April 21, 2026
During a telephone conversation with his family, Ruben Vardanyan, who is in prison in Baku, conveyed a message to Anahit Manasyan, RA human rights defender.
“Dear Mrs. Manasyan,
I am addressing you from prison, taking into account a number of circumstances, which I think require the active and consistent involvement of the institution you lead.
Recently, I met with the ombudsman of Azerbaijan, Sabina Aliyeva. During the meeting, I raised a number of specific domestic, medical, legal, humanitarian and diplomatic issues that related to the conditions of detention of me and other Armenian prisoners. These issues directly affect the safety, health and dignity of those in custody. During our conversation, the Azerbaijani ombudsman mentioned that he has already discussed with you the possibility of visiting Baku, and the Azerbaijani side has expressed readiness to contribute to its organization. However, this initiative has not yet been implemented.
RA citizens are kept in Azeri prisons for a long time, without meetings with family members and independent monitoring, including by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Under these conditions, the institution responsible for the protection of the rights of RA citizens does not show any initiative.
Despite the lack of diplomatic relations between the countries, negotiations on economic issues are underway with the participation of RA representatives in Baku. Therefore, why are the issues of life, health and rights of detainees not on the official agenda of Yerevan, and why did none of the members of the delegation visit the prisoners?
Considering the above, I ask you to consider the possibility of you, as well as, in case of appropriate conditions, the relatives of other Armenian prisoners visiting Baku. My wife, Veronika Zonabend, is ready to participate in such an initiative and visit Baku. Probably the family members of other prisoners will also be ready. Such a delegation should be institutional and consistent, having the political support of the RA Prime Minister, who is accountable to the citizens.
The issues I raised before the ombudsman of Azerbaijan require coordination between the ombudsmen of the two countries. The lack of such coordination actually closes the only humanitarian channel.
In this regard, I ask you to publicly answer the following questions.
1. Is the possibility of organizing a visit of the official delegation to Baku with the participation of relatives of Armenian prisoners discussed?
2. How does your institution plan to coordinate work with the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan on humanitarian issues concerning the citizens of Armenia?
3. What measures has the institution you lead taken to protect the rights of Armenian prisoners since the arrest?
I think that in the current situation it is extremely important to immediately launch all possible humanitarian and legal mechanisms. Ignoring the interests of RA citizens illegally detained in Azerbaijan by the RA government is incompatible with the state’s obligations towards its own citizens.
Ruben Vardanyan”.
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I applied to prevent corruption with the request to initiate proceedings against Pashinyan
April 21, 2026
“Hayakve” initiative coordinator Avetik Chalabyan writes.
“Dear friends,
I inform you that today I have officially applied to the RA Corruption Prevention Commission, demanding to initiate proceedings for violation of the rules of conduct of an official against Nikol Pashinyan, who holds the position of RA Prime Minister, who, speaking from the NA podium on April 17, vulgarly insulted his political rivals and their thousands of followers.
I am attaching the last page of the application and I will follow up consistently so that it gets a proper process.
If you also consider yourself offended by Nikol Pashinyan’s vulgar expressions, you can submit a similar demand to the same committee.”
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“Energy risks of the development of agriculture in Armenia”. Vahe Davtyan
April 21, 2026
Doctor of political sciences, professor Vahe Davtyan writes:
“Energy risks of development of agriculture in Armenia
At first glance, the project of building an artificial intelligence (AI) factory in Armenia is a step towards technological progress and strengthening regional competitiveness. However, such initiatives should be considered not only in the logic of the development of the digital economy, but also in the context of the structural limitations of the energy system.
The experience of Georgia shows the essence of this problem. In a short time, data and mining infrastructures have become a significant consumer, reaching 5% of the total demand. As a result, the demand structure has changed. a concentrated, stable and high load generating segment has emerged.
This, in turn, has led to a systemic deficit. in 2026 At the beginning of the year, consumption in Georgia exceeded 2.7 billion kWh, while production was only 1.9 billion kWh. The deficit is filled through imports. The consequence: dependence of the price of electricity on foreign markets and an increase in tariffs (since April 1 this year they have increased by 21-33%). At the same time, data centers, being high-paying consumers, crowd out other consumers, reshaping the logic of internal energy distribution.
In the case of Armenia, these risks multiply. The energy system already has structural limitations: dependence on imported energy carriers, seasonality of hydro resources, limited term resource of the operating nuclear power plant.
The experience of Georgia shows that the energy-intensive sectors formed in the name of technological development can transform the entire energy balance. And this is in the case that there are no data centers in Georgia that are close to the project that is being implemented in Armenia. According to Rev Lebaredian, vice president of NVIDIA company, by the end of the year, when 50,000 graphics processors (GPUs) will be launched, Armenia will be among the top five in the world in terms of their number, bypassing the major European states. In the next phase, it is planned to concentrate another 60 thousand GPUs in Armenia and increase their total number to 110 thousand.
Therefore, the key issue for Armenia is not the construction of the data center itself, but the energy basis on which it will operate.
The conclusion is clear.
If Armenia aims to develop the AB and form digital infrastructures of such a scale, then it is necessary to provide stable generation capacities in advance. Solar generation is not able to provide this a priori. In this logic, the construction of a new, traditional power nuclear power unit turns into a systemic necessity, both from the point of view of energy security and technological development.”
https://168.am/2026/04/21/2398756.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawRVNv1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeC_P-Zof6K_u9TyAcebeokS3BsjugLkVlY3WXxLErW9z9MGuvNag6qSmPx7s_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw
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Nations do not disappear only with defeat, they disappear the moment h
April 21, 2026
Nations do not disappear only with defeat, they disappear the moment they agree to forget. Former Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan said this during the conference on the Armenian Genocide.
“History does not end at this moment, it continues, but already without us as the subject of that history. If we don’t speak today, we don’t call things by their names, if we refuse our own language and memory, we must clearly realize that this is not just a political choice, this is a refusal of our history, our presence and our future.
Nations do not disappear only by defeat, they disappear the moment they agree to forget why they exist. If we let the memory go blank, tomorrow we’ll just realize it’s gone. And at that moment, there will be nothing left to defend, no name, no history, no presence, only silence. Silence as the final confirmation that we ourselves have refused to be the subject of history. I am sure that we are not a people of silence,” he said.
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Second round: peace and war, geopolitical trials
April 21, 2026
The situation in the Middle East continues to be tense and uncertain. As the two-week ceasefire in the US-Israeli war against Iran expires, the conflict is on the fragile borderline between war and negotiations.
US President Donald Trump has stated that he will probably not extend the ceasefire established in Iran on April 7 and will not open the Strait of Hormuz if a deal is not signed in the near future. He repeated once again that Iran should give up its plans to have nuclear weapons, and according to Trump, the removal of enriched uranium will be a long and complicated process. “We are winning the war, everything is going very well, our army has achieved excellent results“, the US president emphasized.
According to Trump, Iran’s navy, air force, air defense have been destroyed, and there has been a change of power in the republic.
«The blockade of Iran will continue until there is a deal. But I won’t let the Democrats rush the United States into a deal that won’t be very good.– added the head of the White House.
Trump noted that the new deal with Tehran will be much more effective than the nuclear deal signed by Barack Obama.
«Our deal will guarantee peace, security and safety not only for Israel and the Middle East, but also for Europe, America and the whole world,” the US president emphasized, concluding that if the new leaders of the Islamic Republic are smart, Iran can have a bright future.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that Donald Trump, by imposing a blockade and violating the ceasefire regime, seeks to turn the negotiation process into a “capitulation table” or to justify the resumption of military escalation. According to him, the US is trying to dictate conditions through pressure and threats, but Tehran does not accept negotiations under blackmail and threats.
Ghalibaf emphasized that in the last two weeks, Iran has prepared new “playing cards” in the field of confrontation, which reflects the country’s readiness to respond to any scenario and maintain strategic restraint.
Al Jazeera, referring to its correspondent in Tehran, reported that according to the sources of the Iranian Foreign Ministry and Parliament, no Iranian delegation has yet left for Islamabad. In particular, it is noted that the speaker of the parliament and head of the negotiation group Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his deputy are currently in Iran. Iranian State Television (IRIB) also confirmed that official delegations and professional groups did not go to Pakistan. Thus, Iran’s participation in the upcoming negotiations remains uncertain.
International media report that US Vice President JD Vance will go to Islamabad for negotiations with the Iranian side on Tuesday morning. “Morning. departure from Joint Base Andrews Airport to Islamabad, Pakistan,” the Vice President’s preliminary schedule reads. The exact time of departure and arrival is not specified. Leading international mass media report that the second round of negotiations will take place, Iran will participate, but there is no official response.
Russian analyst Vladimir Yevseyev told us that the conversation about the second round of the US-Iran negotiations expected in Islamabad suggests that the parties, despite their public tough stance, are trying to find edges to prevent a big war. According to him, in this case, Pakistan’s platform serves as a neutral place where, by negotiating, Washington tries to avoid image damage during the pre-election period, and Tehran tries to weaken the pressures and unilateral demands on it. However, according to him, the US continues to follow the path of the maximum plan, which Iran rejects and tries to continue the confrontation, trying to push the US to softer positions with its restraining measures.
“The success of this dialogue depends on whether the parties will come to a balanced agreement with clear commitments or not. If the negotiations have a positive course, we will witness a temporary cooling of the tension. However, any misstep or provocation could easily derail this fragile process, turning it into a diplomatic impasse“, said the analyst.
However, as of now, according to him, the probability of success of the negotiations is very low.
The analyst believes that these developments have a fatal significance for the South Caucasus, as the region is directly affected by the situation around Iran.
«The weakening of the US-Iran confrontation can ease the political tension in the South Caucasus, especially in the case of Armenia and Azerbaijan, the former of which closely cooperates with the West and the US President’s office, and Azerbaijan with Israel. De-escalation of tension will naturally reduce the danger of turning the region into a “second indirect front” of the conflict between the superpowers, which is extremely important for Armenia’s security. De-escalation is also important in order not to expand the geography of war– said the expert.
In his opinion, the possible agreements between Tehran and Washington can rearrange the balance of power in the matter of regional channels.
«Summing up, it should be said that Islamabad will determine not only the image of the Middle East, but also the future of the neighboring regions. For the South Caucasus, this is either an opportunity for stabilization or the beginning of new geopolitical tests. Everything depends on the extent to which the parties will manage to reach agreements that satisfy both Washington and Tehran. This is naturally a difficult task, but only this format can provide some stabilityhe said.
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Is there a long-distance debate between Onik Gasparyan and Seyran Ohanyan? The former head of the General Directorate of Internal Affairs, Kiso
April 12, 2026
On April 20, with the article “What is behind Onik Gasparyan’s offer to speak at a closed meeting, what open questions are waiting for his open answer?” article: we have published, for which the statement of the former head of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces served as a basis. This was also preceded by the statement of former RA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan regarding the 44-day war. we have referred.
By the way, we should note that we offered the leader of the Armenia faction, the former minister of defense, to answer our military and war questions, but he basically avoided it under the pretext that the place was not suitable, and at the time of writing this article he did not respond. It is clear that narrow professional and deep questions can create difficulties and risks.
Anyway, Andranik Kocharyan, chairman of the National Defense and Security Committee, through Azatut answering to the proposal to organize a closed meeting, he noted. “Onik Gasparyan answered questions in the investigative commission for two days, and this is included in the report. He gave all the explanations and also presented his considerations. What does he want now?”
In fact, it says exactly what we ourselves wrote about in our article.
Of course, the authorities could take advantage of Onik Gasparyan’s proposal and organize an “innocent” closed discussion and invite the relatives of the missing persons, who initially participated in the work of the investigative commission. But perhaps this is not part of their political plans at the moment. And they got what they needed from the former military leaders of the 44-day movement. And now it is surprising that the former Minister of Defense and the head of the General Directorate of Defense do not want the report of the Investigative Commission to be published, at least to the extent permitted, so that, for example, we can see whether what Onik Gasparyan said during the interrogation contradicts what Nikol Pashinyan said or not, as had insisted Andranik Kocharyan, including in connection with Shushi.
By the way, 4 years ago we we have touched on Vladimir Poghosyan, adviser to the former head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, was presented to the “declassifications” related to Shushi.
In particular, Poghosyan Noah’s Ark in a conversation with the agency, in fact, confirming the claims that Shushi surrendered, he made a remarkable statement.
“Approximately on the 3rd of the month (he means November 3 – M.P.), Mikael Arzumanyan, with the agreement of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces, appointed a high-ranking officer with quite literate and combat experience, who was supposed to take responsibility for the defense of Shushi. But in the following days, Arayik Harutyunyan verbally cancels the written order of the PB commander Mikayel Arzumanyan and again verbally appoints Seyran Ohanyan, who did nothing to protect Shushi. And that’s when the failure started. I was there 4-5 of the month. I directly blame Arayik Harutyunyan, who was supreme even with his status in Artsakh commander, but he did not have the right to cancel the written order of the commander of the Armed Forces, which was agreed with the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces.he stressed and added that he went up to Shushi with the officers, moreover, he was with him during the war who had the authority of the commander of the Armed Forces and today is accused of several war episodes. Jalal Harutyunyan’s brother, Artyom Harutyunyan, who is currently the police chief of Artsakh Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“When I went to Shushi, my driver told me that he had the impression that the asphalt was washed away and they were going to surrender the city. There was nothing reminiscent of the defense of Shushi, that is, the city was not prepared for defense in the classical sense.” continued Vladimir Poghosyan, the proclaimed adviser of Onik Gasparyan, adding that after Mikael Arzumanyan became the commander of the Defense Forces, the casualties on the Armenian side decreased.
At that time, in our corresponding article, we asked whether an attempt is being made to save Mikael Arzumanyan or someone else. But we also asked other questions.
It should be noted that the case of improper organization of the defense of Shushi is being investigated by the former commander of the Armed Forces Mikael Arzumanyan, but, in fact, the case of Mikael Arzumanyan ends in 2020. on November 7. Meanwhile, Nikol Pashinyan stated in the Investigative Committee that there were actions to take Shushi back after November 7. By the way, both Seyran Ohanyan and Onik Gasparyan will probably be interrogated for this episode of General Arzumanyan’s case. And yesterday? 24TVIn the conversation with Seyran Ohanyan, in fact, attributed serious responsibility for losing Shushi to Onik Gasparyan.
“On the right side of Artsakh’s defense zone, there is a large area, about 100 km along the Araxi river to the borders of Armenia, it is in that direction that Azerbaijan was able to develop its attack and reach the borders of Armenia. And it was very difficult for PB to turn its right wing in that area, so to speak, so that it could fully implement its defense. If the enemy had been stopped there in time with tactical depth, then the capture of Hadrut and Shushi would not have happened.”he continued, saying that if the enemy penetrates into the breakthrough zone with tactical depth, the RA armed forces should have joined the problem there. Here, perhaps, there is a question to answer for Tiran Khachatryan, the former deputy head of the State Security Service, but more on that next time.
And now another question: can we assume that we are witnessing a certain remote debate between Seyran Ohanyan and Onik Gasparya, to put it mildly? There may be things we don’t know about.
But does this give moral rights to the advisers and close circle of the former head of the State Security Service? to criticize previous reforms in the army. At the same time, Onik Gasparyan’s one-time “advisor” considers Serzh Sargsyan’s and Seyran Ohanyan’s reforms in the army to be destructive, especially noting that the position of the Minister of Defense became civilian. And in the background of this, it is noted that, having been in the position of head of the General Staff for 3 months, Onik Gasparyan did the impossible, that is, the responsibility for the defeat in the war is taken from him.
Since we mentioned the reforms carried out in the army since 2008, we should add that in 2024 168.amwas a study presentedrelated to the structural changes in the armed forces, the management model, whether or not the Chief of Staff is the Deputy Minister of Defense. We have shown that until 2008 and even until a certain part of 2008, the head of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces was considered the first deputy of the RA Defense Minister. We can see this, Colonel Generals Mikael Harutyunyan, Seyran Ohanyan and: Yuri Khachaturov in the biographies and the relevant decrees of the President. In particular, in 2008 President Serzh Sargsyan on April 14 by decree Seyran Ohanyan was released From the position of First Deputy Minister of Defense of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces.
Another one by decree 2008 Yuri Khachaturov was appointed on April 15 First Deputy Minister of Defense of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces.
It is another matter that in 2008 After Serzh Sargsyan assumed the post of president on April 9, certain reforms and structural changes were implemented, as a result of which the head of the General Staff ceased to be the first deputy of the RA Defense Minister, which was, in fact, the right decision.
Everyone can have their opinion, but here a question arises: does the former head of the General Staff Onik Gasparyan, who, by the way, was not considered the deputy minister of defense during the 44-day war as a result of the above-mentioned reform, share the negative evaluations of his official and unofficial advisor or adviser regarding the former army, of which he was a part, for example, as the commander of the 3rd Army Corps of the RA Armed Forces, and a very good commander?
As for the one-time “advisor” of the former head of the General Directorate of Internal Affairs Onik Gasparyan, through whom he spreads “xifs”, who, for example, in April 2021 announced: «if Onik Gasparyan enters the game, it will be the end of Pashinyan’s power, everything can be over before the election.” But we remember well what happened next: the general called for the election of Robert Kocharyan, and Nikol Pashinyan called him a “booklet distributor”, and that was the end of it. It could not be otherwise, because Onik Gasparyan is not a politician by his type, he is a military man. But he doesn’t learn his lesson and continues to heed the wrong advice from the wrong people and ends up being targeted.
Let us add that in 2023, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia officially announced to us had reported that Vladimir Poghosyan was a salaried employee in the Ministry of Internal Affairs during the time of Onik Gasparyan, the position of advisor was formalized during the time of Artak Davtyan.
“Former employee of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Vladimir Sergey Poghosyan held the position of adviser to the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (non-military, discretionary) from February 22, 2020 to June 22, 2020, and during the military operations of 2020 (the period was discussed in your previous letter) until the month of 2021, he held the position of a hired employee of the Administrative and Organizational Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (civilian) position,” the Ministry of Defense detailed. In other words, after the appointment of Onik Gasparyan as the head of the General Staff, Vladimir Poghosyan started working as a salaried employee in the Administrative and Organizational Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. But war During those days, as an adviser to the Head of the General Staff Onik Gasparyan, he had various meetings, as he regularly told in various interviews, and after the war he presented himself as a former advisor to Onik Gasparyan.Russian While for several months he was actually formulated as an adviser to the head of the General Staff Artak Davtyan, he never presented himself as such.
P.S. After this article, as it has already happened, Vladimir Poghosyan can get “excited”, make baseless accusations against us, and Onik Gasparyan can say that he has nothing to do with him to make a remark, but that does not change the reality.
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Nikol Pashinyan will go to Gyumri again tomorrow. there is a “state of emergency” at the school
April 12, 2026
After a totally failed attempt to collect propaganda points through Sunday’s motorcade and Varchaband’s concert, 168.amNikol Pashinyan will leave for Gyumri again tomorrow to participate in the opening ceremony of the 41st school, which is one of the largest schools in Gyumri and is located in Ani district.
According to our information, the director of the school is Armenia Karapetyan, who is the wife of the deputy governor of Shirak, Artush Hovhannisyan. In general, there are still school principals in the Karapetyan family. The father was the director of school No. 7, now the position of the director of the same school is occupied by the older sister. But this, by the way.
According to our information, due to Nikol Pashinyan’s visit, school activities have been paralyzed for several days, classes last 30 minutes instead of 45 minutes, the school staff has been mobilized to clean the school, and the last touches are being made in the renovated school so that there is not even a stain on the walls.
We were told that a special instruction was sent from the school director to be careful that there are no parents with oppositional views in the same area when Nikol Pashinyan is at school.
By the way, the daughter-in-law of the woman who begged Nikol Pashinyan to rule over peace in Gyumri works in this school. The woman previously worked for MP Martun Grigoryan. It is noteworthy that during the “theatrical performance” of that woman, the director of the 41st school, Armenia Karapetyan, was standing behind her, along with the staff of the school.
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European striptease in Yerevan
April 21, 2026
At the beginning of May, the European Political Community summit will be held in Yerevan, which promises to be for CP, and for Armenia, it threatens to become a shock event for the reproduction of the Pashinyan power before the elections. Everyone from Macron to Kalas and other anti-hybrid gurus will come to Armenia. If CP is lucky and Aliyev and Erdoğan arrive in Yerevan by some miracle, Pashinyan can dismiss CEC chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan and declare himself the prime minister of the “era of peace”. Timeless, at least in the span of an era.
In May 2026, Eurobureaucrats in Yerevan will celebrate the final act of the greatest geopolitical adventure that started on September 27, 2020 with the second Artsakh war.
It would be fair if today’s “godfather of peace” Donald Trump, who was also the godfather of the Artsakh war that took place during his first presidency six years before signing the lease document of the Armenian territory under his name, would also participate in the event of the century to be held in Yerevan. Not alone, of course. With the connivance of Putin, Erdogan, Aliyev and all those who agreed to sell Artsakh jointly in 2018, not according to the accepted opinion, colored, but those who came to power with a completely black revolution for Armenia.
What everyone gained from that adventure is measurable, as is the loss of Armenia and the Armenian people: five thousand victims and several thousand square kilometers of thousand-year-old Armenian territory. But in Yerevan at the beginning of May, it will not be our losses that will be measured, but the length of the motorcades of the European delegations and the disrespectful language of the CP members due to them. Because the ladies, gentlemen and the undecideds coming in motorcades will pat Pashinyan’s fragile shoulder so much that a whole returning spouse will not be enough to take the burden.
Read also
- Nikol Pashinyan was derailed by the danger of losing power
- ALIEV’S MOUSTACHES STILL PICKED OUT OF SURPRISE… HAYDAR MAY HAVE COME INTO THE DAGAL… THIS WILL MAKE THE TURKS FALL IN ARMENIA. Gagik Hambaryan
- WHO ARE ALIEV OR PASHINIAN TO CLOSE THE ISSUE OF ARTSAKH? Hakob Hakobyan
He will be applauded for his tireless efforts in the fight against “hybrid warfare”. Not noticing the efforts with which the northern capital, declared a target of the hybrid war, will try to hide their satisfaction at the opportunity to welcome “their man” with open arms. Europeans’ celebration in Yerevan will be accompanied by brazen statements about human rights, freedoms, democracy and other beautiful concepts.
The Eurozones, as the deputy of today’s “bastion of democracy” once called them, will make these statements without caring that they are supporting someone who is antithetical to all those values. Their sincerity will be no more than the paid emotions of nightclub strippers. Macron, Callas and others, if the CPs are lucky, will perform a Eurostriptease in Yerevan in the presence of Aliyev and Erdogan, treating the once real, civilized European values the way nightclub operators treat rags if the spectators pay more than usual.
CP not only paid, but continues to pay for Eurostrip with tips. Already with the small feature that is becoming unimportant for everyone, that it pays at the expense of the last crumbs of Armenia.
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168: Who Are Aliyev or Pashinyan to Close the Artsakh Issue? Hakob Hakobyan
April 21, 2026
The people of Artsakh are in favor of such an Armenian government for which the issue of Artsakh is not closed. About this 168 TV Revue mentioned on the air of the program political scientist, co-founder of Artsakh “Ardarutyun” party Hakob Hakobyanspeaking about the participation of Artsakh Armenians in the NA elections.
The figure from Artsakh emphasizes that no authority can close or open the issue of Artsakh. The Armenian people opened it once and will address the issue of Artsakh until historical justice is restored.
Expressing his opinion regarding the well-known accusations addressed to Nikol Pashinyan, the people of Artsakh and military generals, and regarding this topic, former Minister of Defense of RA Seyran Ohanyan’s response to Nikol Pashinyan in the National Assembly last week. speech and Onik Gasparyan, the former chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, following it statement մասին՝ Hakob Hakobyan emphasizes that such accusations have nothing to do with the morality of the people of Artsakh who were subjected to genocide and forced displacement in Artsakh.
“I think that our Armenian people understand very well that if there were about 150,000 Artsakh people living there, then they would have perished until their last breath, there would be no people left. In the new Armenia, these authorities would say that the Artsakh people fought and did not run away. The intensity of the one-day war of September 2023 probably exceeds the intensity of many wars in the world: in one day, the people of Artsakh lost more than 200 victims, not counting the nearly 1000 wounded, and those who say that the people of Artsakh did not fight, should have been in Artsakh, in Stepanakert, at that moment, and seen the workload of hospitals and hospitals, and then they would have understood, and talking about not fighting in such a situation is another manipulative action in order to put the blame on the people of Artsakh. They are talking about a people who have not moved a meter from their place of residence for centuries, have fought for centuries to live in their homeland, and imagine what the situation was when the people were forced to leave their native territories, and instead these authorities say that a genocide was committed against the people of Artsakh, they forcibly displaced the people of Artsakh from their homeland with the threat of death at gunpoint, they are talking about how the people of Artsakh seem to have voluntarily left“, emphasizes the figure from Artsakh.
According to Hakobyan, all these accusations are a direct indicator that the head of the state and the leadership conducting the war were not in their place and could not organize in such a way that there would be no escapes.
«I think that Nikol Pashinyan does not want to highlight historical justice, but this is simply another topic with which he tries to distract the public from the real issues, to make him believe that everyone is guilty except him, and thereby to remove from his shoulders all the heavy guilt that exists, because we have had such losses from the war of 2020 until today, from which the Armenian people cannot recover.Hakob Hakobyan thinks.
Speaking about the right of Artsakh Armenians to return to Artsakh, Hakob Hakobyan emphasizes. “We don’t want war, we want to stand up for what we have»։
The figure from Artsakh emphasizes that the natural right of return of Artsakh Armenians is an inalienable right, and it cannot be “closed”. the right is either exercised or not.
Hakob Hakobyan reminded that since 2023, at the initiative of the Artsakh National Assembly, a committee for the protection of fundamental rights of the people of Artsakh was created, headed by former Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan. Noting that to everyone’s surprise, not only Baku, but also the RA authorities do not welcome the Swiss peace initiative aimed at protecting the right of return of Artsakh citizens, trying to close the Artsakh issue, Hakob Hakobyan adds that the international community does not consider the Artsakh issue closed.
«No authority can close or open that issue. The Armenian people have raised this issue once and will address it until historical justice is restored.“, says the interlocutor.
According to Hakob Hakobyan: The authorities of Azerbaijan also understand that the issue of Artsakh is not closed.
Hakob Hakobyan adds that although today the world moves not by the power of law, but by the right of power, everyone is convinced that the moment will come when we will return to the power of law.
«It is not possible to rule the world for a long time with the right of force. There will come a time when we will again return to the power of law, there will come a time when they will be condemned again, although now some organizations and countries are also condemning the genocidal actions that took place in Artsakh and which do not differ from genocide in any way. Unrealized genocide is also a crime. Unfortunately, in September 2023, in front of the eyes of the world, the criminal leadership of Azerbaijan was able to commit such a crime against an entire nation by force, but I believe that there will come a time when these perpetrators will answer in a world ruled by force of law.Hakob Hakobyan adds.
According to the co-chairman of the Artsakh “Ardarutyun” party, the fact that the people of Artsakh do not want to live “under the hands of Azerbaijan” is an understatement, because Azerbaijan itself does not want Armenians to live in the territories under its control.
«Otherwise, the military and political authorities of Azerbaijan would not have given an order to kill a peaceful peasant who was doing business on his land. There are many such cases, which are not news, I am just saying, but everyone is aware of them, these authorities are also aware of them, and in that case, to blame people for why you didn’t stay, so that it was your turn, is just a misunderstanding.
It’s not like we could have peaceful coexistence there, we didn’t. For tens of years, Azerbaijanis have shown by their behavior that coexistence there is impossible, therefore, when we talk about return, we must necessarily talk about self-determining mechanisms along with it. Otherwise, the same story will repeat itself. Those people simply do not perceive and accept the Armenian nation ethnically. they kill without any reason. As long as there are no mechanisms that will curb the Armenian-hating desires of Azerbaijan, talking about the return of the people of Artsakh is just an adventure.“, he emphasizes.
Hakob Hakobyan believes that the only way to fight against all this is to remove the current regime from power and to form a government of national forces in Armenia, for which historical memory and historical justice are state guidelines.
«The people of Artsakh understand that their dream, that is, the return to Artsakh, should come true in the presence of a strong Armenia. A strong Armenia means a strong society, a national government, and only in that case is it possible to realize the collective return of the people of Artsakh to Artsakh. The people of Artsakh will be in favor of those authorities for whom the Artsakh issue is not closed, not those authorities that will declare that “the people of Artsakh fled”, as if everything was fine in Artsakh, it was calm, the people of Artsakh simply did not want to live in Stepanakert, they decided to come to Yerevan.Hakob Hakobyan mentioned.
Full interview in the video.
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RFE/RL – EU Approves New Mission To Armenia
- Rikard Jozwiak
European Union foreign ministers gave on Tuesday the green light to the deployment of another EU mission to Armenia linked by diplomats to the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry welcomed the decision. It said the EU mission will be deployed for an “initial period of two years.”
The mission was requested by Yerevan in December and recommended by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas earlier this year. The ambassadors of EU member states in Brussels endorsed last week a relevant proposal submitted by Kallas.
The proposal seen by RFE/RL states that the European Union Partnership Mission in the Republic of Armenia (EUPM Armenia) “shall enhance the resilience of Armenia in the field of hybrid threats through the provision of strategic advice as well as operational level advice and support to relevant security sector agencies, in line with a whole-of-government approach and in close coordination with other like-minded actors.” This includes providing strategic advice to relevant Armenian ministries and agencies “for countering hybrid threats, notably Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and cyber, as well as illicit financial flows in the electoral and political context.”
While not stated directly in the proposal approved by the ministers, it is clear Russian interference in Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections is the main concern for the mission. According to several EU diplomats speaking on the condition of anonymity, the EU hopes to copy what it sees as the success in the parliamentary elections in Moldova last year in which pro-Brussels forces retained power. Two Moldovan opposition parties deemed pro-Russian were disqualified from the vote.
The EU already decided last month to send a separate “hybrid rapid response team” to Yerevan for the upcoming elections. The Armenian government requested the deployment as well after implicitly alleging Russian “hybrid” threats to the integrity of the electoral process. Government officials have not publicly elaborated on those threats.
Armenia’s leading opposition groups are concerned that they too could be barred from running in the polls. Some of their leaders have claimed that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian is seeking an EU blank check for winning reelection through fraud or foul play.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on March 4 that the EU is gearing up for a repeat of “the Moldovan scenario” in Armenia. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin publicly warned Pashinian against disqualifying pro-Russian opposition groups when they met at the Kremlin on April 1.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin met with the Armenian ambassador in Moscow, Gurgen Arsenian, on Monday. According to a Russian readout of the meeting, they discussed “some pressing issues of bilateral relations in light of the results of the recent Russian-Armenian high-level talks in Moscow.” No details of the discussion were reported.
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