14:24,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS. A 22-year-old student from Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) has been kidnapped by Azeri border guards in the illegal checkpoint in Lachin Corridor while traveling to Armenia with a Russian peacekeeping escort, the Artsakh InfoCenter said. 

The official Artsakh InfoCenter identified the kidnapping victim as Alen N. Sargsyan (born 2001). He was traveling to Armenia to continue his education in Yerevan.

The motive behind the kidnapping is unclear.

“Azerbaijan continues its genocidal policy against the people of Artsakh, once again violating the norms of international humanitarian law. Details on the incident will be reported later,” the Artsakh InfoCenter said in a statement.

This is the second kidnapping incident of civilians by the Azeri border guards in their illegal checkpoint in Lachin Corridor. 

On July 29, an elderly patient was kidnapped during his medical evacuation facilitated by the ICRC.

Tigran Petrosyan, the Head of the Anti-Crisis Council under the Artsakh Presidency, said that another student is now detained in interrogation.

“An hour ago, the Azerbaijanis seized a 22-year-old student from the Russians in the checkpoint. And now one was taken away and another one is being interrogated,” Petrosyan said.

He called on residents of Nagorno-Karabakh to gather in the Stepanakert plaza for a demonstration. “This is no time for silence. If we remain silent, they will come and take us all.”

Meanwhile, Azeri news media reported that three Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh were arrested on Monday at the illegal Azerbaijani checkpoint in Lachin Corridor.

This is a developing story. 

Update shows comments by Tigran Petrosyan and the Azeri media report.

 15:30,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS. Three Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh were arrested on Monday at the illegal Azerbaijani checkpoint in Lachin Corridor, according to Azerbaijani media reports.

According to the Azerbaijani media reports, the arrested Armenians are football players of the Martuni Avo club who have been wanted by Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies since 2021 for allegedly “dishonoring” the Azerbaijani flag. They face a 10-day jail term.

So far, the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) InfoCenter has reported the kidnapping by Azerbaijan of only one person, a 22-year-old student who was traveling to Armenia to continue his education. Another student was being interrogated by the Azeri border guards when the news on the kidnapping was reported, according to Tigran Petrosyan, the head of the anti-crisis council under the Artsakh President.

 15:40,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS. Member of the German Bundestag Till Mansmann has called on the German federal government to increase diplomatic pressure on the Azerbaijani government given the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

In a letter addressed to German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, the legislator described the alarming humanitarian situation and the total blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan, the German-Armenian Forum reported.

He told the German foreign minister that the 120,000 Armenians are facing a humanitarian disaster and need urgent international aid.

Mansmann, the Chairman of the German-Armenian Forum, praised the EU’s efforts for its constructive role in the extremely difficult conflict. He said that the launch of the EU mission was a good instrument and recalled that in January 2023 the European Parliament called on Azerbaijan to comply with the 9 November 2020 agreement and open the Lachin Corridor.

“The security and basic needs of the people must not become a playing card for political interests. Taking into consideration our support for Ukraine in the Russian war of aggression, we must have a clear position in this issue as well and unambiguously show that our humanism doesn’t have political or geopolitical calculations. That’s why I am asking you to increase diplomatic pressure on the Government of Azerbaijan in order for the safe and unimpeded access of urgently needed relief supplies get ensured in line with international humanitarian law. In addition, I am asking you to look into the possibility for humanitarian aid by the federal government. We can’t solve this conflict for a short-term, but we can’t allow famine to take place on the border of our continent,” Mansmann said.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. The ICJ reaffirmed its order on 6 July 2023.

Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.

 16:06,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS. After receiving information about the abduction by Azerbaijan of a 22-year-old student who was being transported to Armenia accompanied by the Russian Peacekeepers from the illegal checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor, the Human Rights Defender’s Office initiated a study of the case, the Armenian Human Rights Defender’s Office said in a statement.

Furthermore, the Human Rights Defender immediately contacted colleagues from the competent bodies.

The issues related to other similar incidents that took place on the checkpoint were also discussed. The results will be analyzed and summarized, and letters will be addressed to authoritative international organizations with a mandate to protect human rights. The abduction by Azerbaijan of persons being transferred to Armenia through the mediation of international actors, including the Russian Peacekeepers, is condemnable and inadmissible.

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia emphasizes once more that this situation underscores gross violations of human rights by the Azerbaijani authorities, taking into consideration that international legal guarantees and standards universally recognized in the modern civilized world regarding interference with fundamental human rights are not observed.

 16:17,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS. On August 28, in Slovenia, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan had a meeting with Park Jin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea.

The interlocutors discussed the possibilities of expanding the bilateral agenda and deepening cooperation in areas of mutual interest, expressing readiness to take steps towards more effective use of the existing potential, the foreign ministry said in a readout.

The sectors of trade, economy, science, education, culture, as well as areas of innovation and high technologies, were indicated as promising directions for cooperation. In this context, the importance of expansion of effective cooperation with the Korea International Cooperation Agency was emphasized.

During the meeting, the issues on regional security were touched upon.

Minister Mirzoyan briefed his counterpart on the details of the deepening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from Azerbaijan’s 8-month-long illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor, drawing attention to the severe challenges unfolded for particularly vulnerable groups – children, women, the elderly and people with chronic diseases, in conditions of the acute shortage of food, medicine and essential goods.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia highlighted that by its actions Azerbaijan not only is grossly violating the fundamental norms of international humanitarian law and human rights, but also is showing clear disrespect to the Orders of the International Court of Justice of February 22 and July 6, by keeping the Lachin corridor blocked.

Reaffirming the commitment of Armenia to the establishment of peace and stability in the South Caucasus, Ararat Mirzoyan stressed that the official Baku’s pattern of behavior is hindering the efforts of Armenia and the international community in this direction.

 16:28,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS. A delegation of India’s National Defense College is visiting Armenia from August 27 to 31.

The delegation is led by the Commandant of the college, Lieutenant General Sukriti Singh Dahiya, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The delegation is comprised of military and civilian high-level representatives from India, France, Brazil, Nigeria, Mongolia and Sri Lanka.

On August 28, Lieutenant General Edward Asryan, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia and the First Deputy Minister of Defense, as well as other high-ranking officials, held a meeting with the delegation at the Ministry of Defense headquarters.

The delegation then met with Levon Ayvazyan, the Head of the Department of Defense Policy and International Cooperation of the ministry, and also visited the National Defense Research University.

A wide range of issues relating to regional security, Armenia’s defense policy, military reforms, military education and military science were discussed during the meetings.

Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan will also hold a meeting with the delegation.

 17:33,

YEREVAN, 28 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 28 August, USD exchange rate up by 0.01 drams to 385.99 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.29 drams to 417.26 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.03 drams to 4.05 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.23 drams to 485.61 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 18.62 drams to 23771.10 drams. Silver price up by 0.01 drams to 300.13 drams.

 17:54,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) authorities are unable to contact two students who were taken into interrogation by Azeri border guards in the Lachin Corridor’s illegal Azeri checkpoint, the Nagorno-Karabakh Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan said in a statement.

Another student was kidnapped by Azeri border guards and taken into an unknown direction, Stepanyan said.

All three men are students of universities in Armenia.

The three men were among 170 others who were being transported by Russian peacekeepers from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia on August 28.

The 22-year-old student, Alen Sargsyan, was kidnapped by the use of force by Azeri border guards.

Another 5 persons were taken into an interrogation room where they were questioned by Azeri border guards on various issues, such as their purpose of visiting Armenia, the economic situation in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh and others.

Stepanyan said the border guards had pre-arranged lists of persons. Two people who were on this list – Vahe Hovsepyan and Levon Grigoryan – did not cross the illegal checkpoint but Nagorno-Karabakh authorities are unable to contact them.

“We’ve numerously said that the illegal checkpoint installed near Hakari Bridge is a direct and undeniable threat to the protection of the physical existence and fundamental rights of the civilian population of Artsakh. The kidnappings of Vagif Khachatryan and Alen Sargsyan are undisputed proofs that the so-called checkpoint has turned into an instrument for serving criminal arbitrariness, through which civilians are arbitrarily kidnapped and deprived of freedom by Azerbaijanis. A population of 120,000 people is being kept in blockade, deprived of humanitarian access and the opportunity of protection of the basic human rights. The international legal and political guarantees of both the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Russian peacekeepers are insufficient for the protection of the rights of Artsakh population, including for ensuring the free and safe movement. Taking into consideration the obligations assumed by these two actors, the Human Rights Defender demands from them to take all available measures to ensure the security of humanitarian movement of the Artsakh population and the immediate return of the kidnapped persons. Without the presence of such guarantees the transfers of civilians must be stopped,” Stepanyan said.

The facts will be presented to international organizations.

 20:00,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS. President of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Arayik Harutyunyan has convened a Security Council meeting to discuss the measures taken by his administration to determine the fate of the men kidnapped by Azerbaijani border guards and return them home.

Harutyunyan and the officials also discussed the situation in Artsakh, possible developments and the tasks of the authorities, his office said in a statement.

“President Harutyunyan informed the participants of the session about the steps taken in the direction of determining the fate of the citizens of Artsakh Republic who were kidnapped today by Azerbaijan and returning them home. The situation in Artsakh, possible developments and tasks of the authorities for withstanding the daily worsening humanitarian disaster and solving security issues were discussed,” Harutyunyan’s office said.