Nov 9 2023

Despite his repeated requests for alternative civilian service, officials of the Conscription Service and of the Alternative Service Commission refused Baptist conscientious objector Davit Nazaretyan's application. On 25 October, Judge Gagik Pogosyan of Yerevan's Kentron District Court handed the 20-year-old a two-year jail term for "Avoidance of mandatory military or alternative service or conscription". He is planning to appeal, and is at home in Yerevan until any appeal is heard.

Armenia's legally-binding international human rights obligations require states to respect the right to conscientiously object to military service as part of the freedom of religion and belief. For example, the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention stated in 2022: "States should refrain from imprisoning individuals solely on the basis of their conscientious objection to military service, and should release those that have been so imprisoned."

Various judgments (including against Armenia) of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg have also defined states' obligations to respect and implement the right to conscientious objection to military service, as part of the right to freedom of religion or belief (see below).

"Davit asked for alternative civilian service," Baptist Pastor Mikhail Shubin – who attended the trial with other Baptists – told Forum 18. "If the law allows this, why didn't they give it to him? If an individual's conscientious views do not allow him to carry weapons or swear the oath, why didn't they give him alternative service?" (see below).

Judge Pogosyan's assistant refused to put Forum 18 through to the Judge to find out why he jailed an individual who could not serve in the military on grounds of conscience and who is ready to perform alternative civilian service. "Everything is written in the verdict," the assistant – who did not give his name – told Forum 18. The assistant pointed out that Nazaretyan has the right to appeal and noted that the verdict has not yet come into legal force (see below).

"I am a Christian and I read the Bible," Nazaretyan told Forum 18. "Jesus Christ teaches us not to kill and he followed this also. We have to love one another, even our enemies, and not kill people." He added that Jesus Christ also instructed his followers not to swear oaths. "If I was given alternative civilian service now, I would do it" (see below).

Forum 18 was unable to ask Serop Armenakyan of Yerevan's No. 2 Regional Division of the Conscription Service why he had refused to accept Nazaretyan's application for alternative civilian service in July 2022. The duty officer told Forum 18 that Armenakyan was out of the office. He insisted that "all here work according to the law". He added that decisions on whether to grant alternative civilian service are taken not by the local office of the Conscription Service but by the Alternative Service Commission (see below).

In early 2023, while the criminal investigation was already underway, officials summoned Nazaretyan to the Alternative Service Commission. This is a state body made up of deputy ministers from a range of ministries, as well as Vardan Astsatryan of the government's Department for Ethnic Minorities and Religious Affairs. On 23 January, it accepted all the Jehovah's Witnesses' applications for alternative civilian service, but rejected Nazaretyan's (see below).

Arkady Cherchinyan, head of the Territorial Management and Infrastructure Ministry's Administrative Control Department, who officials said was in charge of alternative service issues at the Ministry, told Forum 18 that he had not participated in the 23 January meetings with applicants for alternative civilian service and refused to discuss anything (see below).

Asked why the Commission rejected Nazaretyan's application, Astsatryan of the government's Department for Ethnic Minorities and Religious Affairs said he does not remember the name. "If he has these views he should have presented them," he told Forum 18 (see below).

Investigator Arsen Topchyan handed documents on Nazaretyan's case to the Theology Faculty of Yerevan State University and asked it to review his religious views. The Theology Faculty is led by Bishop Anushavan Jamkochyan of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The Faculty claimed that the case materials on Nazaretyan's religious affiliation were allegedly "contradictory". Despite admitting that Nazaretyan regularly attends a Baptist Church with his family, the Theological Faculty claimed: "We conclude from all this that Nazaretyan's religious worldview is either not clearly formed, or he himself does not clearly know what religious affiliation he has. We also do not rule out that his statements are opportunistic" (see below).

The Theology Faculty also claimed: "The creed of the Baptist Church and the analysis of the presented case materials allow us to state that Nazaretyan's freedom of thought, conscience and religion would not be restricted by military service" (see below).

However, Nazaretyan's Baptist Pastor, Mikhail Shubin, says that he and his Church think that decisions on whether or not church members should serve in the military are "a personal decision for each church member based on their conscience", he told Forum 18 from Yerevan. "We support Davit in his decision" (see below).

Bishop Anushavan and a lecturer at the Theology Faculty did not respond to Forum 18's requests for comment. So Forum 18 was unable to find out why they offer views on beliefs they do not understand, and why they also offer views on a legally binding human rights obligation – the freedom of thought, conscience and belief – which they also do not understand (see below).

Investigator Topchyan confirmed to Forum 18 that he had been the investigator in Nazaretyan's case. But he refused to explain why he handed case materials to and asked for an assessment of Nazaretyan's religious beliefs from the Theology Faculty, which is led by a member of another religious community. It also remains unclear why he sought views on the implementation of Armenia's legally binding human rights obligations from a group which does not understand Armenia's obligations (see below).

As Investigator Topchan refused to discuss the case, Forum 18 was also not able to ask him why he thought Armenia's international human rights obligation to respect the rights of conscientious objectors to military service should not apply in Nazaretyan's case (see below).

Anna Barsegyan of Yerevan Garrison Military Prosecutor's Office, who led the case, including in court, did not answer Forum 18's questions as to why she brought the criminal case against Nazaretyan when he cannot serve in the armed forces because of his conscientious beliefs, when alternative civilian service exists in Armenia, and when he repeatedly asked to be allowed to perform alternative civilian service (see below).

Human rights defender Isabella Sargsyan of the Eurasia Partnership Foundation in Yerevan has reviewed documents in Nazaretyan's case. "We haven't heard of such cases for a long while, and it is disappointing to see the position of the Alternative Service Commission and the court on this matter," she told Forum 18 from Yerevan on 8 November.

All men in Armenia are subject to conscription between the ages of 18 and 27. Deferments are available in strictly limited circumstances. Military service lasts for 24 months. Those subject to conscription can apply for service without weapons within the armed forces, which lasts 30 months, or for alternative civilian service, which lasts 36 months.

For many years, Armenia jailed those unable to perform military service on grounds of conscience, despite a commitment to the Council of Europe to introduce a civilian alternative to military service by January 2004. Armenia jailed more than 450 Jehovah's Witnesses and one Molokan Christian. All had refused a military-controlled alternative service that did not meet Armenia's legally-binding international human rights obligations.

In May 2013, amendments to the 2003 Alternative Service Law and to the 2003 Law on Implementing the Criminal Code were passed, and a fully civilian alternative service was created. By November 2013, the authorities had freed all the then-jailed jailed conscientious objectors. All were Jehovah's Witnesses. Since 2013 hundreds of young men have undertaken alternative civilian service, without any reported problems.

The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee has stated in its General Comment 22 that conscientious objection to military service comes under International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Article 18 ("Freedom of thought, conscience and religion"). General Comment 22 notes that if a religion or belief is official or followed by a majority of the population this "shall not result in any impairment of the enjoyment of any of the rights under the Covenant .. nor in any discrimination against adherents to other religions or non-believers."

In relation to conscientious objection to military service, General Comment 22 also states among other things: "there shall be no differentiation among conscientious objectors on the basis of the nature of their particular beliefs; likewise, there shall be no discrimination against conscientious objectors because they have failed to perform military service."

This has been reinforced by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recognising "the right of everyone to have conscientious objection to military service as a legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion". The OHCHR has also noted in its Conscientious Objection to Military Service guide that ICCPR Article 18 is "a non-derogable right .. even during times of a public emergency threatening the life of the nation".

In 2022 the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention stated (WGAD-HRC50) that "the right to conscientious objection to military service is part of the absolutely protected right to hold a belief under article 18 (1) of the Covenant, which cannot be restricted by States". The Working Group also stated: "States should refrain from imprisoning individuals solely on the basis of their conscientious objection to military service, and should release those that have been so imprisoned."

Various judgments (including against Armenia) of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg have also defined states' obligations to respect and implement the right to conscientious objection to military service, as part of the right to freedom of religion or belief.

Davit Tigrani Nazaretyan (born 23 July 2003) lives in the capital Yerevan and is a member of a Council of Churches Baptist congregation in Arinj, a town next to Yerevan. The congregation – which chooses not to seek state registration – is led by Pastor Mikhail Shubin.

"I am a Christian and I read the Bible," Nazaretyan told Forum 18 from Yerevan on 7 November 2023. "Jesus Christ teaches us not to kill and he followed this also. We have to love one another, even our enemies, and not kill people." He added that Jesus Christ also instructed his followers not to swear oaths. "If I was given alternative civilian service now, I would do it."

During the winter 2021 call-up Nazaretyan was still in education and call-up was deferred until 2022, according to the subsequent court decision. When called up in summer 2022, he went on 24 June 2022 to Yerevan's No. 2 Regional Division of the Conscription Service and stated that because of his religious principles, he wanted to opt for alternative civilian service. In his written application, he declared: "I, Davit Nazaretyan, inform you that my religion does not allow me to carry weapons, so I ask you to send me to alternative service."

But in his response of 27 June, Serop Armenakyan, the head of Yerevan's No. 2 Regional Division, said that Nazaretyan's application for alternative civilian service would not be considered as it should have been lodged before the call-up period, by 1 June 2022.

Forum 18 was unable to ask Armenakyan why he had refused to accept Nazaretyan's application for alternative civilian service. The duty officer at Yerevan's No. 2 Regional Division told Forum 18 that Armenakyan was out of the office on 9 November 2023. He insisted that "all here work according to the law". He added that decisions on whether to grant alternative civilian service are taken not by the local office of the Conscription Service but by the Alternative Service Commission.

On 27 June 2022, Nazaretyan submitted a further statement to the No. 2 Regional Division: "I am informing you that I, Davit Nazaretyan, want to switch to alternative service, but I was informed that the deadline for submitting applications has already passed. I refuse to receive the Armed Forces conscription notice, at the same time I am informed that after the end of the conscription period, the materials regarding me will be sent to investigative bodies."

Nazaretyan applied for alternative civilian service several more times in 2022, but each time military officials rejected the application, claiming it was not well-founded.

Individuals who refuse or avoid military service or alternative service in peacetime can be prosecuted under Criminal Code Article 461, Part 1 ("Avoidance of mandatory military or alternative service or conscription"). Part 1 carries a prison term of two to five years.

On 12 August 2022, Arsen Topchyan, Acting Investigator of the Fourth Garrison Investigation Department of the Main Military Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee, initiated criminal proceedings against Nazaretyan under Criminal Code Article 461, Part 1 ("Avoidance of mandatory military or alternative service or conscription").

On 4 October 2022, Anna Barsegyan of Yerevan Garrison Military Prosecutor's Office formally charged Nazaretyan. Three days later, Investigator Topchyan banned Nazaretyan from leaving the country as a "preventative measure".

Through colleagues at Yerevan Garrison Military Prosecutor's Office, Prosecutor Barsegyan told Forum 18 that she would not answer questions on Nazaretyan's case by phone and that questions should be sent in writing.

Forum 18 asked Prosecutor Barsegyan in writing in the middle of the working day in Yerevan of 9 November: Why she brought the criminal case against Nazaretyan when he cannot serve in the armed forces because of his conscientious beliefs, when alternative civilian service exists in Armenia, and when he repeatedly asked to be allowed to perform alternative civilian service. Forum 18 received no response by the end of the working day in Yerevan of 9 November.

In early 2023, while the criminal investigation was already underway, officials summoned Davit Nazaretyan to the Alternative Service Commission. This is a state body made up of deputy ministers from a range of ministries, as well as Vardan Astsatryan of the government's Department for Ethnic Minorities and Religious Affairs.

On 23 January, the Commission interviewed more than ten applicants for alternative civilian service, including Nazaretyan.

However, in its 23 January decision, it rejected Nazaretyan's appeal for alternative civilian service as "the applicant failed to prove that his duty to perform mandatory military service is in serious conflict with his conscience or deep and real religious belief or other beliefs," according to the subsequent court verdict.

"I was summoned to the Committee with about 10 other young men, all of them Jehovah's Witnesses," Nazaretyan told Forum 18. "The Jehovah's Witnesses were taken for questioning in groups of three or four and were in there for about two minutes. I went in on my own and was questioned for 10 or 15 minutes about my family background, when I started attending church, and my reasons for rejecting military service. All the Jehovah's Witnesses were given alternative service, but not me."

Following the 23 January meeting, the 30 January written rejection of Nazaretyan's application (seen by Forum 18) came from Grigor Minasyan of the Justice Ministry.

The Deputy Minister of Territorial Management and Infrastructure, Vache Terteryan, chairs the Alternative Service Commission. He wrote to Nazaretyan on 2 February (in a letter seen by Forum 18) rejecting his application for alternative civilian service.

Officials at the Territorial Management and Infrastructure Ministry said Deputy Minister Terteryan was unavailable on 8 November. They referred Forum 18 to Arkady Cherchinyan, head of the Ministry's Administrative Control Department, who they said was in charge of alternative service issues at the Ministry. He told Forum 18 the same day that he had not participated in the 23 January meetings with applicants for alternative civilian service and refused to discuss anything.

Asked on 8 November why the Commission rejected Nazaretyan's application, Astsatryan of the government's Department for Ethnic Minorities and Religious Affairs said he does not remember the name. "If he has these views he should have presented them," he told Forum 18. "There's nothing strange about him not being given alternative service. But he had the right to challenge the refusal in court. He should have gone to court to defend his right."

Human rights defender Isabella Sargsyan questions whether the Commission is competent to evaluate who should or should not be given alternative civilian service. "It is meant to be a public body, but in reality it is a fully government body, staffed mainly with deputy ministers not always knowledgeable or sensitive to human rights and minority issues," she told Forum 18.

Sargsyan of the Eurasia Partnership Foundation noted that Vardan Astsatryan of the government's Department for Ethnic Minorities and Religious Affairs is the only Commission member with expertise in the area of freedom of religion or belief.

"So the Commission seems to follow his recommendation in each case. My experience suggests that government officials – except those who deal with human rights professionally – are not well educated in human rights issues, and often lead by their own perceptions and biases when dealing with matters related to minority rights," Sargsyan maintained.

Investigator Arsen Topchyan handed documents on Nazaretyan's case to the Theology Faculty of Yerevan State University and asked it to review the case and Nazaretyan's religious views. The Theology Faculty is led by Bishop Anushavan Jamkochyan of the Armenian Apostolic Church, according to its page on the University website.

"The dogmatic theology they teach at the Theology Faculty is mostly of the Armenian Apostolic Church," human rights defender Sargsyan told Forum 18. "Obviously it can't be impartial."

Investigator Topchyan confirmed to Forum 18 that he had been the investigator in Nazaretyan's case. But he refused to explain why he handed case materials to and asked for an assessment of Nazaretyan's religious beliefs from the Theology Faculty, which is led by a member of another religious community. "I won't say anything by phone," he told Forum 18 from Yerevan on 8 November. "I don't have the right."

Forum 18 was also not able to ask Investigator Topchan why he thought Armenia's international human rights obligation to respect the rights of conscientious objectors to military service should not apply in Nazaretyan's case.

On 17 April, the Theology Faculty issued its conclusion, claiming that the case materials on Nazaretyan's religious affiliation were allegedly "contradictory". Despite admitting that Nazeretyan regularly attends a Baptist Church with his family, the Theological Faculty claimed: "We conclude from all this that Nazaretyan's religious worldview is either not clearly formed, or he himself does not clearly know what religious affiliation he has. We also do not rule out that his statements are opportunistic."

The Theology Faculty conclusion added: "If we take into account the fact that he presents himself as a follower of the Evangelical Baptist Church and considers himself a 'Christian', then we can state that hatred of weapons is not characteristic of Christianity, otherwise the Christian world system as a religio-political entity cannot be established." It concluded: "The creed of the Baptist Church and the analysis of the presented case materials allow us to state that Nazaretyan's freedom of thought, conscience and religion would not be restricted by military service."

However, Baptist Pastor Mikhail Shubin says that he and his Church think that decisions on whether or not church members should serve in the military are "a personal decision for each church member based on their conscience", he told Forum 18 from Yerevan on 9 November. "We support Davit in his decision."

Bishop Anushavan and a lecturer at the Theology Faculty did not respond to Forum 18's requests for comment. So Forum 18 was unable to find out why they offer views on beliefs they do not understand, and why they also offer views on a legally binding human rights obligation – the freedom of thought, conscience and belief – which they also do not understand.

As Investigator Topchyan would not discuss the case with Forum 18, it remains unclear why he sought views on the implementation of Armenia's legally binding human rights obligations from a group which does not understand Armenia's obligations.

The criminal case against Nazaretyan was halted in early 2023 but soon resumed. On 12 June 2023, the case was sent to Yerevan's Kentron District Court, where it was assigned to Judge Gagik Pogosyan.

Davit Nazaretyan's trial began under Judge Gagik Pogosyan at Yerevan's Kentron District Court with a preliminary hearing on 4 July. Anna Barsegyan led the prosecution case in court. Nazaretyan did not have a lawyer. "I didn't think the case would be too difficult," he told Forum 18. The trial lasted for three hearings, though for one of them the hearing was cancelled as the Prosecutor did not turn up.

Nazaretyan's parents and the Church's Pastor Mikhail Shubin attended each of the hearings to support Nazaretyan. Also attending the final hearing was fellow Baptist conscientious objector Gagik Mirzoyan.

(Mirzoyan, who is from what was the Armenian-controlled Nagorno-Karabakh Region, was forcibly taken to a military unit there in December 2004 and beaten after refusing to swear the oath and bear arms. In July 2005 he was given a suspended sentence. But he was then jailed from September 2005 to September 2006. After being freed, he was transferred to a military unit, where he was – eventually – able to serve without swearing the oath and without bearing arms. He was released from service in January 2008. He fled Nagorno-Karabakh with almost all the Armenian population in September 2023.)

At the final hearing in Nazaretyan's trial on 25 October, Judge Pogosyan found him guilty under Criminal Code Article 461, Part 1 ("Avoidance of mandatory military or alternative service or conscription"). He sentenced him to two years' imprisonment, the minimum under Part 1 of the Article. The decision would come into force only after any appeal to the Criminal Court of Appeal is heard, for which Nazaretyan has one month from receiving the written verdict.

In the meantime, the Judge kept in place the ban on Nazaretyan leaving the country. The two-year jail term would run from the time Nazaretyan is taken into custody.

Judge Pogosyan's assistant refused to put Forum 18 through to the Judge. "Everything is written in the verdict," the assistant – who did not give his name – told Forum 18 from the court on 8 November. The assistant pointed out that Nazaretyan has the right to appeal and noted that the verdict has not yet come into legal force.

"Davit asked for alternative civilian service," Pastor Shubin told Forum 18. "If the law allows this, why didn't they give it to him? If an individual's conscientious views do not allow him to carry weapons or swear the oath, why didn't they give him alternative service?"

Asked his view of Nazaretyan's two-year jail term given that he had repeatedly applied for alternative service, Astsatryan of the government's Department for Ethnic Minorities and Religious Affairs told Forum 18: "Of course it's bad, but the law demands it."

Nazaretyan told Forum 18 he will appeal against the conviction and jail term and is looking for a lawyer for the appeal. (END)

Reports on freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Armenia

https://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2873

Nov 9 2023

Nov 9 2023

“There are 14 of us, I am with my family: my brother-in-law, my mother-in-law and my father-in-law, with 5 children”, says Aspram Sargsyan, who moved to Armenia from Nagorno Karabakh a month ago.

Sargsyan has 5 children, and her husband's brother has 3. Before moving to Armenia, the family lived in the Drmbon settlement of Nagorno Karabakh. At the start of the war on September 19, the family first moved to a nearby village, then reached Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno Karabakh.

On September 19, Nagorno Karabakh was subjected to a large-scale attack by Azerbaijan which lasted less than 2 days.

On September 20, Nagorno Karabakh announced that a ceasefire agreement was reached through the mediation of Russian peacekeepers, and representatives of Artsakh and Azerbaijan would meet in Yevlakh on September 21.

“Since September 19, the Republic of Azerbaijan launched a large-scale attack along the entire line of contact with the Republic of Artsakh, along with massive missile and airstrikes. The analysis of the actions of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan shows that the task of dividing Artsakh and causing irreparable damage to its vitality is set. …. Taking into account all this, the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh accept the proposal of the command of the Russian peacekeeping mission regarding the cessation of fire”, said the statement released by the information headquarters of Nagorno Karabakh.

According to official data  , more than 200 servicemen and civilians were killed in Nagorno Karabakh as a result of military aggression. About 12 civilians and 30 servicemen are missing. There are cases of torture of at least 14 people, including 12 servicemen and two civilians. As a result of military operations, 3 children were killed, 231 servicemen and 80 civilians were wounded to various degrees.

“On that very day when they shot, iron hail was falling. Somehow, we got out of the village, without taking anything with us. We thought we might go back to the village and take our stuff later”, recalls Anyuta Sargsyan, the grandmother of the Sargsyan family.

“When it was calm, my son went to our village. Then he said to us: ‘You should see what they did! If you see what they did, you will not want to go there. If we got here safely, everything will be fine’”, Anyuta Sargsyan notes.

The Sargsyan family, like almost the entire population of Nagorno Karabakh, moved to Armenia shortly after the end of the military operations. More than 100,000 people have been relocated to Armenia so far. The families have come voluntarily – they say that after this war they could not live there anymore.

The Aghajanyan family – the great grandmother, her sons and their families – moved with the help of a neighbouring family. They all got into a truck and reached Armenia within 2 days.

“We made the 4-5 hour trip in 48 hours. The trip took too long, everyone was coming. There was a big queue, everyone wanted to reach Armenia a minute earlier. We are safe here. But the way of migration was cruel. Our hearts were in pain. There were people who couldn't stand the pain and died on the way, died shortly after entering Armenia”, says Shogher Aghajanyan, the family’s grandmother.

During the emigration, 64 civilian deaths were recorded, which are directly related to the deprivations suffered during the period of blockade, ethnic cleansing operations and displacement, such as hunger, lack of medication and medical aid.

“I lost two houses, but I am so happy that my 4 grandsons who were in war came back safe and sound. About the house, we will rebuild it”, Aghajanyan says.

The large family, which miraculously survived the war disaster, settled in one of the regions of Armenia. Some of their neighbours are here as well. They do not want to be separated from their old neighbours, they are thinking of living in one settlement.

The issue of accommodation for all persons transferred from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia has been resolved now. Various aid programmes are being developed and implemented by the Armenian government. First, their reception was organised, then registration and placement were carried out. Within a few days, these persons received various forms of financial support, including for house rent. Everyone's problems have been registered. In general, forcibly displaced families are not only provided with accommodation and basic necessities, but providing them with jobs is also being discussed.

https://www.balcanicaucaso.org/eng/Areas/Nagorno-Karabakh/Nagorno-Karabakh-surviving-war-228067

Nov 8 2023

The government of Armenia is still unclear when it will be possible for citizens to obtain biometric passports without long queues and obstacles.

The country is in the process of procuring a new system for issuing biometric passports and ID cards which is due to be completed through a public-private partnership (PPP). Right now, however, it is still unclear which company will be chosen and how long it will take to technically implement the system, Armen Ghazaryan, head of the Migration Service, said on Monday at the National Assembly of Armenia.

Ghazaryan added that the country’s passport system has been lacking investment for years.

“The fact that this system has survived so far with a minimal investment was thanks to the enthusiasm of the employees,” he said, according to a machine translation from the Armenian news website Tert.am.

Armenia first rolled out its biometric passports in 2021. The following year, however, the government suspended their issuing till early 2024, citing a need for improvements. In April, the country announced it would implement a new system for issuing passports and ID cards, replacing outdated IT systems and standards.

A public statement from the National Assembly issued on Monday promises that the new system will be introduced in “the near future.” The country has been working on introducing legal amendments to support the system in the Law on Citizen’s Passport and Law on Identification Cards.

The government is also pursuing more comprehensive reforms of its biometric document system which will include digital services to citizens and has selected international consultants to conduct studies, the government stated.

Armenia’s previous biometric passport and ID card system supplier was Polish Security Printing Works/ Polska Wytwornia Papierow Wartosciowych (PWPW). Its contract expired on January 1, 2017.

https://www.biometricupdate.com/202311/still-no-date-for-armenian-biometric-passport-introduction

Nov 9 2023

On April 29, 2023, Turkey closed its airspace to FlyOne, an Armenian low-cost carrier, in what would begin a widespread air traffic ban on Armenian overflights. The airspace closure came without warning, yet the silence sent a clear message.

To decipher the reason behind this aerial exclusion, we have to take a look back at the turbulent history between these two nations, which is marred by complex and deeply rooted conflicts.

The lack of official recognition and differing narratives (Turkey has challenged the Armenian depiction of the event’s circumstances and death toll) regarding this dark chapter continues to strain relations between the two nations.

In the week leading up to Turkey’s airspace closure, Armenia celebrated the opening of the “Nemesis” monument in Yerevan Ring Park. The towering shrine was erected as a memorial to fallen members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, who carried out Operation Nemesis in 1921 to assassinate Ottoman perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide.

The Turkish government took offense to the monument and, in response, imposed an air travel restriction on overflights, disallowing Armenian carriers to operate to a third destination from Turkish airspace.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry, together with the country’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, announced that it would not remove the airspace restriction until and unless Armenian officials order the removal of the monument.

While Turkey initially rescinded the ban on FlyOne’s flights, it later extended the restriction to private aircraft – an imposition that is still in place at the time of writing. Although Turkey has not officially issued NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) confirming the unexplained ban on private aircraft, AIN Online reported that some operators have been forced to make technical stops in neighboring Georgia instead.

It is clear why Turkey decided to respond to the “Nemesis” monument in this way: the impact on airlines increases costs at the expense of passengers, which in turn negatively affects connectivity, Armenia’s air travel industry, and the wider tourism sector. As for business aviation operators, this inconvenience affects the plans and pockets of those often on tight schedules – perhaps even those with enough pull to have a say in the demolition of the “Nemesis.”

Sources: Reuters, Brookings, AIN Online

Iran Front Page

Nov 9 2023

Nov 9 2023

Washington, D.C.— Today, Representative Adam Schiff (D-Calif) issued the following statement on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announcing a $25.9 million fine against Citibank for illegally discriminating against Armenian American credit card applicants.

Schiff’s 30th Congressional District, which includes the cities of Burbank and Glendale, is home to the largest Armenian diaspora outside of Armenia. He serves as Vice Chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus.

“It is shameful that Citibank deliberately discriminated against Armenian Americans, denying credit to people on the basis of their last names and ethnic origin. All personnel responsible for participating in and then attempting to cover up this unlawful practice should be terminated from the company.

“While I welcome the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s action, I’m committed to holding banks and other institutions accountable for any such actions. We must ensure that overt discrimination like this never happens again,” said Representative Schiff, Vice Chair of the Armenian Congressional Caucus.

Guidance for Affected Consumers

Consumers who applied for a Citi Retail Services Credit Card between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2021, and are identified as having been denied the credit card based on national origin discrimination are eligible for redress. Consumers can submit complaints about financial products and services by visiting the CFPB’s website or by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372).

Background

Schiff has long represented the largest Armenian diaspora community in the country and serves as Vice Chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus. For decades, he has fought side-by-side with his Armenian American constituents for the recognition of their history, as survivors of the first genocide of the 20th century, and for the protection of their future and the futures of their families and loved ones working for freedom abroad.

https://schiff.house.gov/news/press-releases/statement-rep-schiff-on-citigroups-illegal-discriminatory-practices-targeting-armenian-americans

Army Recognition

Nov 9 2023

Defense News November 2023 Global Security army industry

According to information reported by the Indian news site Euarasiantimes.com, Armenia is strengthening its defense capabilities by signing a $41 million contract with India to acquire ZADS anti-drone military equipment. This new arms agreement is part of deepening bilateral relations between the two nations, which have intensified in recent years.

Armenia is strengthening its defense capabilities by signing a $41 million contract with India to acquire ZADS anti-drone military equipment (Picture source: ZEN)

Yerevan has concluded a deal with the Indian company Zen Technologies to supply the Zen Anti-Drone System (ZADS). The deal includes the delivery of an unspecified number of ZADS units and the maintenance and training of Armenian military personnel. Zen Technologies also plans to open an office in Armenia to facilitate these operations. Zen Technologies is a Hyderabad, India-based company specializing in the design and manufacturing of advanced simulation systems and drone countermeasures solutions.

Zen Technologies' Zen Anti-Drone System (ZADS) is a countermeasure solution to unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS). It is designed to detect and neutralize hostile drones by disrupting their communication with the ground control station. The ZADS is equipped with a radio frequency (RF) detector, a jammer, as well as antennas dedicated to jamming and detection. It also integrates a video-based drone identification and tracking (VDIT) system.

With a 5 km detection port and a 4 km detection capacity, the ZADS can simultaneously detect the signals of the global satellite navigation system (GNSS), the industrial, scientific, and medical radio bands (ISM), and the signals móviles. All frequencies are intercepted. This function allows you to deactivate the conflict between a hostile aerial vehicle (UAV) and the solar control station, meaning that the drone returns to its mission or returns to its base.

This acquisition comes in a context where the Armenian army is seeking to improve its air defense, particularly after the intensive use of drones by the Azerbaijani army, manufactured in Turkey and Israel, during the recent attack on Nagorno-Krabagh in September 2023.

As of September 2022, contracts worth $245 million have already been signed between Armenia and India for the purchase of Pinaka Mk-1 systems of multiple launch rockets, anti-tank rockets, and Indian ammunition. In November of the same year, an additional $155 million deal was reached for the delivery of Indian ATAGS (Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System) 155-millimeter howitzers to the Armenian army.

Pinaka is a multiple rocket launcher produced in India and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Army. The system has a maximum range of 40 km for Mark-I and 60 km for the Mark-I enhanced version and can fire a salvo of 12 HE rockets in 44 seconds. The system is mounted on a Tatra truck for mobility. Pinaka saw service during the Kargil War, where it was successful in neutralizing enemy positions on the mountaintops. It has since been inducted into the Indian Army in large numbers. About 5,000 missiles are being produced every year while an advanced variant is under development with enhanced range and accuracy. In 2019, an upgraded guided-missile version of the system had been test-fired, with a range of over 90 km.

The Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) is a cutting-edge towed howitzer developed in India. This artillery system was designed between 2013 and 2017 by a consortium of Indian organizations, including the Armament Research and Development Establishment, Tata Advanced Systems, and Kalyani Strategic Systems. The manufacturing of ATAGS began in 2019, with key players such as Advanced Weapons and Equipment India, Bharat Forge, and Tata Power SED contributing to its production.

If you would like to know more about the delivery of the ATAGS and Pinaka Mk-1, do not hesitate to consult the article written by the Army Recognition Group editorial team dated October 30, 2023.

Historically, India and Armenia have enjoyed friendly relations, and this support intensified following the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, where India's regional enemy Pakistan openly supported Azerbaijan.

As for the transfer of arms, it is reported that the military equipment sold by India to Armenia was transported through the Iranian corridor. Iran, which shares borders with Armenia and Azerbaijan, has historically maintained a neutral position, but with tilts favorable to Armenia, notably due to the presence of a large Armenian community in Iran and mutual distrust of Turkish expansionism in the region. This Iranian corridor provides a vital passage for Armenia, landlocked and blocked by its borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan, allowing a logistical route for the import of military equipment and other essential resources.

Historically dependent on Russia for its supplies of arms and ammunition, Armenia is diversifying its sources of supply, in particular, due to the deterioration of Russian-Armenian relations and Russia's involvement in the conflict with Ukraine. Armenian leaders have expressed frustration over Moscow's inability to honor post-2020 defense contracts.

Additionally, as reported by the Army Recognition editorial team on October 24, 2023, Armenia recently signed two arms contracts with France, including the purchase of three Ground Master 200 radar systems from Thales and a letter of intent for the future acquisition of French short-range surface-to-air missiles. Although financial details and delivery dates have not been disclosed, these agreements demonstrate the growing support of France, which has a large Armenian diaspora, and India, which supports Armenia in its conflict with Azerbaijan.

Nov 9 2023

Says it is not too late to combat the malign influence of Azerbaijan and Turkey

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, November 9, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ — Christian Solidarity International (CSI) is urging the United States to put its words into action and call the perpetrators of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh to account.

In a letter to President Joe Biden dated November 13, CSI International President Dr. John Eibner says it is time for the U.S. to stand up for the Christian people of Armenia who are existentially threatened by the aggressive authoritarian regimes in Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Referencing President Biden’s Oval Office speech on October 20 pledging support to the endangered peoples of Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, Eibner reminds the president that the Armenian people, and specifically the 120,000 Armenian Christians of Nagorno Karabakh, are still waiting for “constructive American action to stop an ongoing process of genocide” against them.

Last September, Azerbaijan, openly supported by Turkey, finally achieved its goal of ethnically and religiously cleansing the Caucasus region of Nagorno Karabakh of its Armenian Christian population following a nine-month blockade. “In doing so, Azerbaijan and Turkey reached another milestone in the historic process of the Armenian Genocide,” writes Eibner.

CSI’s international president recalls that, speaking on behalf of the administration only five days before Azerbaijan’s military assault, Acting Assistant Secretary of State Yuri Kim informed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: “The United States will not countenance any action or effort—short-term or long-term—to ethnically cleanse or commit other atrocities against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Yet this is exactly what has happened, says Eibner. “Your administration did not act in defense of the fundamental human rights of the people of Nagorno Karabakh. Instead, it sacrificed them as valueless expendables in the context of the United States’ geopolitical power struggle for ascendancy in the South Caucasus.”

In her Congressional testimony, Kim identified the powers whose influence the Biden administration is dedicated to combat: Russia, China and Iran. But she failed to mention Azerbaijan and Turkey – the neo-Ottoman political, military, and economic constellation behind the ethnic/religious cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh.

Having met with no challenge from the U.S., Azerbaijan and Turkey have now fixed their sights on the Republic of Armenia, whose people are increasingly anxious about their own future, states Eibner.

“A reorientation of American policy to combat the malign influence of Azerbaijan and Turkey is overdue. But it is not too late,” he writes, and urges the U.S. to action.

The required action includes pressing for a UN Security Council Resolution calling for the establishment of a secure environment in which refugees and displaced persons can return to Nagorno Karabakh in safety, the international civil presence can operate, a transitional administration can be established, and humanitarian aid can be delivered.

The U.S. must simultaneously impose severe sanctions against the architects and other enablers of Azerbaijan’s religious/ethnic cleansing of Nagorno Karabakh; call for the suspension of Azerbaijan’s membership of NATO’s “Partnership for Peace Program”; and halt all US military aid to Azerbaijan.

The U.S. has the capacity to prevent further genocide in the region, Eibner concludes. “All that is required is the will on your part to lead. The power and prestige of the United States as an upholder of a rules-based world order, anchored in the UN Charter and the international human rights instruments, will be enhanced by such a display of leadership.”

Christian Solidarity International is an international human rights group campaigning for religious liberty and human dignity.

Joel Veldkamp
Christian Solidarity International
+41 76 258 15 74
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook

https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/667468755/csi-calls-for-u-s-action-to-prevent-a-new-armenian-genocide

Sport Star

Nov 9 2023

Israel’s home games in the Women’s Nations League which were to be played in Tel Aviv in December have been moved to Armenia and Hungary, Europe’s football governing body UEFA said on Thursday.

Israel was to host Armenia and Estonia next month but due to the Israel-Hamas conflict, the matches have been moved.