijani MoD has stated its non-involvement in the incident: according to its version, in the territory controlled by the Russian peacemakers, the shootout occurred among Armenian military servicemen.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 14, 2021 at 11:58 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:

Azeri MoD announces serviceman’s death, Nagorno-Karabakh militaries deny involvement in shelling motor convoy, A motor convoy shelled in Kelbadjar District.

Author: Alvard Grigoryan, Faik Medzhid; Source: CK correspondents

Source: 
© Caucasian Knot

Karabakh war veterans claim difficulties with employment in Azerbaijan

Hambik Zargarian
Caucasian Knot, EU
Oct 15 2021

Veterans of the Karabakh war and family members of the killed soldiers and officers are offered by the Azerbaijani authorities the low-paid jobs as builders and waiters, and owners of cars and land plots are refused to be recognized as unemployed, participants of the combat actions in Nagorno-Karabakh complain.

Reserve Captain Khalid Agali was engaged in human rights activities before being drafted to the front, and after completing his service, he returned to his previous job. Meanwhile, three of his fellow countrymen from the Djalilabad District could not find job, Khalid Agali told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

Bilal Abbasov, a resident of the Ilisu village in the Gakh District, a son of farmer Movlud Abbasov, shares his dissatisfaction that people with secondary education who returned from the war are offered working professions with low wages within the veteran employment programme.

“The guys who served together with me have been offered to work at construction sites and as waiters. They are not against, but they are paid little there. Besides, participants of the war do not consider it worthy to serve restaurant visitors. War veterans want to be accepted into government service,” Bilal Abbasov told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

After returning from the war, Senior Lieutenant Vyusal Azaev was looking for a job in his native Saatli District. The man said that he saw how war veterans who applied to an employment agency were refused because they owned land plots on which, as officials believed, they could earn their living being engaged in agricultural activities. According to the employment agency’s rules, only citizens who do not have a land plot or a car may be granted the status of unemployed, otherwise officials suggest that a person can earn money by farming and taxing, Vyusal Azaev has told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on at 12:57 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

See earlier reports:

Allowances appointed to families of perished Azerbaijani militaries, Military Prosecutor’s Office reports about 2858 deceased Azerbaijani military personnel, Azerbaijani MoD reports names of 2855 deceased soldiers.

Author: Kyamal Ali; Source: CK correspondent

Source: 
© Caucasian Knot

Karabakh authorities say Azerbaijani forces opened fire at army ambulance

Jhanna Virabian
SIFY.com, India
Oct 15 2021
Source :ANI
Author :ANI
Last Updated: Fri, Oct 15th, 2021, 18:25:03hrs

Yerevan [Armenia], October 15 (ANI/Sputnik): The Defense Ministry of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic said on Friday that Azerbaijani soldiers opened fire at an ambulance vehicle belonging to the Karabakh defense army.

“On October 15th, at about 09:00 [05:00 GMT], units of the Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire on the ambulance of the defense army unit stationed in the northeastern area of the contact line. There are no casualties on the Armenian side. The command of the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation has been informed about the incident,” the statement said.
The ministry stressed that it continued to adhere to the ceasefire regime and called on the Azerbaijani side to also refrain from actions destabilizing the situation.
The decades-long conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh flared up on September 27, 2020, leading to military and civilian casualties on both sides. The clashes ended with the signing of a ceasefire deal by Yerevan and Baku, which was mediated by Moscow, on November 9.
The deal resulted in a significant loss of territories controlled by Nagorno-Karabakh and the deployment of Russian peacekeepers to the region to monitor the truce. (ANI/Sputnik)

Armenia and Azerbaijan face off in U.N. court

Manouk Vasilian
Frontline, India
Oct 15 2021
DEUTSCHE WELLE
Published :  19:34 IST

Armenia told the ICJ it wants to ‘prevent and remedy the cycle of violence and hatred perpetrated against ethnic Armenians’. Photo: Artem Mikryukov/REUTERS

Both Armenia and Azerbaijan accuse the other of violating an international anti-discrimination convention.

Armenia on October 14 accused Azerbaijan of promoting systematic ethnic hatred against Armenians, and urged judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to issue an order to halt hate speech. During opening arguments at the ICJ, Armenian representative Yeghishe Kirakosyan also asked the court to order the release and repatriation of prisoners of war taken during the conflict in late 2020.

The feud between the neighbors escalated into open war last year over the disputed region of Nargorno-Karabakh , which left well over 6,000 people dead. Azerbaijani troops drove ethnic Armenian forces from territory that they had controlled since the 1990s in and around the region before Russia brokered a ceasefire. “With this application, Armenia instead seeks to prevent and remedy the cycle of violence and hatred perpetrated against ethnic Armenians,” Kirakosyan said.

What is the legal background of the case?

Last month, Armenia filed a case with the ICJ, charging that Azerbaijan violated the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. After Armenia made its claim, Azerbaijan filed a counterclaim, accusing Armenia of violating the same treaty. Hearings on the Azerbaijani case are due before the court next week.

The hearing on October 14 did not go into the merits of the case, but dealt with a request from Armenia to impose urgent interim measures to stop any violations while the court considers the larger case.

What has Azerbaijan said?

Azerbaijan is asking the court to order similar protective measures while the cases are ongoing, accusing Armenia of carrying out ethnic discrimination against Azerbaijanis. Azerbaijzan’s deputy foreign minister, Elnur Mammadov, told the hearing via video link on Thursday that it is actually Armenia that was involved in “decadeslong ethnic cleansing.” Mammadov also said Armenia’s request “is defective, and must be rejected.”

It will likely take years before ICJ judges reach a final ruling in the Armenia-versus-Azerbaijan case, but a ruling on emergency measures could come in weeks.

kb/wmr (AP, Reuters, dpa

Putin on situation in Karabakh: ‘bad peace is better than good war’

Markos Nalchajian
TASS, Russia
Oct 15 2021
According to the Russian president, the key role of the CIS is in ensuring conditions for peaceful cooperation and joint work in the interests of the prosperity of its nations

NOVO-OGARYOVO, October 15. /TASS/. A bad peace is better than a good war, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday commenting on the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh.

The situation in this region was among the topics discussed at a meeting of the CIS heads of state. “It once again demonstrates the wisdom of the popular saying that a bad peace is better than and a good war, every quarrel turns the world red and the like,” Putin said.

According to the Russian president, the key role of the Commonwealth of Independent States is in ensuring conditions for peaceful cooperation and joint work in the interests of the prosperity of its nations. “This is the key goal of the updated concept of the CIS further development and the strategy for the CIS economic development until the year 2030,” Putin stressed.

Baku handed back all Armenian POWs to Yerevan, Azeri leader affirms

Aram Torosian
TASS, Russia
Oct 15 2021
Ilham Aliyev pointed out that “members of a sabotage group consisting of 62 people” had been sent from Armenia’s Shirak Province to Azerbaijan at the end of November 2020

BAKU, October 15. /TASS/. Baku has returned all Armenian prisoners of war to Yerevan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev reported on Friday at a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS in an online video conference.

“Baku had handed over all [Armenian] prisoners of war taken during the conflict earlier than Yerevan had given back Azerbaijani prisoners of war to us,” the head of state emphasized. He pointed out that two weeks after inking the trilateral statement on the complete cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh on November 9, 2020, members of a sabotage group that were sent behind the lines of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces and subsequently detained by Azerbaijani servicemen, “cannot, according to international conventions, be considered prisoners of war.”

Aliyev added that “members of a sabotage group consisting of 62 people” were sent from Armenia’s Shirak Province to Azerbaijan at the end of November 2020.

Intense clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, 2020, with fierce battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. On November 9, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides maintained the positions that they had held, while several regions came under Baku’s control and Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the contact line and the Lachin corridor.

Russian peacekeepers safeguard ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh, says Putin

Emma Nadirian
TASS, Russia
Oct 15 2021
According to the President, Russia provides assistance by delivering humanitarian cargo and carrying out mine clearance

NOVO-OGAREVO, October 15. /TASS/. Russian peacekeepers stand as guarantors of the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday at a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States).

“The Russian peacekeepers stand as guarantors of the established ceasefire. We are providing assistance by delivering humanitarian cargo and carrying out mine clearance, and, I want to emphasize, [we are helping] both sides. In Azerbaijan, as well as in Armenia, life support systems are being restored, medical assistance is being provided to the population, tens of thousands of refugees, over 52,000 people, have returned to their homes,” Putin noted.

The Russian president pointed out that the CIS countries sometimes face disagreements and contradictions. “And it is bad when these contradictions result in sharp conflicts between CIS member states as it, unfortunately, happened last year in Nagorno-Karabakh,” he stated. Putin also expressed gratitude to his CIS colleagues for appreciating Russia’s contribution to resolving the conflict.

Furthermore, Putin said that Russia upheld the draft statement, prepared on Belarus’ initiative amid the 30th anniversary of the CIS, which took stock of the main results of the organization’s activities and defined some long-term tasks for its further development. “Indeed, over three decades, the CIS has come a long way, establishing itself as an authoritative regional integration association, where the member states strive to build relations on the principles of good-neighborliness, partnership, mutual benefit and consideration of each other’s interests,” the Russian leader stressed.

However, according to the president, the crucial thing is that the member states “have managed to preserve, and in some ways, to enhance the economic, social, cultural and humanitarian ties, which have been accumulated over many years of living in a single state,” Putin concluded.