Category: 2022

Artsakh is seriously wounded and its “healing” is a super task for all Armenians, Artsakh Foreign Minister David Babayan says.

“The future of the entire Armenian people depends on the fate of Artsakh,” he wrote on Facebook on Friday.

“Artsakh is facing existential threats, but despite all the dangers and difficulties, there are all opportunities to save the country and ensure its secure future. This requires a patriotic and professional approach not only to work, but to life in general,” Babayan stated.

The regional administration of Aragatsotn Province has denied reports on the capture of Armenian shepherds by Turkish servicemen in the village of Aragatsavan near the Armenia-Turkey border late on Thursday.

168.am media outlet reported that three armed Turks entered the village, captured eight Armenian shepherds and seized their cattle.

They were reportedly released with the help of Russian border guards some time later.

The news site said the shepherds had accidentally crossed the border with Turkey, which sparked tensions with the Turks.

"The news spread by 168.am is false. Not a single Turk has entered Aragatsavan and not a single shepherd has been captured,” the Aragatsotn regional administration said in a statement.

“It’s not ruled out that the false alarm may have been an insidious and unwise act by someone or a group of people. We urge the media not to spread false news which has not been confirmed officially, especially if it concerns the safety of our compatriots,” reads the statement.

Finally, the public armies are mixed up. After Thursday’s media reports and the denial of the Aragatsotn regional administration that "… the news is absolutely false. Not a single Turk has entered Aragatsan and not a single shepherd has been captured", the public became united and again divided in a new way, this time not into groups of Nikol’s supporters and detractors.

According to the regional administration, the shepherds accidently crossed into the neutral zone between the Armenia-Azerbaijani border, which is controlled not by Armenian border troops, but by the Russians. The latter closed the gates, the shepherds remained in the neutral zone until the gates were opened to let them back into the homeland.

The public reactions were something like:

1. What have we come to? The Turks have now reached Aragatsotn.

2. Aren't you ashamed of yourself for writing something like this? How could a Turk enter Armenia and capture a shepherd?

It reminds me of a joke: an old man is walking down the street, shuffling in a strange way, and two students are following him and discussing: one says he has rheumatism, the other insists on arthritis. They make a bet and approach the old man:

– Tell me something: I insist that you have rheumatism, but my friend says you have arthritis.

– You're both wrong: I had a stomachache and didn't have time to …

The possibility of the Turks’ incursion into Armenia cannot be ruled out, as they have already invaded and advanced deep into Armenian territory amid the whining of the authorities. Cases of kidnapping people and seizing their cattle have also been recorded. Why shouldn't you believe it?

Look at what they have done to Syunik. The Azerbaijani flag is installed at the Kapan airport, while the same people accompanied by "Russian peacekeepers" enter supermarkets to do shopping.

"But what can you do?" say the residents.

Well, you are right, there is nothing we can do.

So, why should not we believe that it has happened again? How can we be sure of it? By the following logic: "Why would those who slaughtered the elderly steal cattle and kidnap shepherds?"

P.S. The photo above shows Azerbaijanis gunning down Armenian civilians during the recent war. Look for footage of beheadings of Armenian prisoners on the TikTok pages of the Azerbaijanis, should you have forgotten about them. 

By Anahit Voskanyan

Armenian school students have won two bronze medals at the 18th International Geography Olympiad hosted by France from 12 to 18 July.

A total of 209 contestants from 54 countries around the world gathered online for the event, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports reported.

12th graders Ruben Sargsyan from Gyumri’s Foton College and Hovhannes Stepanyan from Nor Artagers Secondary School earned bronze medals for the Armenian team, which also included two students from Yerevan’s Quantum College.

The team was led by Vahagn Grigoryan (YSU) and Vardan Asatryan (the National Academy of Sciences, Quantum College).

The Armenian team won one bronze medal at the 17th International Geography Olympiad held online.

Arrested opposition blogger Mikayel Badalyan has been taken to a civilian hospital, lawyer Arsen Babayan, a senior member of the opposition Homeland Party, said on Friday.

“Political prisoner Mika Badalyan, the leader of the Liberation Movement, has been taken to a civilian hospital,” he wrote on Telegram, promising to provide further details.

Badalyan, who is a pro-Russian activist, was arrested on May 24 on charges of making a “false statement about terrorism” under Article 259 of Armenia’s Criminal Code.

He denies the charges as politically motivated.

The Armenian authorities on Friday issued an explanation regarding the decision to deny entry to French-Armenian community leader Mourad (Franck) Papazian, Armenpress reports.

The Prime Minister’s Office said that Papazian, Chairman of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF) and a citizen of France, was barred from entering Armenia under the domestic law because he was among those who “organized the attack” on the official motorcade of the Armenian PM’s delegation in France earlier in June, 2021.

“The said person was denied entry into the Republic of Armenia based on Clause G and Z, Article 8 of the law on foreign nationals. This person is one of the organizers of the attack on the official motorcade – displaying the state flag of Armenia – of the governmental delegation led by the Prime Minister near the Armenian Embassy in France on June 1 last year.

“Various objects and items were thrown in the direction of the motorcade. The official Armenian flag-bearing car carrying the Prime Minister was attacked and the situation was resolved only as a result of intervention by French police and security forces,” Pashinyan’s office said.

Speaking to Panorama.am, ARF Supreme Body member and opposition Hayastan bloc MP Gegham Manukyan dismissed the authorities’ explanation as “disgraceful”.

"It is hard to imagine a more disgraceful explanation that the Armenian authorities could ever offer regarding a Diaspora public figure or an Armenian citizen,” he said, adding it points to the authorities’ “vengeful attitude and rejection of political dissent.”

As for Mourad Papazian being "one of those who organized the attack on the motorcade carrying the Armenian flag", Manukyan said: "The current authorities are so stupid that they don’t even understand the powers, rights and duties of the institutions.”

"Mourad Papazian has always defended the interests of the Armenian people, protesting against the Turks, French authorities and even Armenian government members. But it had never occurred to anyone to ban him from entering Armenia because of his political views.

“It is stated once again that Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan have declared Mourad Papazian persona non grata, or rather Nikol, Aliyev and Erdogan have declared him persona non grata," the MP noted.

He recalled that in 2010, when then President Serzh Sargsyan visited France against the backdrop of football diplomacy, Papazian staged a protest outside the monument to Komitas in Paris and clashed with police, but the authorities never considered banning him from Armenia.

Opposition lawmakers will go back to the Armenian parliament in September only with their agenda, ARF Armenia Chair and opposition Hayastan bloc MP Ishkhan Saghatelyan told Yerkir Media on Friday.

He insists the agenda of the ruling Civil Contract faction MPs does not serve the interests of the Armenian people, while all opposition initiatives have been boycotted by the parliament majority.

"There is a parliamentary and political crisis in the country and if they try to strip opposition deputies of their seats illegally, in violation of the Constitution, it will also lead to a full-fledged constitutional crisis,” Saghatelyan said, warning against attempts to blackmail the opposition.

He claims their boycott of parliament sessions are justified. "It is thanks to the resistance movement that the authorities’ rhetoric regarding Artsakh has changed, but it cannot yet be considered an achievement yet. At this point, the resistance movement is at the stage of organizational work and will gain new impetus in September,” the opposition leader said.