The UN expert group responded to the application of the defense side in the case of the participants of the “Holy Struggle” movement, expressing concern about the actions of Armenian law enforcement agencies against more than a hundred citizens.

Lawyer: Tatevik Soghoyan informed about the results of the eight-month work aimed at international structures. According to him, the UN structure expanded the scope of the study, considering not only the case of 18 people accused of terrorism, but also data on at least 109 citizens affected by the actions of the state apparatus during the protests, including the events of June 12.

In the official communication of the UN, it is mentioned that the measures taken by the authorities are worrisome and do not correspond to the international obligations undertaken by Armenia in the field of human rights. The defense side describes this reaction as unprecedented in the history of Armenian justice and strongly criticizes the official position of the state presented to the international organization.

In response to the questions raised, the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Armenia at the UN office in Geneva presented a comprehensive 31-page report. The document reaffirms the commitment of the state to ensure the transparency of criminal proceedings and their strict compliance with the rule of law and constitutional rights. Official Yerevan noted that some of the questions are based on unproven claims, on which legal proceedings are ongoing.

The Armenian side specially emphasized that the criminal prosecutions have nothing to do with the political, ideological and religious views of the accused or their participation in peaceful gatherings. they are based exclusively on the evidence of the preparation of violent crimes against the constitutional order. Nevertheless, the defense strongly criticizes this official position of the state, considering it very worrying.

The “Holy Struggle” or “Tavush for the Motherland” movement arose in the spring of 2024, against the background of the process of demarcation of the state border with Azerbaijan. The protests led by Bagrat Archbishop Galstanyan moved from the regions to Yerevan, demanding the government’s resignation. The peak of the movement was on June 12, 2024, when clashes took place between protesters and the police near the National Assembly building.

Law enforcement officers used special measures, including sound grenades. As a result, dozens of people received physical injuries of varying degrees, many participants were detained. Later, a number of activists were charged with inciting mass riots.

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The next increase in tension between Washington and Tehran is accompanied by harsh diplomatic statements. In response to possible US plans to capture the strategically important Kharg Island and ground operations, Iran’s Foreign Ministry has warned about the readiness of the local population to show uncompromising resistance to the US military.

The official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic, Esmail Baghai, commented on the information about possible American military intervention. According to him, the residents of the Iranian islands are eagerly waiting for the opportunity to show their “warm welcome” to the American soldiers. The rhetoric comes amid reports of US intentions to take control of Kharg Island, which plays a key role in Iran’s oil economy. The diplomat emphasized the determination of the civilian population to defend their land in case of any foreign invasion attempt.

The standoff between the United States and Iran is a long-standing one and is intensifying against the backdrop of a wide-scale crisis unfolding in the Middle East. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were severed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Over the decades, the conflict has taken many forms, from the “Tanker War” in the Persian Gulf in the 1980s to harsh sanctions.

The current phase of tension is largely due to the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear program in 2018, as well as the assassination of senior Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in early 2020 and the military operations launched by Israel and the US against Iran months earlier. The current threats around Kharg Island are not accidental. it is the main oil terminal of the Islamic Republic, through which the vast majority of Iranian energy exports are carried out.

Any strike on this facility or attempt to capture it is seen by experts as a critical blow to Iran’s economy, capable of triggering a full-scale regional war.

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The Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia has announced the completion of the preliminary investigation into the controversial criminal case of the illegal expropriation of the historical and cultural fortress “Black Fortress” in the city of Gyumri. The former Minister of Defense, the third President of the country, Serzh Sargsyan, is at the core of this proceeding.

According to the data obtained by the pre-investigative body, in May 2005, a high-ranking official, bypassing the relevant decisions of the government and the established procedure, alienated the historical structure by direct sale to a natural person. According to the contract of sale, the building with an area of ​​more than 626 square meters and the plot of 0.7 hectares intended for its maintenance and use were sold for about 23 million AMD.

Law enforcement officers emphasize that the described actions caused significant damage to the legal interests of the state, carelessly leading to serious consequences. As a result of the transaction, the state was deprived of the ownership right to the exceptional value of republican significance, due to which the Black Fortress was left out of the official list of monuments that are considered state property and not subject to expropriation, approved in 2007.

A public criminal prosecution was initiated against the former minister under the article of abusing or usurping official or official powers. The criminal proceedings have already been presented with an indictment to the supervising prosecutor in order to ensure the further legal process.

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Major General Davit Manukyan, sentenced to life imprisonment in Azerbaijan, sent a message to RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan from Baku prison. The former high-ranking military man demands the head of state to express a clear official position regarding Baku’s accusations related to the 2020 military operations.

According to the text of the message spread in the media, the general emphasized that one of the accusations made by the Azerbaijani side refers to planning, preparing and conducting an aggressive war in the fall of 2020.

Manukyan reminded that during that period, Pashinyan held the position of the country’s leader and commander-in-chief, so he should publicly respond to those claims. According to the general, silence will mean agreement with the fabricated accusations, which will make not only the authorities, but also the entire Armenian people, accomplices.

In addition, the imprisoned general raised the issue of the official status of the Armenians held in Baku. He noted with regret that the prisoners do not feel support and “the breath of the Republic of Armenia”. Nevertheless, Manukyan assured that he and his colleagues continue to resolutely defend their rights and the dignity of the Armenian people and statehood in court, considering all the accusations to be false and groundless.

Let’s remind that the former deputy commander of the Artsakh Defense Army David Manukyan was captured by the special services of Azerbaijan in 2023. In February of this year, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment. According to official data, 19 Armenians, including the former military and political leadership of Nagorno Karabakh, are currently being held in Baku penal institutions.

They were sentenced to 15-20 years or life imprisonment. Currently, appeals against these judgments are being examined in the appellate courts of Azerbaijan.

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“Veolia Water”, the water supply operator of Armenia, responded to the statements about possible violations of sanitary and hygienic norms of drinking water. Claims regarding exceeding the permissible level of water hardness as a result of the use of artesian waters in the summer have become a reason for public debate.

Earlier, lawyer Arpine Hovhannisyan published the results of examinations, according to which the hardness of drinking water in a number of settlements reaches or exceeds the maximum limit set by the Ministry of Health. According to his statement, in the conditions of summer water scarcity, the company connects artesian water to the drinking network, which directly affects the indicators of water reaching consumers.

In response to these accusations, “Veolia Water” has assured that the quality of supplied water is under round-the-clock laboratory control, and in order to detect violations, the competent state bodies are also conducting parallel control. The company explained in detail that the hardness of the water is caused solely by the natural and geological features of the given springs and is not considered a factor that poses a threat to human health in any way.

The operator also emphasized that according to the new regulations coming into force from 2027, this physicochemical indicator will no longer be considered as a factor characterizing the public health risk.

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