13:39,

YEREVAN, JULY 19, ARMENPRESS. The Speaker of Parliament of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) Artur Tovmasyan has called on the international community to launch a special criminal tribunal for the leadership of Azerbaijan regarding their unprecedented violence and crimes against humanity in Nagorno Karabakh.

“By creating the most sophisticated concentration camp in a territory of nearly 3000 square kilometers, Azerbaijan has been testing the latest achievements of science on the citizens of the Artsakh (NKR) Republic since 12 December 2022, aimed at dehumanizing an entire nation, the population of the Republic of Artsakh,” Tovmasyan said in a statement.

“The population of 120+30 (forcefully displaced) thousand of a freedom-loving country is being subjected to humiliation, famine and threats of physical extermination every day for eight months, living without electricity, gas, fuel and medication. After WWII, when the international community condemned and stipulated provisions in international law ruling out the Nazi Germany’s crimes in the future, it was difficult to imagine that our people would face the threat of physical extermination in the 21st century with new methods, and that it wouldn’t even receive an intervention by the international community to prevent a great human tragedy,” reads the statement addressed to the international community.

“At the same time, taking into account the provisions of international law related to violence and aggression by an aggressor country against self-proclaimed independent countries, we call on responsible and relevant international intergovernmental institutions to launch the process of international recognition of the Artsakh Republic, as the most practical way to prevent genocide and the forced displacement of our people from our homeland,” he added.

Tovmasyan called on international intergovernmental institutions to launch a special criminal tribunal to try the Azerbaijani leadership for creating a modern concentration camp in the territory of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) and regularly destroying the indigenous people of Nagorno Karabakh.

The Speaker expressed hope that his statement will receive a response and that the international community and intergovernmental organizations will not surrender to aggressors and murderers, but will support the people of Nagorno Karabakh. The only way to avoid the abovementioned dangers is through the recognition of Artsakh’s independence based on the principle of Remedial Secession, Tovmasyan said.

Armenian cuisine dates back thousands of years. Sitting at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Armenia has unique culinary traditions that have blossomed throughout centuries of history. Below, we do a deep dive on the MICHELIN Guide’s only Armenian restaurant in the United States, located just outside of Los Angeles in Glendale, California.

Zhengyalov Hatz has brought a piece of that gastronomic heritage to America with its only main menu item, zhingyalov hats. I ask why there’s only one menu item, and owner Vresh Osipian explains simply, “It’s my favorite food. Zhingyal means greens, and hats means bread. It’s bread with herbs.”

He’s excited to share his culture with me. “Armenian food is unique with a big personality. Our recipes have been passed down from generation to generation, from families a long time ago. Originally, when people had nothing to eat, they found little flowers and greens. They made some lavash and put the greens inside to feed the children.”

Despite the streamlined offerings, Osipian is hardly new to the culinary scene. He had previously opened several Zhengyalov Hatz locations in Yerevan, Armenia and Moscow, Russia. Visiting Glendale years ago, Osipian was inspired to share his favorite food with America, with, “the purpose to bring food here that is very popular and loved in Armenia.”

Eating at the restaurant transports diners to Armenia. “We have exactly the same design as our restaurants in Yerevan,” says Osipian. “It’s a national and traditional style of ‘Old Yerevan’, our capital.” He shows me a newly framed photo on the wall that depicts an ancient Armenian family baking thin lavash bread in an underground tonir oven.

And despite the volume—Zhengyalov Hatz makes hundreds of fresh zhingyalov hats daily—they hit with customers every time and combat waste through knowing their audience. “Every day, we receive fresh greens from Fresno. We never keep leftovers overnight, so we order the approximate right amount for each day.”

So what’s the secret sauce behind Zhengyalov Hatz’s delectable dish? “It’s completely vegan with spinach, green chard, red chard, cilantro, dill, sorrel, chervil, white onion, and more. All together, twelve different types of herbs.” Since different families have different recipes, there’s no one correct way to make zhingyalov hats. “Everyone chooses their own recipe. For our greens, we don’t use parsley or garlic.”

I watch as a cheerful chef from Ukraine adds the finishing touches. “It takes less than a minute to make this bread because the dough is very clean,” says Osipian. “The herbs are finely chopped, and then we add sunflower oil and some seasoning.”

It’s important to note where the chef comes from, as after four years in Los Angeles, Zhengyalov Hatz has built a loyal following, but also expanded their customers and staff beyond Armenians. “We have a lot of excellent chefs and customers, not only Armenian. All different nationalities.”

Enhancing the traditional flavors of the flatbread are the other offerings—all of which are vegetarian—including okroshka, made from cucumbers and dill, and paxlava, their take on the Greek baklava. “We make our paklava from scratch and use honey, not sugar, so it’s not too sweet,” adds Osipian. The vibe, is meant to be more homestyle Armenian than modern, cultural mecca. “Everything is Armenian. We have Armenian music playing all day, and some people say it’s like going to grandma’s house. Same food and same environment. It brings back a lot of memories.”

And beyond the plate, therein lies the true secret sauce behind Zhengyalov Hatz; its celebration of Armenian culture across all touchpoints. “Armenia became the first Christian nation in the world, starting in the year 303. We have old churches, and Yerevan is a beautiful, bright city. A lot of trees, a lot of parks, a lot of sights to see. Welcome to Armenia.” Coming up soon will be an expanded menu including more of the meat-centric dishes of the region. “We’re working now to add Armenian lahmajun or shawarma—more meaty stuff—because [we received] a lot of requests.”

And despite the press and accolades from the food world, Osipian and the restaurant’s focus remains the same as when they opened their doors: “be friendly to everybody.” And done in delicious fashion, naturally.

 09:25,

YEREVAN, JULY 21, ARMENPRESS. Prosecutor General of Armenia Anna Vardapetyan does not consider the existing format of combating drug trafficking to be sufficient, at the same time she assures that efforts are being made in this direction, in particular, an attempt is made to change the tactics and quality of the investigation, but it is too early to talk about the results.

On the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the establishment of the Prosecutor’s Office, ARMENPRESS spoke with the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia Anna Vardapetyan. During the interview, Vardapetyan spoke about her achievements in the position of the Prosecutor General for almost a year, her upcoming plans, “delayed” justice, rise in crimes, and also referred to the results of meetings with the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan Kyamran Aliyev and the conference dedicated to the establishment of the Prosecutor’s Office.

To the question of the correspondent of ARMENPRESS about the achievements recorded during the year in office, Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan noted that one year is not enough to talk about tangible results. “Besides, the results should not be talked about, they should be seen by the public, therefore here I would like to talk about some important changes. The first is the legislative reform adopted by the National Assembly in March 2023, by which the Prosecutor’s Office was given the authority to initiate a lawsuit for the protection of community interests in court. This means that the Prosecutor’s Office has the right to question in court the orders and decisions of the heads of local self-government bodies, based on which public parks, kindergartens and other similar immovable properties were illegally alienated”, Vardapetyan said, adding that this has one goal – to return to the public the illegally alienated property. Since the Prosecutor’s Office has been granted by the mentioned power, 235 criminal cases have been initiated.

“The next area of reforms is about cadres. I have spoken about this on different occasions. In terms of cadres, my approach is unchanged. As the Prosecutor General, I want to share my responsibility and success with those prosecutors who are well-mannered, have a high standard of professional knowledge, are hardworking, honest, improve their qualities and most importantly, are dedicated to their profession and their country.

In terms of cadre policy, I attach great importance to the work with young people, students and pupils. In terms of professional orientation, we give students the opportunity to do an internship with us, to have regular meetings with prosecutors, before being included in the list of prosecutors, to work in the Prosecutor’s Office.

I am often asked about the involvement of women. Anticipating this question, I should note that smart and dedicated women certainly have their place in the Prosecutor’s Office, including in high positions. Women know about the rule in the Prosecutor’s Office: we work hard and treat our work with extreme responsibility”, Prosecutor General of Armenia Anna Vardapetyan said.

Speaking about challenges and problems, Vardapetyan noted that they are quite many, starting from criminal proceedings, delay of trials to efficiency of fight against corruption.

Answering the question about delay of trials and “delayed” justice, which cause decline of public trust in legal system, Anna Vardapetyan noted that “delayed” justice still continues to exist, adding that she first raised that issue last year, when being nominated as candidate for the position of Prosecutor General. In the 2022 activity report of the Prosecutor’s Office, we devoted a separate chapter to the issue of the delay in the examination of criminal cases, where the concerns raised by me about “delayed” justice are presented with examples. The reasons for the delay in examination of criminal cases are multifaceted: they have objective and subjective aspects. The objective side is the increase in the number of criminal proceedings, the subjective side is the unscrupulous attitude of the bodies conducting the proceedings towards their responsibilities, the frequent change of judges in the same case, the incomplete application of prosecutor’s supervision and control mechanisms, etc.

From the day I assumed the position of the Prosecutor General, I gave instructions to all departments to exclude the phenomenon when prosecutors do not attend trials for no serious reason”, she said, emphasizing that the period of examination of criminal cases is in the center of her everyday attention.

Referring to the question about her two meetings with the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan Kyamran Aliyev through the mediation of the Russian Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov, how she evaluates those meetings, what significant results can be highlighted, and whether there will be similar meetings in the near future, Mrs. Vardapetyan answered, “At the end of 2022, I received an offer from the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation to meet with the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan in a tripartite format, which I accepted, because each discussion in such a format is an opportunity to talk substantively about the fulfillment of the obligations stipulated by the tripartite statement of the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan on November 9, 2020. Point 8 of the tripartite declaration on humanitarian obligations is a priority for the prosecution. At the core of the tripartite meeting held at the end of 2022 was the issue of Armenian prisoners of war still held by Azerbaijan.

Another tripartite meeting was held in June of this year, again at the initiative of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation. In this context, I cannot help but emphasize the efforts of my Russian partner to resolve this sensitive issue as soon as possible, but it is a fact that there are still no tangible results from those meetings.

I will not stop raising this issue among the prosecution community. You ask if there will be such meetings in the near future, yes, there will be, because if my participation in the meetings in such a format will create an opportunity to return our soldiers to the homeland, then yes, I will participate, I will speak, I will raise the need for Azerbaijan to fulfill international humanitarian demands and I will not allow the Azerbaijani side to ignore the issue”.

Answering the question whether there is any analysis of what’s the reason behind the rise in crimes, Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan noted that in 2022 nearly 22 thousand cases of crimes were registered in Armenia, which is 24% higher than the figure in 2021. “The analyzes show that one of the reasons is the change in criminal procedure legislation. You might be aware that the new code eliminates the stage of preparation of materials, and criminal proceedings are initiated for each report that can reasonably be given a preliminary legal assessment of compliance with any act under the Criminal Code”, Vardapetyan said, adding that it should not be forgotten that crimes are systemic and re-productive phenomenon.

The correspondent of ARMENPRESS asked if sufficient efforts are made to fight against the rise in drug trafficking in Armenia, to which Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan answered, “You raise a very important question. I regret to say that no, I do not consider the current format of combating illegal drug trafficking to be sufficient. Efforts are being made, particularly an attempt is being made to change the tactics and quality of the investigation, but it is too early to talk about the results.

The need to ensure the confidentiality of the preliminary investigation does not allow me to reveal details about the investigation process in specific cases, however, I should note that active work is being done within the framework of international legal assistance regarding the importation of large batches of drugs, including the extradition of suspected criminals to Armenia”.

As for prevention of drug use among minors, Anna Vardapetyan emphasized that the systematic criminal-legal fight against illegal drug trafficking is of primary importance, along with it, however, the family can also play a serious role in prevention. “For a minor, the drug is a deception of “happiness”, “interesting experience”, she said.

Referring to the question about the conference dedicated to the 105^th anniversary of the establishment of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Anna Vardapetyan answered, “A few days ago, on July 1-2, the Prosecutor’s Office celebrated its 105th anniversary. With the support of our international partners, the Council of Europe and the European Union, a conference was organized on the topic “Prosecution’s independence as a guarantor of the rule of law”. The heads of the executive and judicial authorities of Armenia, ambassadors accredited to Armenia, heads of law enforcement structures, prosecutor generals of five member states of the Council of Europe, high-ranking representatives from the Council of Europe, the International Association of Prosecutors and the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice participated in the conference. At the end of the conference, a document summarizing the results of the panel discussions and reports was adopted.

It was a great honor for me to organize such a high-level conference in Armenia and to host my European colleagues in Armenia. I am sure that the participants of the conference left our country having discovered Armenia and with the desire to return. I am glad that in addition to professional discussions, we managed to tell our European partners about the cultural and national wealth of Armenia.

Thanks to the positive feedback on the effectiveness of this conference, we already have a preliminary agreement with our colleagues from the Council of Europe to hold another conference in the near future, which will have a more inclusive geography and will be dedicated to the institute of confiscation of property of illegal origin”.

Interview by Karen Khachatryan

Photos by Hayk Manukyan

 11:15,

YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS. The Parliament of Nagorno Karabakh has asked the permanent members of the UN Security Council to adopt an imperative resolution to initiate practical steps to impose peace in Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh).

In a statement adopted on July 21, the parliament of Nagorno Karabakh called on the Government of Armenia to “take immediate measures” to vest the peacekeeping mission in Nagorno Karabakh with an international mandate by requesting the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly to take proper action to preserve peace and security in the region.

It also called on the international community, in person of the permanent members of the UNSC, to adopt an imperative resolution and initiate practical measures to impose peace in Artsakh pursuant to the goals and principles enshrined in the UN Charter’s Chapter 1 and guided by Chapter 7.

“The Republic of Artsakh is committed to saving its people from the disaster of war, to reiterating faith for the fundamental human rights and freedoms, and equal rights of large and small nations, thus it expects from these organizations to create the kind of conditions that would ensure respect towards obligations stemming from the norms of international law, and promote the safeguarding of the dignified life of the Artsakh people in conditions of freedom,” reads a part of the resolution.

It noted that under the 9 November 2020 trilateral agreement, Russia – which deployed peacekeepers to Nagorno Karabakh – exercised the provisions of the UN Charter’s Chapter 6 on Pacific Settlement of Disputes, bringing the dispute settlement to the framework of mediation, consent and negotiations, but this has been undermined by Azerbaijan’s continuous aggression which created a regional crisis with the involvement of the direct and indirect parties to the conflict.

“On the other hand, the subjectivity and the _expression_ of will of the Republic of Artsakh and its people continue to be ignored. The people of Artsakh exercised its right to self-determination in line with well-known norms and principles of the international law and the USSR legislation, proclaiming the Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic on September 2, 1991, and then holding an independence referendum on December 10,” reads the statement adopted by parliament.

It added that the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh don’t have an international mandate and that this greenlights Azerbaijan to commit violations, jeopardizing regional security and stability.

The statement says that the blockade of Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan’s disruption of infrastructures, continuous terror against civilians, promotion of ethnic hatred, deliberate destruction of Armenian churches and historical and cultural landmarks constitutes a policy of ethnic cleansing which amounts to a crime against humanity.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh with 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. Moreover, 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 and the Red Cross has been facilitating the medical evacuations of patients.

 12:02,

YEREVAN, JULY 21, ARMENPRESS. Cooperation between the Armenian Justice Ministry, the EU and the UNDP has rather long and productive history. Within the framework of the partnership, Armenia is basically covering the main direction of reforms in the justice sector, achieving very tangible results which are already visible in the justice system, the Deputy Minister of Justice Karen Karapetyan on Friday said during an event dedicated to the launch of the e-platform of the 2022-2026 Strategy and Action Plan of Judicial and Legislative Reforms.

“Judicial and legislative reforms are among the priorities of the Armenian government,” Karapetyan said.

He said that the results of any reform should be visible to the citizens, the direct beneficiaries of the reforms.

“The platform not only has a main function of public awareness, but also enables all stakeholders to include their reports and performance reports directly, swiftly, productively and with modern mechanisms to both government agencies and the society,” he added, thanking international partners for support and cooperation.

The platform was developed as part of the “Accountable Institutions and Human Rights Protection in Armenia” project, funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented jointly by UNDP, UNFPA, and the OSCE.