Category: 2021

Torture with boiling water, public humiliations – Ombudsman present Azeri government’s ill- treatment of Armenian POWs

 12:01, 8 September, 2021

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian prisoners of war, including civilians, kept by Azerbaijan after the 2020 war were subjected to coordinated state-sanctioned physical and psychological torture, Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan said at a news conference, presenting an emergency report by lawyers and human rights advocates regarding the responsibility of the Azeri government for the gross violations of human rights, ill-treatment, torture and inhumane treatment against Armenian captives in Azeri custody.

Ombudsman Tatoyan stated that the Azeri military tortures the Armenian POWs based on ethnic discrimination, i.e. only because they are Armenian.

“Certainly, the cruelest treatment happens right after being taken captive, especially committed by operatives of special forces. For example, there are cases when they’d thrown the food on the ground and forced the captives to eat it. Or there was a case when they gave only 10 seconds to finish eating, and then threw the food into the trash. Often, they’d put their finger onto the wound, so that people start asking and begging for treatment or food. They would also deliberately splash cold water on naked POWs in cold weather and keep windows open,” Tatoyan said.

The soldiers who’ve been freed and brought back to Armenia told the Ombudsman that when representatives of the Red Cross were to come for visits, the Azeri military would change their treatment beforehand.

The Azeri servicemen would treat the Armenian POWs with special cruelty while trying to obtain information, such as personal information. The Armenian POWs were forced to make anti-Armenian and pro-Azeri statements.

Tatoyan says they have clear facts on many cases of the POWs being forced to make fake statements.

As an example, Tatoyan said: “One of the soldiers was forced to say that he has killed 50 Azerbaijanis at a wedding in Zangelan.”

Especially cruel treatment was displayed against veterans of the First Nagorno Karabakh War and the 2016 April War.

“Cases when people were tortured in the public are especially deplorable, for example in hospitals. Passersby, for example patients, were spitting on the Armenian captives, and it happened in the presence of an Azerbaijani special services agent,” Tatoyan said, adding that even Azeri doctors have committed violence against the Armenian POWs.

An Armenian POW was stripped naked and the Azeri servicemen poured boiling water or tea on his body, before severely beating him. The POW was unable to walk for 21 days after this.

In addition to all the abovementioned, Tatoyan says the Azerbaijani authorities are also guilty in violating the religious rights of the Armenian POWs, by having forcefully taken their crosses.

Human rights advocate and lawyer Siranush Sahakyan added that three state bodies of the Azeri government were primarily involved in torturing the Armenian captives – the Azerbaijani Military Police, the Investigative Detention Center and the jails under the jurisdiction of the justice ministry.

Punitive beatings took place in the Azeri national security service jails as well, she said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 12:54, 8 September, 2021

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS.“Armenia Wine Takar is the best of its kind,” announces the prestigious Grand International Wine Award MUNDUS VINI, where Takar red dry of 8 Armenia Wine Medal winner wines is awarded the honorary title of Best of Show. This unprecedented victory of the company is a new benchmark for the Armenian wine.

Founded 20 years ago in Germany, the world-famous Grand International Wine Award is considered one of the largest and most influential wine competitions in the world. Every year, thousands of producers from more than 45 countries take part in this competition, which sets the quality of wine, and the evaluation is carried out by about 170 world experts in the field, sommeliers and winemakers.

For four days, a highly qualified wine jury tasted and evaluated about 4,500 wines from around the world and selected the best ones. Armenia’s results in the 29th Grand International Wine Award MUNDUS VINI are impressive: Armenia Wine is one of the gold medalists of the platform of honor with 8 medals in total․

The wineries that receive this award are especially honored․ Best of Show is given only to the best wine in its category, which has become the Takar dry red wine of Armenia Wine winery’s 2019 harvest.

Awards were given to different style wines of the company, made from purely Armenian grape varieties, as well as an assembly of Armenian and European varieties.

The following wines of Armenia Wine company won gold and silver medals.

• Gold medal: Yerevan 782 BC red dry 2020
• Gold medal: Yerevan 782 BC white dry 2020
• Gold Medal: Takar red dry 2019
• Gold medal: Takar Reserve 2016
• Gold medal: Tariri white dry 2018
• Gold medal: Tariri red dry 2018
• Silver medal: Armenia red dry 2020
• Silver medal: Takar white dry 2019

“”Dreams come true at Armenia Wine … We have awards from various international competitions, however, being awarded the title of Best of Show Armenia further increases our responsibility. We are very proud to be the worthy face of Armenian winemaking in the international wine market, as the competition was really tough,” said Jean-Baptiste Soula, Chief Wine Consultant of Armenia Wine from Bordeaux, France.

Armenia Wine has been participating in the MUNDUS VINI international competition since 2016, raising the rating of Armenia’s winemaking by continuously winning medals. This triumph testifies to the stable position adopted by the company, that is, to present quality Armenian wines that meet world standards, which are competitive in the international market.

The unprecedented success of Armenia Wine sets a new status for Armenian wine among world consumers, as the experienced members of the jury have already guaranteed its superiority through a “blind” tasting.

“This victory of the wines brings great honor not only to our company, but also to our homeland, which has a winemaking history of centuries, returning to the old proud title of ‘cradle of winemaking,'” concludes Armenia Wine winemaker Grigor Aleksanyan.

 14:48, 8 September, 2021

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s tourism sector has registered 30% growth in tourism sector compared to January-September 2020, Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan said today.

“488,000 tourists arrived in Armenia as of late August, and 143,000 visited the country only in August. It means that we have a 30% growth compared to the last year. I suppose that we will have over one million tourists by yearend. It was planned to host 1.2 million [tourists]”, the minister said.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 14:50, 8 September, 2021

TBILISI, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan is meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili in Tbilisi as part of his official visit.

The private talk will be followed by an extended-format meeting, which from the Armenian side will be attended by Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan, Ambassador to Georgia Ruben Sadoyan.

After the meeting the Armenian and Georgian PMs will deliver statements to the press.

Pashinyan is also scheduled to meet with Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili.

Nikol Pashinyan arrived in Georgia on September 8 on an official visit.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 14:53, 8 September, 2021

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Russian Emergencies Minister Yevgeny Zinichev died during the drills in the Arctic city of Norilsk as he was saving other person’s life, TASS reports citing the ministry.

“We regret to report that the head of the Emergencies Ministry, Yevgeny Zinichev, tragically died rescuing a human life as he was fulfilling his duty in Norilsk during the inter-agency drills on protecting the Arctic zone from emergency situations”, the ministry stated.

 15:20, 8 September, 2021

TBILISI, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan is convinced that as a result of his meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili the cooperation between the Armenian and Georgian governments will become more effective and closer.

“Dear Mr. Prime Minister, please let me thank you for the invitation and warm welcome. It has always been a great honor and pleasure for me to visit the capital of brotherly Georgia, because this is a good chance first of all to communicate with friends, and secondly, to discuss issues relating to the bilateral, regional and international relations.

I am happy that quite an effective cooperation has been established between our governments and I am convinced that as a result of our meeting this cooperation will become more effective and closer”, Pashinyan said during the meeting with his Georgian counterpart in Tbilisi.

In turn the Georgian PM congratulated Nikol Pashinyan on the convincing victory in the recent snap parliamentary elections of Armenia.

“I am happy that my dear colleague has been hosted today in Tbilisi. I want to once again congratulate my colleague on the convincing victory in the parliamentary elections. I am convinced that he will bring success and development to the Armenian people and Armenia”, he said.

Nikol Pashinyan arrived in Georgia on September 8 on an official visit.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 16:39, 8 September, 2021

TBILISI, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian-Georgian high-level talks have been completed in Tbilisi.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his Georgian counterpart Irakli Garibashvili discussed a number of issues relating to the bilateral relations during their meeting in Tbilisi, Pashinyan’s spokesperson Mane Gevorgyan said on social media.

They also touched upon the regional developments and highlighted the efforts of the two countries in establishing and strengthening peace and stability.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan arrived in Georgia on September 8 on an official visit.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 16:55, 8 September, 2021

TBILISI, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan paid homage at the Heroes Square in Tbilisi after his meeting with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

The state orchestra played the Armenian and Georgian anthems at the event.

PM Pashinyan will then have a meeting with President Salome Zourabishvili.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 17:08, 8 September, 2021

TBILISI, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and his Georgian counterpart Irakli Garibashvili discussed the regional cooperation and a number of other issues during their meeting today in Tbilisi.

At the press conference after the meeting, the Georgian PM said that the stability of Armenia in both political and economic areas is very important for Georgia.

“This is directly linked with the stability of our country. Respectively, our regional goals are three – peace, stability and welfare. Georgia has always supported peaceful cooperation and coexistence in the South Caucasus, we have proved this with our work some times before. Several months ago, we have achieved success with the leaders of the three countries – Georgia and especially with my mediation, with the direct participation of Mr. Prime Minister, as well as with the efforts of the Azerbaijani President. It was connected with the return of the Armenian captives and the handover of key documents, the maps, to Azerbaijan. This successful precedent gives us an opportunity for optimism. I once again reiterated my readiness to the Prime Minister that Georgia will continue to play the role of the active mediator in order to restore trust which is very important”, the Georgian PM said.

He noted that Georgia is ready to discuss new cooperation ideas and projects.

At their meeting the Armenian and Georgian PMs have also discussed issues connected with economy, trade, transport and communication, as well as talked about Pashinyan’s large-scale programs.

“We have also talked about the fields of tourism, energy and culture with the Armenian Prime Minister. These are the issues which we discussed and share completely the same visions over it. I want to state that our country has an interesting transit potential, which we have also discussed. This potential must be used fully”, he stated.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan arrived in Georgia on September 8 on an official visit.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenian, Georgian PMs express readiness to boost trade turnover

 18:10, 8 September, 2021

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS. At the invitation of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has arrived in Georgia on an official visit.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister, David Zalkaliani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, met the Armenian PM at Shota Rustaveli International Airport of Tbilisi. Nikol Pashinyan headed to the Government of Georgia from the airport, where Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili met him.

The official welcoming ceremony of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia took place. The state anthems of Armenia and Georgia were performed in the presence of the Prime Ministers of the two countries, performed by a military orchestra. Nikol Pashinyan and Irakli Garibashvili, accompanied by the Commander of the Guard of Honor, inspected the military orchestra and Guard of Honor, after which introduced each other to the members of the official delegations of Armenia and Georgia.

Afterwards, Nikol Pashinyan and Irakli Garibashvili held a private conversation.

In his welcoming speech, the Prime Minister of Georgia said,

” I would like to greet the Prime Minister of Armenia, Mr. Nikol Pashinyan. I am glad that my dear colleague visited Tbilisi today.

I would like to congratulate my colleague once again on his convincing victory in the parliamentary elections. I am confident that he will bring success and development to the Armenian people and Armenia.

Welcome!’’.

 

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said,

‘’ Honorable Mr. Prime Minister,

First of all, let me thank you for the invitation and the warm reception.

It has always been a great honor and pleasure for me to visit the capital of fraternal Georgia, because this is a good opportunity to first communicate with friends and second, to discuss issues of our bilateral, regional and international relations.

I am glad that quite effective cooperation has been established between our governments. I am sure that based on the results of our meeting, the cooperation will become more effective and closer’’.

The private conversation between the Prime Ministers of Armenia and Georgia was followed by an extended-format meeting of the governmental delegations of the two countries. Nikol Pashinyan and Irakli Garibashvili discussed a wide range of issues of the agenda of Armenian-Georgian friendly relations.

The Armenian Prime Minister expressed gratitude to the Georgian side and the Georgian Prime Minister for the efforts made by Georgia for returning 15 Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan, emphasizing that it was a significant contribution to peace and stability in the region. In this context, Nikol Pashinyan highlighted Georgia’s balanced position on the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, which should be based on the principles proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. The Prime Minister referred to Azerbaijan’s unconstructive policy, anti-Armenian rhetoric, which is a threat to regional stability and security.

The Prime Ministers of Armenia and Georgia noted with satisfaction the significant intensification of high-level bilateral official visits in the last three years, which has given a new impetus to the Armenian-Georgian cooperation.

The parties exchanged views on the domestic political situation in the two countries. Prime Minister Pashinyan noted that for the second time in the history of Armenia the elections are recognized by international observers as completely transparent, free and fair, as a result of which it was possible to overcome the domestic political crisis in Armenia. Nikol Pashinyan noted that the strengthening of the rule of law, including the fight against corruption, opening the era of peace and development for the Armenian people, as well as for the region are the priorities of the Armenian Government’s Action Plan.

The interlocutors discussed the ways for further development of economic ties. The sides expressed mutual readiness to increase trade turnover. In this regard, the work of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between Armenia and Georgia was highlighted, the next sitting of which is scheduled to be held in Georgia at the end of this year. An agreement was reached to continue the ongoing programs, as well as to develop new initiatives in the fields of transport, energy, high technologies and other spheres.

The sides highlighted the five-sided format of cooperation between Armenia-Georgia-Bulgaria-Greece-Iran and the continuous work on the draft agreement on the establishment of an international transport corridor from the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea.