French senator accuses Azerbaijan of genocide and ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh

Mary Lazarian

 16:43, 30 August 2023

GORIS, AUGUST 30, ARMENPRESS. French Senator Bruno Retailleau has accused the government of Azerbaijan of carrying out genocide and ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Bruno Retailleau, a senator representing The Republicans group, has arrived in Armenia as part of the delegation escorting the French humanitarian convoy for Nagorno-Karabakh.

“What’s happening in Artsakh leads to ethnic cleansing and geocide. The main reason that we are here is because a tragedy is unfolding. What’s happening today is transforming Artsakh into a concentration camp under an open sky. This attempt of ethnic cleansing and genocide is aimed against 120 thousand people, including 30 thousand children. We demand the French President, to utilize France’s position as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to introduce a resolution for adoption that would eventually allow to open the Lachin Corridor and put it under international protection, in order for transit to be restored along the humanitarian road,” the French senator said at a press conference in Goris.

The French humanitarian convoy for Nagorno-Karabakh led by the Mayor of Paris has arrived to the border area near the entrance of Lachin Corridor.

Armenpress: Azerbaijani military again falsely accuses Armenia of border shooting

Manouk Vasilian

 00:39, 31 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense has again falsely accused the Armenian military of shooting at its outposts across the border in an ongoing disinformation campaign.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia said the Azeri defense ministry’s statement is “another disinformation.”

“The statement disseminated by the Azerbaijani MoD as if on August 30, at around 10:35 p.m. the units of the Armenian Armed Forces fired on the Azerbaijani combat outposts located in the eastern part of the frontier zone, is another disinformation,” the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

Armenian President, India’s National Defense College Commandant discuss development of cooperation

Maghakian Mike

 09:53, 31 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan has met with Lieutenant General Sukriti Singh Dahiya, the Commandant of India’s National Defense College.

The Ambassador of India to Armenia Nilakshi Saha Sinha also participated in the meeting.

“Our friendship has a history of centuries,” the Armenian President said at the meeting, according to a readout. “And ever since Armenia gained independence, we’ve continued that tradition and by establishing diplomatic relations with India we’ve done everything in order for our ties to develop dynamically.”

“Last year, we marked the 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries, and we now continue to find new opportunities for the further development and expansion of our relations, and in this regard your visit has important significance,” President Khachaturyan said.

The Armenian President and Lieutenant General Sukriti Singh Dahiya discussed the directions and areas for further developing the existing close cooperation between Armenia and India.  The importance of utilizing the great potential for partnership in high technologies, healthcare, agriculture and defense areas was emphasized.

The opportunity for implementing exchange of experience projects in military education was discussed.

The regional realities were also discussed, and the President stated that Armenia is resolute in its position to achieve sustainable and lasting peace and is moving in that direction.

Armenia and Greece plan to sign defense industry cooperation agreement

Ophelia Vardapetian

 10:28, 31 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Greece plan to sign an agreement on military-technical cooperation.

The bill on approving the signing is included in the agenda of the August 31 Cabinet meeting.

“The high level of political dialogue between Armenia and Greece, as well as partnership in bilateral and multilateral platforms, creates favorable foundation for closer and effective cooperation in the defense sector, therefore Armenia attaches great importance to the efforts aimed at expanding and deepening partnership, as a highly important bridge in the context of developing Armenia-NATO relations and relations with NATO member states,” reads the bill.

The agreement will define directions of cooperation, particularly the promotion of research of military-grade products and new technologies for strengthening defense capabilities, and cooperation in the areas of development and industry in line with the national legislation of the parties.

The agreement covers the areas of technology transfer and technical support in weapons, ammunition and explosive ordnance production, exchange of information and experience in ammunition production, research in the area of military-grade products and industry, establishment of joint industries, training of technical personnel and others.

RESEND: Diocese Leads 40 Ecumenical Leaders in Urging U.S. President to Act for Artsakh

Hovik Karapetian

PRESS OFFICE 

Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) 

630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016 

Contact: Chris Zakian 

Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558 

E-mail: [email protected] 

Website: www.armenianchurch.us 

 

September 1, 2023

__________________ 

 

ATTENTION EDITOR: In this resend of my previous message, some formatting issues have been fixed, for your convenience.


 

HEADLINE

40 Ecumenical Leaders Urge U.S. President to Act for Artsakh

 

This week, a coalition of Christian church and organizational leaders in the U.S. made an urgent appeal to President Biden, to intervene on behalf of the Armenians of Artsakh.

 

In their August 29 letter, more than 40 faith leaders voiced concerns over the continuing blockade of Artsakh and the humanitarian crisis it has caused.

 

“We urge you,” the letter reads, “to use the influence of your good offices to seek an immediate end to the devastating Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin Corridor, which is the only point of access to more than 120,000 Armenians who live there and whose families have resided there for centuries. Of the 120,000 Armenians at risk, 9,000 of them are people with disabilities, 20,000 of them are elderly, and 30,000 of them are children, particularly vulnerable to the effects of starvation.”

 

The religious leaders left no doubt in their appeal that the Armenians of Artsakh are facing a “soft genocide” due to the blockade, whose goal is to deprive the people of food and other essentials needed for survival. The letter references (and links to) recent reports from expert observers, United Nations officials, and human rights groups, all attesting to the gravity of the situation and the need for intervention to prevent a large-scale human tragedy.

 

An emphatic final statement implores President Biden “to take urgent action to end the blockade of Artsakh, to provide the necessary humanitarian assistance that is needed to sustain life and to ensure that such supplies can be delivered, and to end the suffering of the people of Artsakh so that the soft genocide we are witnessing is averted. We also urge you to do all that you can to seek an immediate diplomatic solution—including working with international partners and the governments of Azerbaijan and Turkey—to find a resolution to this continuing political crisis and humanitarian disaster.”

 

 

* Assembling a Moral Consensus

 

The letter emerged from an August 14 video conference call, organized by Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan and Diocesan Legate and Ecumenical Director Archbishop Vicken Aykazian. During that conference, Fr. Mesrop thanked the high-ranking faith leaders for their earlier support of Armenia and Artsakh, and gave an overview of the present crisis and its background in the long-simmering Karabagh conflict.

 

“We are living through another time of trouble,” the Primate told listeners. “It is not the first such time in Artsakh’s long history. But this time, the stakes are very high; the forces against us are very powerful. The urgent truth is that this time, the very existence of Artsakh as an Armenian Christian land is at stake; its material culture, its heritage, its people are all at risk of extermination.”

 

Archbishop Aykazian then described the present situation in detail, aided by Armenian community activists Sonya Nersessian and Lenna Hovanessian. The audience members—made up of leaders from the American ecumenical groups National Council of Churches, Christian Churches Together, and other faith organizations—were deeply moved by the presentation and suggested taking action through a direct appeal to the President.

 

Their letter of August 29 was the result, which is reproduced below, along with the list of distinguished signatories, and active hyperlinks to the international reports referenced in the text.

 

* * *

 

August 29, 2023

 

President Joseph R. Biden

The White House

Washington, DC

 

Subject: Call for urgent action to end the soft genocide of the people of Artsakh

 

Dear President Biden,

 

We write as leaders of Christian communions and agencies in the United States with grave concerns over the continuing blockade of the people of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabagh. Through our ecumenical and global ecclesial partnerships and ties, we have long and deep connections with the Armenian people, especially through the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Armenian Evangelical (Protestant) Church. These relationships have intensified our awareness of the crisis in Artsakh over these past two years, and particularly the immediate crisis of recent days and weeks. We urge you to use the influence of your good offices to seek an immediate end to the devastating Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin Corridor, which is the only point of access to more than 120,000 Armenians who live there and whose families have resided there for centuries. Of the 120,000 Armenians at risk, 9,000 of them are people with disabilities, 20,000 of them are elderly, and 30,000 of them are children, particularly vulnerable to the effects of starvation.

 

A report released on August 8 by Mr. Luis Moreno Ocampo, former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, concluded that “There is a reasonable basis to believe that a genocide is being committed.” The report continued, stating that “Starvation is the invisible genocide weapon. Without immediate dramatic change, this group of Armenians will be destroyed in a few weeks.” The blockade prevents the delivery of food, water, medical supplies, fuel, and other essentials for the population there to survive. It also has cut off internet access for communications. Further, there is no access into or out of the area, including for international agencies like the Red Cross.

 

Well-respected international figures and organizations such as UN Special Rapporteurs, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, Freedom House, and the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention have all spoken in support of the people of Artsakh, decrying their plight, and urging action.

 

The National Council of Churches in the USA has spoken of the urgency of this issue as well. In a November 2020 statement lamenting the continuing military assault in Artsakh, US church leaders wrote, “Leaders of the nation of Armenia have appealed to regional and global powers to use their leverage to bring peace and relief. The militarization of the area has only served the interests of outside powers, and not the interest of the people who live there.”

 

Paul writes in the first letter to the people of Corinth, “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it.” We are acutely aware of the suffering of the Christian Armenian community in Artsakh. We must stand in solidarity with the people there, and it is our duty to advocate for their rights and their lives.

 

We therefore implore you to take urgent action to end the blockade of Artsakh, to provide the necessary humanitarian assistance that is needed to sustain life and to ensure that such supplies can be delivered, and to end the suffering of the people of Artsakh so that the soft genocide we are witnessing is averted. We also urge you to do all that you can to seek an immediate diplomatic solution—including working with international partners and the governments of Azerbaijan and Turkey—to find a resolution to this continuing political crisis and humanitarian disaster.

 

We offer our prayers and our voices to prevent further harm, and for your strength and courage to dedicate the necessary efforts to work for peace with justice in the midst of this tragedy.

 

In Christ’s name,

 

Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie

President and General Secretary

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA

 

Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith

World Council of Churches President from North America

 

Dr. Monica Schaap Pierce

Executive Director

Christian Churches Together in the USA*

 

Rev. Eddy Alemán

General Secretary

Reformed Church in America

 

Bishop Mar Awa III

Catholicos-Patriarch

Assyrian Church of the East

 

Archbishop Vicken Aykazian

Ecumenical Director and Diocesan Legate

Armenian Church of America (Eastern Diocese)

 

Rev. David E. Bennett

President

Moravian Church, Northern Province

 

Bishop Thomas Bickerton

President, Council of Bishops

United Methodist Church

 

Rev. Bronwen Boswell

Acting Stated Clerk

Presbyterian Church (USA)

 

Stassi D. Cramm & K. Scott Murphy

Presidents/Heads of Communion

Community of Christ

 

Bishop Michael Curry

Presiding Bishop and Primate

Episcopal Church

 

Christie Duncan-Tessmer

General Secretary

Religious Society of Friends, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

 

Bishop Sally Dyck

Ecumenical Officer

United Methodist Church

 

Bishop Elizabeth Eaton

Presiding Bishop

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Vice Chair, NCC Governing Board

 

Archbishop Elpidophoros of America

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

 

Protodeacon Sergei Kapral

Orthodox Church in America

 

Rev. Dr. James Lawrence

President

Swedenborgian Church of North America

 

Bishop W. Darin Moore

Presiding Prelate of the Mid-Atlantic District

African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

 

Rev. Teresa Hord Owens

General Minister and President

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

 

Dr. Tyrone S. Pitts

General Secretary Emeritus and Ecumenical Officer

Progressive National Baptist Convention

 

Metropolitan Serapion

Metropolitan of Los Angeles

Coptic Orthodox Church

 

Bishop Teresa E. Snorton

Chair, NCC Governing Board

Ecumenical Officer

The CME Church, Inc.

 

Rev. David Steele

General Secretary

Church of the Brethren

 

Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson

General Minister and President

United Church of Christ

 

Metropolitan Tikhon

Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada

Orthodox Church in America

 

Rev. Phil Tom

Executive Director

International Council of Community Churches

 

Dr. C. Jeff Woods

General Secretary

American Baptist Churches USA

 

Rev. Dr. Elijah R. Zehyoue

Co-Director

Alliance of Baptists

 

V. Rev. Peter Baktis

Mother of God, Joy of All Who Sorrow Church

Orthodox Church in America

 

Rev. Dr. David Beckmann

Coordinator

Circle of Protection

 

Bishop E. Anne Henning Byfield

Presiding Bishop, Thirteenth Episcopal District (Tennessee and Kentucky)

African Methodist Episcopal Church

 

Rev. Eugene Cho

President/CEO

Bread for the World

 

Bishop Suzanne Darcy Dillahunt

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Southern Ohio Synod

 

Dr. Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker

Director

African Methodist Episcopal Church – Social Action Commission

 

Rev. Moya Harris

Director of Racial Justice

Sojourners

 

Rev. Dr. Jean Hawxhurst

Ecumenical Staff Officer

United Methodist Church

 

Rev. Carlos L. Malavé

President

Latino Christian National Network

 

Pastor Benjamin Shular

Chief of Staff

Church of God Ministries

 

Rev. Adam Russell Taylor

President

Sojourners

 

Metropolitan SABA

Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of North America

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

 

 

*Affiliation provided for identification purposes only

 

 

cc: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken

 

* * *

 

—8/31/23

 

# # #

 

APPENDIX: LINKS TO REPORTS CITED IN LETTER

 

Report of Luis Moreno Ocampo (August 8, 2023):

https://apnews.com/article/armenia-azerbaijan-nagorno-karabakh-blockade-2a9fb9852534ab38656a99b435f0ba86#

 

UN Special Rapporteurs:

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/08/un-experts-urge-azerbaijan-lift-lachin-corridor-blockade-and-end

 

Human Rights Watch:

https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/02/21/hardship-nagorno-karabakh-lifeline-road-remains-blocked

 

Amnesty International:

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/02/azerbaijan-blockade-of-lachin-corridor-putting-thousands-of-lives-in-peril-must-be-immediately-lifted/

 

Freedom House:

https://twitter.com/freedomhouse/status/1683880667283615744?s=46&t=r95dGcpLb6_jSFcd0A9RLA&fbclid=IwAR1Qi8XrgD9ARt8ToVBxKWvAVAKIV4fjiPyUNz9YGu1iaMvkzXpTvF04Dto

 

Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention:

https://www.lemkininstitute.com/statements-new-page/statement-on-azerbaijan-s-noncompliance-with-february-22nd-icj-order-to-unblock-lachin-corridor

 

National Council of Churches Statement (November 2020):

http://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/statement-in-support-of-armenia-and-armenian-church/

 

# # #


Armenpress: Nagorno-Karabakh Foreign Minister meets with Mayor of Paris

Alex Jidarian

 10:19, 1 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Sergey Ghazaryan met in Kornidzor with Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and her delegation members who had arrived in Armenia to accompany the humanitarian cargo sent from France to Artsakh and to assess the situation on the ground. The delegation comprised heads of several regions, Mayors, and representatives of local self-government bodies of France, the Foreign Ministry of Artsakh said in a press release.
 
During the meeting, Sergey Ghazaryan expressed his deep gratitude to the people of France, represented by Anne Hidalgo, for taking active steps to support the people of Artsakh, who have been under siege for almost 9 months, and for consistently raising at various levels the issue of humanitarian crisis in Artsakh caused by Azerbaijan’s illegal actions. “It is noteworthy that French politicians with different, sometimes opposite political stances, have taken a united position on the issue of supporting the people of Artsakh,” Minister Ghazaryan stressed.
 
The Foreign Minister of the Republic of Artsakh briefed the delegation members on the disastrous situation that had arisen in various fields in Artsakh due to the blockade and on the activities towards overcoming the challenges.
 
Sergey Ghazaryan highlighted the importance of a clear political and legal assessment of the genocidal actions of Azerbaijan by the international community and the use of appropriate measures, including individual sanctions, which will enable to prevent the impending tragic developments in Artsakh.
 
The sides discussed a range of issues related to further cooperation.

The French aid was blocked by Azerbaijan at the entrance of Lachin Corridor.

UPDATED: Armenia border outposts in Sotk under heavy Azerbaijani gunfire

Kajoyan Gevork

 10:36, 1 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenian border outposts near Sotk on Friday morning came under heavy cross-border gunfire by Azerbaijani Armed Forces, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The Azerbaijani military uses small arms and mortars.

“The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, periodically spreading disinformation on August 31 and thereby creating an information basis for another provocation, on September 1, starting from 07:50, opened intense fire on Armenian positions located in the Sotk,” the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

“The units of the Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire from different caliber small arms against the Armenian combat positions in the vicinity of Sotk. The Azerbaijani armed forces also used mortars in the direction of Sotk,” the ministry added in an update.

UPDATES:

11:14 Two Armenian servicemen were killed and another was wounded in the attack, the in an update.

French aid for Nagorno-Karabakh stored in Goris, nearby towns after Azerbaijan blocks access

Liana Toganian

 10:50, 1 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The French humanitarian aid for Nagorno-Karabakh has been stored in warehouses in Goris and nearby towns after it was blocked by Azerbaijan at the entrance of Lachin Corridor, Armenian government representative Vardan Sargsyan told ARMENPRESS.

He said the food aid in the trucks requires special preservation to maintain its shelf life.

The cargo will be stored in the warehouses until there’s an opportunity to transport it to Nagorno-Karabakh.

U.S. Congress Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission to hold hearing on blockade of Lachin Corridor

Emil Lazarian

 10:59, 1 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The United States Congress Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission will hold a on September 6 on the ongoing blockade of the Lachin corridor. This will be the second on Nagorno-Karabakh this year at the commission.

Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, released his personal Expert Opinion on August 7, stating that “there is a reasonable basis to believe that a Genocide is being committed against Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023” and emphasizing that under the Genocide Conventions all states have a “duty to prevent” genocide. At the Mr. Ocampo will present his Expert Opinion on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission said in a press release.

David L. Phillips, Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University, and Director of Columbia University’s Artsakh Atrocities Project, will testify on facts relevant to gathering the intent of the government of Azerbaijan, including as available on the web page “Atrocities Artsakh.”

This will be open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the interested public, and the media. The will be livestreamed via the Commission website.

The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission held a  on June 21 on Safeguarding the People of Nagorno-Karabakh.

BREAKING: 2 Armenian servicemen killed, 1 wounded in Azerbaijani gunfire

Manouk Vasilian

 11:14, 1 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Two Armenian servicemen were killed and another was wounded Friday morning when Azerbaijani Armed Forces targeted Armenian border outposts in a cross-border shelling, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

“There are two killed in action and one wounded as a result of Azerbaijani AF fire on the Armenian combat outposts near Sotk,” reads a statement released by the Defense Ministry.

On September 1, Azerbaijani forces opened heavy gunfire with small arms and mortars at Armenian border outposts near Sotk.

The Ministry of Defense said it would release the names of the fallen troops and details on the condition of the wounded soldier in an additional statement later.