Crisis 24

Nov 7 2023

Activists affiliated with the National Democratic Pole plan to hold a protest march starting from Freedom Square, Yerevan, at 19:00 Nov. 10. The purpose of the action is to condemn Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. It is unclear where marchers will go from Freedom Square or how many demonstrators may take part in the action. Possible march waypoints or endpoints include the Prime Minister's Residence (26 Marshal Baghramyan Avenue), the National Assembly (19 Marshal Baghramyan Avenue), and the Government of Armenia building (Republic Square).

Heightened security and localized transport disruptions are likely. Low-level confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement officers cannot be ruled out.

https://crisis24.garda.com/alerts/2023/11/armenia-activists-to-demonstrate-in-yerevan-nov-10

Daily Sabah, Turkey

Nov 7 2023

Eight villages in liberated Karabakh are still under Armenian occupation, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

"Armenia chose the path of enduring to menace the peace process, lives of our citizens, restoration and reconstruction work carried out in the region … Armenia also refused to hand over eight Azerbaijani villages, which are still under occupation," said a statement by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

The statement was released on the occasion of Azerbaijan's Victory Day on Nov. 8, which celebrates Baku's victory in the 2020 Karabakh war. It said that despite its obligations, Armenia continued to provide military support to separatist forces in the Karabakh region amid peace talks.

It further emphasized that the separatist forces in the region ignored Azerbaijan's warnings at various levels and platforms, and increased their provocations back in September, resulting in the anti-terrorism operation which restored the country's full sovereignty over its territories.

"Currently, after the existence of the Armenian armed forces and the puppet regime created by Armenia in our territories were brought to an end, there are ample opportunities for peace and stability in the region," the statement said.

It added that "Armenia must finally recognize that there is no alternative to peace and cooperation in the region," noting that Azerbaijan calls on Armenia to demonstrate a "constructive and just position in the peace process and to understand the realities in the region properly."

Azerbaijan and Armenia relations have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

Azerbaijan liberated most of the territory during a war in the fall of 2020, which ended after a Russian-brokered peace agreement and also opened the door to normalization.

This September, the Azerbaijani army initiated an anti-terrorism operation in Karabakh to establish constitutional order, after which illegal separatist forces in the region surrendered.

Azerbaijan, having now established full sovereignty in the region, has reiterated its call on the Armenian population in Karabakh to become part of Azerbaijani society.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan and Serbia reiterated their support for each other's territorial integrity amid talks between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Belgrade.

"President Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia always supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and expressed gratitude for Azerbaijan's support to the territorial integrity of Serbia," according to a statement by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

It said satisfaction with the existing strategic partnership relationship between the two countries and the importance of mutual high-level visits were expressed during the meeting.

It also said Vucic and Bayramov exchanged views on the perspectives of the development of trade and economic relations, indicating there are a lot of opportunities for strategic cooperation in energy, agriculture, tourism and others.

"During the meeting, views were exchanged on the possibility of normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations and establishment of sustainable peace in the region," it said, adding that other issues of mutual interest were also discussed.

Bayramov later held separate meetings with Vladimir Orlic, the head of the Serbian National Assembly and his Serbian counterpart, Ivica Dacic.

Bayramov visited Bucharest on Monday where he met his Romanian counterpart, Luminita Odobescu.

SeeNews

Nov 7 2023

Annie Tsoneva

November 6 (SeeNews) – Croatian civil engineering company Institut IGH [ZSE:IGH] said on Monday it set up a branch office in Armenia’s capital Yerevan.

The head of the branch office is Robert Petrosian, the company said in a filling to the Zagreb bourse, without elaborating.

Institut IGH's shares last traded on October 31 on the Zagreb bourse, closing 1.58% higher at 9.65 euro.

($ = 0.945 euro)

https://seenews.com/news/croatias-institut-igh-opens-office-in-armenia-839046

Nov 6 2023

By News Desk

The mission of the American Armenian Rose Float Association is to promote and preserve Armenian culture and heritage through the art of float design.

Vibrant hues dance to the rhythm of the float theme, “Armenian Melodies,” featuring a beautiful Armenian Taraz, a dress shown on the float. It will be adorned with red Christmas mums, whole pomegranates, cranberry seeds, and dried apricots. The Shukar Birds, perched proudly at the back of the float, will be decorated with blue and purple statice, black beans and the warm glow of orange lentils. Feel the beat of traditional Daf drums, curated into a medley of brown flax seeds, crushed walnuts, and the deep blue of statice.

The most stunning aspect of the float is the homage to Garni Gorge, a gorge a short distance east of Yerevan, Armenia, just below the village of the same name, where the first-century AD Temple of Garni may be seen above the gorge. Along the cliff walls of the gorge are well-preserved basalt columns carved out by the Goght River. This floral portrayal of Garni Gorge is a rock wall adorned with white rice and seeds of light lettuce, poppies, and dark lettuce, a tribute to the Armenian terrain. Layered at the base are white and yellow roses mingled with apricots and pomegranates, complemented by blue statice flowers and pink cymbidium orchids.

This spectacle isn’t just a visual delight; it’s a celebration of Armenian heritage. It’s a testament to the commitment and dedication to inspiring, educating and raising awareness about the deep history of Armenian traditions and values.

The floats will journey the 5 ½ mile Parade route displaying their symbolic and spectacular storytelling sure to be embraced by millions of streetside and broadcast viewers from across the country and around the world drawn to America’s New Year Celebration.

Source: TOR

Nov 7 2023

Members of Armenian civil society said they have received new warnings from Apple that their smartphones were targeted for infection with commercial spyware.

See Also: Live Webinar | Generative AI: Myths, Realities and Practical Use Cases

Samvel Martirosyan, the co-founder at the Armenian digital rights organization CyberHUB, shared a screenshot of an Apple alert from Oct. 30 stating that "state-sponsored attackers may be targeting your iPhone."

Martirosyan cautioned that "the warning does not necessarily mean the phone is newly infected. Often a person finds out that he was attacked, but for example, a year or two ago."

Analysis published in May by Access Now found that a government customer of the commercial spyware developer NSO Group used its Pegasus app to infect the Apple devices of members of Armenian civil society beginning in October 2020 (see: Pegasus Spyware Spotted in Nagorno-Karabakh War).

Researchers said they had found "substantial evidence" to suggest that the Azerbaijani government is a Pegasus customer, and previous evidence identifies Azerbaijan-linked domains connected with Pegasus and one-click SMS infection infrastructures masquerading as Azerbaijani political websites.

The warning comes as governments across the world have sought to limit the reach of the commercial spyware industry. The U.S. government this year limited its use of advanced surveillance software such as Pegasus through an executive order prohibiting agencies from buying licenses for spyware used by foreign governments to spy on dissidents. European lawmakers denounced the commercial spyware industry this spring and chastised half a dozen member nations for deploying spyware against citizens or selling it abroad (see: European Parliament Condemns Commercial Spyware).

Armenia and Azerbaijan have engaged in intermittent conflict for decades over territorial lines. Azerbaijan in September launched an attack against an ethnic enclave known as Nagorno-Karabakh or Artsakh that resulted in mass evacuation of local Armenians away from Azerbaijan. Several infections clusters were also observed during border conflicts in 2021 and 2022 and before Armenia's 2021 elections, Martirosyan said.

John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at The Citizen Lab, tweeted on Friday that "Apple threat notifications are 'clear & invaluable' signs something serious is going on. They've triggered major investigations and uncovered widespread spyware abuses. Devices that get warnings usually show signs of spyware infection (or an attempt). Then take action."

Scott-Railton said individuals at risk should enable lockdown mode on their iPhones. "Our research throughout 2023 has 'not' found cases of Pegasus and Predator infection when it's enabled," he said.

https://www.govinfosecurity.com/state-sponsored-attackers-targeting-armenians-apple-warns-a-23536