Category: 2022

The Azerbaijani authorities are inciting religious enmity at the state level, accusing Armenians of Islamophobia with absolute falsehood, Armenia’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan said on Sunday, referring to his new ad hoc report on Azerbaijan’s policy of Armenophobia after the 44-day war in Artsakh.

“How, for example, can they explain the famous Decree of the founder of Islam, Muhammad, which he adopted in 626AD after the visit of the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem Abraham and his 40 delegates? By this he extended his protection to the Holy Thomb of Christ, churches and monasteries in “Jerusalem, Damascus and Arab regions”, including the St. Hakobyants Monastery in Jerusalem, educational institutions and property. It was preserved later,” he wrote on Facebook.

In Tatoyan’s words, historical facts prove the respect of the Armenian people, as well as the respect of the Armenian Church for Islam and other religions, starting from the countries with Islam. With many peoples of the Islamic world Armenians have lived as friends for centuries

“This policy of the Azerbaijani authorities incites hostility towards Armenians living in countries where they profess Islam. It incites enmity between nations,” Tatoyan stated.

The ombudsman highlighted that the Upper and Inner Mosques of Shushi, Artsakh remained standing and preserved, the Upper Mosque and the building of the madrasa, a caring school, were completely renovated, and a park was built. There is a functioning mosque in Yerevan, he added.

“Instead, the Azerbaijani armed forces shelled and desecrated the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral and Kanach Zham church in Shushi, destroyed the Zoravor Surb Astvatsatsin Church in Mekhakavan in Artsakh, desecrated the St. Yeghishe Church in Mataghis, destroyed Armenian khachkars in Shush, Hadrut. The St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Baku has been desecrated, turned into a library archive, the cross has been removed from the dome, there is no tabernacle, the tombstones that were adjacent to the church have been destroyed,” Tatoyan stressed.

“Currently, everything is being done at the state level to change the affiliation of Armenian churches and monasteries. This policy is already manifested in the new forms of torture of Armenian captives on religious grounds.

“Therefore, the Azerbaijani statements are absolutely false, they have political motives and are very dangerous for peace.

“All these facts are presented in details in the report of the Armenian HRD published two days ago and in this press conference,” he noted.

A first instance court in Armenia’s southernmost Syunik Province has ordered the arrest of judge Boris Bakhshiyan.

Presiding judge Davit Arghamanyan granted a motion of the National Security Service (NSS) to arrest him on Monday, Pastinfo news site reported.

Earlier last week, the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) approved a request of Prosecutor-General Artur Davtyan to allow the law enforcement authorities to prosecute and arrest Bakhshiyan, a judge of the Syunik Court of General Jurisdiction.

The decision came days after Bakhshiyan ruled to release jailed opposition figure and war veteran Ashot Minasyan on bail. He had also ordered the release of opposition Kajaran Mayor Manvel Paramazyan and Deputy Mayor of Goris Menua Hovsepyan.

The Prosecutor-General’s Office claims that the criminal case has nothing to with the release of Minasyan and is related to Bakhshiyan’s “baseless” order to arrest a defendant in a case he is dealing with. However, his lawyers reject the charges as “political persecution”.

The pipeline to connect the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea is to run through Armenia, political analyst Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan says.

“Iran has made a final decision not to use the territory of Nakhichevan for the establishment of the Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor; the pipeline will pass through the territory of Armenia,” he wrote on Facebook on Monday.

The analyst says negotiations on the project will continue in Bulgaria soon. The states that are part of the energy corridor –  Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Bulgaria and Greece – are expected to sign a relevant agreement.

“Thus, the Iranian side recognizes Syunik as a region of strategic importance for itself in deed, and not only in word. It is also known that an Iranian consulate will soon open in Kapan,” Melik-Shahnazaryan stated.

“Naturally, this is good news. Armenia will finally break through the communication blockade and Turkey’s presence in Artsakh will, in a sense, be compensated by Iran’s presence in Syunik.

“However, these geopolitical and geo-economic reshuffling also poses a serious problem for us. In particular, Armenia’s opportunity to make decisions on issues of vital importance to it is practically nullified.

“This is not the only problem. What is also important is that Armenia is left empty-handed in this regional reshuffling. Or rather, we are being offered only crumbs. Meanwhile, we can at least raise the issue of [Azerbaijani-occupied Artsakh towns] Hadrut and Shushi.

“I realize that Armenia is the defeated side in the war, but I also know the reasons for that. Incidentally, Moscow, Baku, Tehran and all other capitals know it as well. Accordingly, the issue of Hadrut and Shushi and, in case of a good job, also Karvachar’s issue are still relevant. Unless, of course, the traitorous authorities sell them for dividends expected in exchange for gas transit and other similar projects,” the analyst said.

Armenia is turning from a democracy into a dictatorship amid the “tacit support” from international organizations, lawyer and opposition Hayastan faction MP Aram Vardevanyan claims.

His comments came after a first instance court in Armenia’s southernmost Syunik Province on Monday ordered the arrest of judge Boris Bakhshiyan shortly after the latter ruled to release jailed opposition figure and war veteran Ashot Minasyan on bail.

He had also ordered the release of opposition Kajaran Mayor Manvel Paramazyan and Deputy Mayor of Goris Menua Hovsepyan.

“One thing is crystal clear when it comes to the current authorities: a political order is carried out by the law enforcement agencies,” Vardevanyan wrote on Facebook.

“Immediately after the assignment of judge Bakhshiyan’s case, it was clear to the professional community that his arrest was imminent. It was inevitable, because the current authorities cannot tolerate an independent judiciary, thus sending a message to all.

“Armenia is swiftly turning from a democracy into a dictatorship with the active support of international organizations. A judge was arrested amid at least the tacit support of the European Union in Armenia and other international organizations. This is obviously an unprecedented existential challenge to the law,” the deputy stated.