Armenpress: Azerbaijani delegation faces one year suspension from PACE

Antranik Varosian

 21:38,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 24, ARMENPRESS. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has resolved  not to ratify the powers of the delegation of Azerbaijan. 

With this decision, the Azerbaijani delegation has been removed from the PACE for at least a year.

The delegation of Azerbaijan may resume its activities in the Assembly when conditions provided by the Rules of Procedure are met, Ruben Rubinyan, Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia said on social media. 

He added that minutes ago, PACE voted not to ratify the credentials of Azerbaijan’s parliamentary delegation.

In the adopted resolution, the Assembly refers to the resolution adopted in June 2023, "Ensuring Free and Safe Movement through the Lachin Corridor," by  which the Assembly confirmed the absence of free and safe movement through the Lachin corridor. The Assembly was struck by the fact that the leadership of Azerbaijan did not realize the very serious humanitarian consequences and the human rights implications arising from this situation, which lasted almost ten months. The Assembly deeply regrets that the PACE Rapporteur on the Lachin Corridor did not have the opportunity to travel to the Lachin Corridor as part of the fact-finding mission.


The Assembly also cited the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, noting that Azerbaijan’s leadership “did not acknowledge the very serious humanitarian and human rights consequences” stemming from the lack of free and safe access through the Lachin Corridor, and recalling the Assembly’s condemnation of the September 2023 military operation “which led to the flight of the entire Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and to allegations of ‘ethnic cleansing’.”
According to the Assembly, Azerbaijan has “not fulfilled major commitments” stemming from its joining the Council of Europe 20 years ago.

“Very serious concerns remain as to [Azerbaijan’s] ability to conduct free and fair elections, the separation of powers, the weakness of its legislature vis-à-vis the executive, the independence of the judiciary and respect for human rights, as illustrated by numerous judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and opinions of the Venice Commission,” the parliamentarians said.

The parliamentarians cited a number of examples of “lack of co-operation” with the Assembly, including that its monitoring rapporteurs were not allowed to meet with persons detained on allegedly politically motivated charges, it had not been invited to observe the forthcoming presidential election, and other PACE rapporteurs had been refused visits to the country.



Marches Planned for Persecuted Armenians

Yeghisabet Arthur
The European Conservative
Jan 24 2024
The Armenians of Artsakh have endured ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan’s government and military.
  • Uzay Bulut
  • — 

Arepublic located in the South Caucasus, where Armenians have resided for thousands of years, endured ethnic cleansing from 2020 to 2023 at the hands of Azerbaijan’s government and military. The indigenous Armenians of Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, were exposed to two aggressive wars that involved indiscriminate bombings, a nine-month long starvation campaign, and forced displacement. Artsakh is currently occupied by Azerbaijan.

This upcoming January 27 and 28, Armenians and their friends across Europe will be carrying out demonstrations and other activities to highlight the ongoing persecution and threats against Armenians by the government of Azerbaijan. 

Sarineh Abrahamian, the PR and Communication Officer of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD), told The European Conservative:

There will be different activities in over 50 cities across Europe. The purpose is to raise awareness about Artsakh and express solidarity for the Artsakh Armenians that are currently deprived of their ancestral homeland.

During these events, we will urge the EU executive to impose sanctions on the political and military leadership of Azerbaijan responsible for carrying out an ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Armenian population of [the] Artsakh Republic. Furthermore, to call for the immediate release of the Armenian prisoners abducted and held captive in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, and to raise awareness about the situation in the Republic of Armenia, where the Azeri armed forces are illegally occupying Armenian sovereign territory and threatening the southern part of Armenia, the Syunik region.

Europeans for Artsakh is a newly established platform that consists of European Armenian representatives from 15 countries across the European Union, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Abrahamian noted that this platform is coordinating these activities, and Armenian churches throughout Europe are distributing information leaflets and flyers.  

Artsakh is a historically Armenian land. The first Armenian school, the Amaras Monastery, was opened in Artsakh in the 5th century. As part of the Soviet divide-and-conquer strategy in the Caucasus, Artsakh was arbitrarily carved out of Armenia in 1921 by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, who placed it under Soviet Azerbaijani administration but with autonomous status for Armenians. Artsakh has never been part of independent Azerbaijan.

During seven decades of Soviet Azerbaijani rule, the Armenians of Artsakh were subjected to systematic discrimination. Meanwhile, Armenians in the Azerbaijani cities of Baku, Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Maragha were exposed to pogroms and massacres.

On September 2, 1991, the people of Artsakh finally declared independence from the Soviet Union. This was the same year Azerbaijan became independent. In response, Azerbaijan launched an all-out war, which came to be known as the First Artsakh War. They targeted civilians and recruited jihadist mercenaries from both Afghanistan and Chechnya to join the Azerbaijani army.

Azerbaijan’s second war against Artsakh was launched with the support of Turkey in September 2020. Together, they indiscriminately bombed Artsakh territory, including homes, schools, hospitals, and other non-military targets. Azerbaijan recruited jihadists from Syria. Around 5,000 Armenians were killed; many were beheaded or mutilated. Azeri soldiers filmed some of the beheadings and uploaded the videos to social media. The war lasted for 44 days and was only paused through a Russia-brokered ceasefire signed by Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia.

Nevertheless, Azerbaijan’s aggression has not ended. In September 2022, Azeri forces attacked the Republic of Armenia, killing dozens of Armenian soldiers and seizing parts of southern Armenia. 

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan imposed an illegal blockade on Artsakh. The only road connecting Artsakh and Armenia was blocked by Azeri forces, creating a famine in Artsakh. People in Artsakh were deprived of sufficient food, medical supplies, and other essential needs for nine months. This campaign of starvation caused serious malnutrition, mental distress, diseases, miscarriages, and deaths in Artsakh. In July 2023, for instance, two children, three-year-old Leo and six-year-old Gita, whose mother left them to find food in a nearby town, were found dead in a car. In August, K. Hovhannisyan, born in 1983, died as a result of chronic malnutrition and protein and energy deficiency, according to his autopsy report.

Azerbaijan’s latest military attacks against Artsakh were committed on September 19-20, 2023. Azeri forces once again launched an indiscriminate bombing campaign against Armenians in the region. As a result, over 100,000 people from Artsakh were forcibly displaced to Armenia, leaving behind their homes and lands. 

Meanwhile, Azeri forces have violated and even destroyed Artsahk’s Armenian cultural and religious heritage, including churches and cross stones. 

Throughout the three years of the Azeri annihilationist campaign against Armenians, Azeri soldiers kidnapped both Armenian civilians and soldiers. They tortured and, in some cases, murdered those captured. The 2020 ceasefire agreement requires Azerbaijan and Armenia to release all prisoners of war (POWs). Armenia has fulfilled that requirement, but Azerbaijan has not. Following the September 2023 attack on Artsakh, Azerbaijan arrested even more Armenians, including former presidents, state ministers, and military leaders of the Republic of Artsakh. 

According to the Center for Truth and Justice,

23 Armenians are being illegally detained in Azerbaijan … However, it is suspected that many more POWs and civilian hostages are lingering in Azerbaijani prisons. Now that both wars have ended, all detainees must be freed immediately under the Geneva Conventions. However, Azerbaijan refuses to comply.

A report by the University Network for Human Rights entitled “How Three Years of Atrocities Against Ethnic Armenians Led to Ethnic Cleansing” details the types of torture that the Armenian POWs are routinely exposed to in Azeri jails:

Armenians captured by Azerbaijan during and after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, as well as in the course of fighting on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border in September 2022, have been subjected to torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment while in Azerbaijani custody.

Forms of torture and mistreatment have included prolonged and repeated beatings with batons, skewers, brooms, and firearms; laceration of wrists with zip-ties; employment of electro-shock and stress positions; sleep deprivation; confiscation of warm clothing during extreme cold; deprivation of food, water, and hygiene products; and infliction of mental suffering and humiliation.

Immediately following the ceasefire, the Center for Truth and Justice collected direct testimony from prisoners of war repatriated by Azerbaijan that described how Azerbaijani forces consistently tortured and humiliated Armenian captives, including with beatings, electrocutions, tooth extractions, burns by lighters, and insults.

The first Armenian genocide in modern history occurred in 1915 in Ottoman Turkey. The second took place in Artsakh from 2020 to 2023, before the eyes of the whole world. The government of Azerbaijan is now falsely referring to the Republic of Armenia as “Western Azerbaijan” and is threatening invasion. 

According to the Europeans for Artsakh platform, the January 27-28 demonstrations across Europe have the following aims: 

  • To condemn the ethnic cleansing and genocidal policies of Azerbaijan.
  • To advocate for sanctions on Baku.
  • To demand the immediate release of Armenian prisoners of war and hostages.
  • To call for the defense of the Republic of Armenia, particularly in Syunik.
  • To express solidarity with Artsakh Armenians and seek international guarantees for them to live freely and independently on their homeland, safeguarding their fundamental rights.

The story of Artsakh is one of a people’s will, sacrifice, and determination to live as an independent Armenian republic free from the violence and oppression of regional powers. Armenians across Europe and their friends will be marching to call on the international community to support the Armenians’ right to return to Artsakh and secure the immediate release of Armenians held in Azeri jails. The world should heed their call.

Uzay Bulut is a Turkey-born journalist formerly based in Ankara. She is a research fellow of the Philos Project.

OUTLOOK 2024 Caucasus

Babken Chilingarian
Jan 24 2024
By bne IntelliNews 

2023 was the year that Azerbaijan finally took over Nagorno-Karabakh, its dream since the collapse of the Soviet Union three decades ago.
 
In a surprise offensive in September, Baku’s forces attacked the ethnic Armenian enclave, forcing its de facto government to surrender after a day’s fighting. Subsequently, virtually the entire population of the disputed territory, more than 100,000 people, fled to Armenia.
 
To some extent the collapse of the statelet and the humanitarian tragedy of the refugee exodus should have been predictable after the rout of Armenian forces in the Second Karabakh war of 2020, which ended in an unstable Russian-mediated peace.
 
Since then Azerbaijan’s position has strengthened even further. Russia, the guarantor of the peace, has – on the most charitable view – been diverted by its failed invasion of Ukraine.  More cynically, many observers argue it has in fact changed sides and has chosen to back the rising Azerbaijan, which is now much more important for its trade connections, given its routes westwards through Ukraine are now blocked. This has all given President Ilham Aliyev the freedom to flex his new economic and military muscles, and his alliance with a more and more assertive Turkey.
 
What was perhaps not so predictable was the way the international community sat on its hands. Azerbaijan’s growing importance as an energy producer has made Europe turn a blind eye to both Aliyev’s human rights abuses and his aggressive posturing. Despite some wringing of hands, Europe and the US did nothing significant to either restrain the Azerbaijani dictator from invading or protect the inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh afterwards from being in effect ethnically cleansed.
 
Iran, which has tense relations with Baku, was also strangely quiet and quickly adapted to the new regional balance of power, which could also offer it some trade benefits if a corridor is built through its territory to connect Turkey and Azerbaijan.
 
The big question for 2024 is whether Aliyev will be content with his territorial gains. Baku continues to put pressure on Armenia for some kind of extra-territorial route to connect to its exclave of Nakhchivan and beyond to Turkey. It has also begun to repeat old claims to some villages inside Armenia proper, warning that until it is satisfied it will maintain some mountain positions on the disputed border that it has seized. Armenia fears this could all presage another attack. A full-scale invasion, however, looks unlikely, particularly in a year when Baku is hosting the COP29 environmental conference in November. Aliyev appears to want to achieve his objectives by threats.
 
As for Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is determined to achieve peace, even at the cost of cutting Nagorno-Karabakh adrift. The real question this year is to what extent he is prepared to make significant concessions to reach a deal, notably on the issues of the return of refugees, the redrawing of borders, and a “Zangeur Corridor” connecting Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan.
 
So far the weakness of the political opposition has enabled Pashinyan to ride out the storm of the collapse of Nagorno-Karabakh, as he did in 2020 when Azerbaijan routed Karabkh and Armenian forces. Armenia also seems to be coping well with integrating the Karabakh refugee wave.
 
A peace deal would offer Yerevan the chance to open up transport connections with both Azerbaijan and Turkey that could transform its economy and that of the region. It would also provide an opportunity to push Russia out of the southern Caucasus, as it would no longer be needed as a guarantor of the peace – a role it has anyway flunked. Armenia has already begun to strengthen its links with the West, notably France. Yet Russia still has many levers it can pull inside Armenia. Pashinyan’s challenge in the coming year is going to be manoeuvring between Russia and the West, without provoking Moscow into even more overt attempts to bring him down.
 
In Azerbaijan, Aliyev looks increasingly impregnable following Baku’s victory over the tiny Nagorno-Karabakh army. Taking advantage of this, he has called early presidential elections to be held in February, a year earlier than originally planned. But the Aliyev family, which has ruled the country for 30 years, is taking no chances in the façade elections. It has launched a wave of arrests and currently more than 200 people are held as political prisoners.
Georgian dreams
The other big event of the year was the European Commission’s decision on  December 14 to finally grant candidate status for EU membership to Georgia, after turning it down in 2022. The green light was more a reflection of the geopolitical environment than any progress Tbilisi has made to fulfil the conditions the EU had set. Failing Georgia again could have pushed the Georgian Dream government to accelerate its already worrying drift towards Moscow.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Georgia steered a middle course, refusing to join sanctions on Moscow but also not obviously acting as a backdoor to help the Kremlin evade them. But last year Georgia appeared to be moving closer to Moscow, with deepening economic ties and a resumption of direct flights.
 
The increasingly authoritarian government even proposed a Russian-style foreign agent law, though it eventually backtracked after a domestic outcry and Western pressure. It also unfroze the bank assets of sanctioned former Prosecutor General Otar Partskhaladze ­–­ who is closely linked to the billionaire founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili, who made his fortune in Russia ­­– causing the International Monetary Fund to suspend its programme in the country.
 
The big question on Georgia this year is whether the government will finally get serious about qualifying for EU membership. Several conditions remained unfulfilled and the EU added three more.
 
The list now includes: deoligarchisation; depolarisation of politics; fighting disinformation and foreign (Russian) interference; improving the independence of the electoral system; removing state control from the judicial system; strengthening the independence of other government institutions, such as the police and the national bank, greater parliamentary and public oversight of the security services' work;
harmonising foreign affairs with the EU; empowering anti-corruption agencies; and strengthening human rights protections.
 
Many of these look extremely challenging – especially with elections scheduled for October. It would be optimistic to expect the EU to decide to open negotiations at the end of the year.
 
In those elections Georgian Dream looks well placed, given that the United National Movement, the largest opposition party, has experienced a split, raising questions about its future. Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream’s founder, last month announced his return to frontline politics to assure his party’s victory – and also defuse EU criticism that he was pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
 
Sanctions rebound
 
For the economies of the three South Caucasus countries, 2023 was a surprisingly good year. All three countries are closely connected with Russia’s struggling economy but given that country’s resilience to sanctions, the impact of the Ukraine war and sanctions has not been as bad as expected. Moreover, the region has also benefited from the redirection of trade, as well as the influx of Russian migrants and capital flows. In the first 10 months, Armenian exports to Russia increased by 63% to approximately $2.9 billion. This has all boosted demand, labour supply, GDP growth and current accounts.
 
For Georgia, two thirds of whose exports go to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), GDP growth in 2023 is forecast at close to 7%, though this will ease to 4.8% this year, according to the IMF. Inflation dropped to 0.4% at the end of the year, allowing rate cuts and boosting consumption, helped by wage growth of 17%.
 
In terms of vulnerabilities, the current account deficit widened to an estimated 5.9% of GDP in 2023 and is expected to increase to 6.4% in 2024. By contrast, gross external debt has fallen to around 79% of GDP as of the third quarter of 2023, the lowest level since 2014, and by November 2023, the National Bank of Georgia's international reserves hit a record high of $5.1 billion.
 
The Armenian economy was projected to grow by 7% in 2023, followed by 5% in 2024, with private consumption and investment as the main drivers of this growth. Inflation is expected to average 3.5% in 2023 and accelerate to 4% in 2024.
 
In terms of vulnerabilities, the main worry for Armenia is the budget, given the cost of integrating the Karabakh refugees and building up the country’s defence capacity. The government expects the state budget deficit to increase to 4.6% of GDP in 2024, compared to the planned 3.1% for 2023.
 
Petrostate Azerbaijan’s economy has been the poorest performer of the three because of falling oil prices and its declining oil production. In 2023 Azerbaijan's oil production with condensate decreased by 7.4% to 30.2mn tonnes. In 2024 oil production is forecast to fall a further 3% to 29.49mn tonnes. In terms of gas production, there was a 3.2% increase to 48.3bn cubic metres in 2023, with 2024 output expected to rise by 0.7% to 49.06 bcm.
 
This translated into a decline in the oil and gas sector of 1.7%, while the non-oil and gas sector grew by 3.7%, resulting in an estimated increase of just 1.1% in real GDP.
 
ING predicts 2.5% growth this year, while inflation is forecast to fall to 5% from an estimated 9.1% in 2023, which may help consumption revive. Future growth should also be boosted by reconstruction of the reconquered Nagorno-Karabakh territory.
 
The foreign exchange reserves of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan at the end of the year were a massive $11.613bn, up by 29.1%.

 

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Starting From February 1, UAE Removes Entry-Visa Requirements For Citizens Of The Republic Of Armenia

Vanyan Gary
Jan 24 2024
by Deeplata Garde
Starting February 1, 2024, citizens of the Republic of Armenia can enter the UAE without the need for an entry visa. Here’s how the UAE has streamlined travel processes for Armenia. However, travellers are advised to ensure their passports remain valid for at least six months from the date of arrival. The visa exemption allows a maximum stay of 90 days within each 180 days. This offers flexibility for various travel purposes.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to enhance its global connectivity by offering visa-free travel to citizens of the Republic of Armenia. It’s all set to be effective February 1, 2024. This significant announcement reflects the UAE’s commitment to fostering international relations. Also, it will facilitate seamless travel experiences.

In a strategic move, the UAE has decided to eliminate entry visa requirements for citizens of Armenia, signifying a major milestone in diplomatic relations. This policy shift aims to promote a more open and accessible environment for travellers, allowing citizens of the Republic of Armenia to enter, exit, and transit through the UAE without the burden of entry visa formalities and associated fees.

This landmark decision follows Armenia’s ongoing commitment to providing a streamlined visa protocol for UAE passport holders. UAE citizens are currently privileged with visa-free travel to Armenia for up to 180 days within a year. This reciprocal arrangement facilitates not only increased tourism but also paves the way for deeper cultural exchanges between the two nations.

Also, the elimination of visa requirements marks the beginning of a new era.  This progressive step will further strengthen bilateral ties, creating opportunities for collaborative growth and cultural understanding. It aligns with the UAE’s vision of being a global hub that welcomes diverse cultures and promotes international cooperation.

This recent development not only enhances the global connectivity of the UAE but also signifies a commitment to fostering stronger diplomatic, cultural, and economic bonds with Armenia. As the two nations embark on this journey of collaboration, the visa-free travel initiative will in the future unlock new opportunities for tourism, trade, and mutual growth. Overall, it will positively impact the relations between the Republic of Armenia and the United Arab Emirates.

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Stock Images

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https://curlytales.com/starting-from-february-1-uae-removes-entry-visa-requirements-for-citizens-of-the-republic-of-armenia/

"Baku has no political will to settle relations" – Armenian Foreign Minister

Jagharian Tania
Jan 24 2024
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Ararat Mirzoyan on settlement

“The rhetoric we witnessed in the latest interview of the Azerbaijani president does not allow us to lower our vigilance for a second. We have heard outright territorial claims to Armenia’s sovereign territories,” the Armenian Foreign Minister said, referring to a possible escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized that Ilham Aliyev “distorts” the names of cities and regions of Armenia and calls the entire territory of the country “Western Azerbaijan”. All this convinces the Minister that “Baku has no political will to settle relations”.

He believes that there is constantly a possibility of a new escalation, especially this year, as elections in the U.S. and European Parliament are to come. At the same time, he does not notice a weakening of international interest in the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process. He believes that a “settlement using the language of threats” is unacceptable for international actors. He regards the position of partners in this regard as objective and balanced.

Summing up the results of 2023, the Foreign Minister talked about the peace treaty with Azerbaijan, border delimitation, opening of regional communications, normalization of relations with Turkey and other issues important to Armenia.

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Commenting on the peace process with Azerbaijan, the Armenian Foreign Minister emphasized a noticeable regression on key issues. In the latest interview with Aliyev, he notices a step backward even from the preliminary text of the Azerbaijani proposal:

“The Azerbaijani president insisted that new borders should be drawn, or some pre-Soviet borders should be taken as a basis. No one has the authority to draw new borders. And we strongly adhere to the position that during the delimitation process the commissions of the two countries should reproduce the borders drawn on legal grounds, in the form in which they existed at the time of the collapse of the USSR.”

According to the Minister, the statements of the Azerbaijani President on unblocking regional transport by corridor logic do not contribute to the settlement of relations. That is, Armenia will provide roads with the loss of control over these territories. In the same vein, Mirzoyan regarded Aliyev’s words that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces will not leave the territories of Armenia, where they have advanced since 2021.

The Armenian Foreign Minister called the agreement reached with Azerbaijan on prisoner exchange in December last year a “positive event”. At the same time, he noted that “unfortunately, this constructive approach has not been continued.” According to the minister, a regression is observed both in the text of the peace treaty exchanged between the parties, and in Baku’s official position and refusal to hold summit meetings.

The journalists were interested in how Yerevan treats the proposal of direct negotiations without the participation of mediators. Mirzoyan considered this question “artificial”. He says that the negotiations that have taken place so far can also be considered direct and that different partners helped, organized meetings, but the parties by and large negotiated directly with each other:

“This issue is not fundamental for us, the content of the negotiations and the principles around which they should take place are fundamental.”

The Minister expressed the hope that “Azerbaijan will soon return to the constructive field and it will be possible to finalize the peace process started long ago”.

He said that he has not received a proposal for a meeting on the border, but if it is received, it will be considered. There is no agreement on a meeting at the level of foreign ministers or state leaders.

Mirzoyan emphasized that Yerevan is ready to take steps to strengthen confidence between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He recalled that maps of minefields – all the information available at the time – were given to the Azerbaijani side twice:

“However, we have periodically heard complaints that these maps are not very effective and do not reflect the exact location of the mines. In this regard, it is appropriate to recall that Azerbaijan itself started this process of mine clearance in the early 90s.”

At the same time, the minister said that now the relevant bodies in Armenia are working on collecting new information about the mines. He did not rule out that if they manage to obtain reliable information, it would also be provided to Baku.

According to Mirzoyan, the special representatives of Armenia and Turkey on normalization of relations between the two countries did not meet in 2023.

“No tangible progress on the settlement of relations without preconditions has been seen.”

He recalled that he himself and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with their Turkish counterparts during the year, which is a “positive basis”.

However, he noted that even the agreements reached earlier have not been fulfilled. In particular, he refers to the opening of the border by Turkey for representatives of third countries, which was agreed upon by the special representatives in July 2022.

https://jam-news.net/ararat-mirzoyans-n-settlement/

Scammers make half a million dollars in Armenia with the help of AI neural networks

Babken Chilingarian
Jan 24 2024
  • Sona Martirosyan
  • Yerevan

Scam with neural networks

Internet scammers have robbed gullible citizens of Armenia of half a million dollars with AI neural networks to create promotional videos in which famous people urge investing in various commercial projects and profit-sharing schemes.

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“What I did is just stupid. I’m ashamed to talk about it because I was always sure I was an educated, informed person. A person of my type cannot fall victim to such a cheap deception. But it happened,” says 38-year-old Anush K.

She teaches social studies at a high school in Tavush province and fears that her students will stop trusting her if they learn about the incident:

“I also teach media literacy as part of the social studies subject. Can you imagine how ridiculous it is that a person who talks about safe behavior on the internet every day, gives their money to scammers?”

Anush, like thousands of other residents of Armenia, was the victim of an internet scam that was distributed on behalf of Gazprom Armenia.

According to the Armenian Investigative Committee, the victims have already “invested” half a million dollars in the non-existent financial system.

“With the help of neural networks, scammers created advertisements in which well-known figures – politicians and businessmen – call for investing in various projects or purchasing shares of various companies, including Gazprom Armenia CJSC.” The victims are mostly people who are not familiar with technology and agree to provide their bank details,” the Investigative Committee said.

Anush was “persuaded” to invest by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, whose image was also used by the scammers.

“I knew that modern information technologies make it possible to duplicate the appearance and voice of any person. But I thought it was impossible to create such a video that would not differ at all from the real one. In the video I saw, Pashinyan’s voice, facial expressions and speech were absolutely real. It was my mistake to believe what I saw.”

Here is one such video that has been circulating on Facebook

After watching the video, Anush clicked on the link provided in the video description. A page appeared on her phone screen, asking her to enter her name, surname and phone number.

She says that if the first link had asked for bank details, she would have had doubts. Immediately after entering her personal details, she received a call via the WhatsApp app. A man named Andrei explained the details of the transaction in Russian. Anush says the young man’s words did not inspire confidence, she disconnected the call and did not respond to subsequent ones.

“It seemed suspicious to me that the call was from abroad, that the guy spoke Russian. I thought it wasn’t worth making a dubious deal. But a few hours later, the call came from an Armenian number. A young woman spoke to me in Armenian. She said that the program allowed me to invest starting from $300, after which I would get a significant profit.

She explained that specialists, who understand securities, instead of us, send our money to buy such shares, which in a few days are sold two or three times more expensive. Allegedly, that’s how the profits are generated. I agreed, but decided to take my time. Over the next two days, this woman kept calling and asking why I hadn’t invested the money. During the last conversation, she said that the stock market was changing from day to day and that it was impossible to delay.”

Following instructions, Anush posted her bank details on the website and received a notification that the money had been transferred from her card. A few days later, the phone numbers from which she was contacted – both Armenian and foreign – were unavailable.

“Then we had to go to the bank, block this card and related accounts, get a new card. I realized that they already had all the data of this account, and any amount appearing on this card would immediately go to them.”

Her husband also insisted that she go to the police. The application was accepted, but she was warned that such cybercrimes are difficult to solve. Fraud groups operate from different countries using secure communications, so it is not easy to detect them or track their movements.

The success of scammers lies in carefully thought-out advertising, says information security expert Samvel Martirosyan:

“They shoot high-quality videos using the faces of famous people. Then they distribute them using advertising on Facebook and Instagram. Many people say that all their pages should be blocked and they should not be allowed to create new ones. But this is impossible. After all, ads are placed through constantly changing and even hacked pages. Vigilance is essential.”

There are signs of deception that should alert people, the expert said. For example, when strangers suggest investing a small amount, but get a big profit. According to Martirosyan, before investing money, it is necessary to study a particular market, to understand what interest rates are offered here. Scammers usually offer much higher percentages.

“A normal business offers 10-20 percent annual return on investment. And when it comes to investing with getting 20, 30, 40 or more percent per week, believe me you are being scammed. Especially when the offer comes from a stranger.”

As soon as a person invests an amount of money, he immediately finds himself “in the crosshairs of fraudsters”. They start working with him individually, using methods of psychological influence. Often those who made the first deposit are actually transferred a certain amount of money so that they tell others about it and attract more people.

“When someone receives a money transfer, they say, ‘If you tell your friends and acquaintances, you will get money for this. And when they get a certain number of people, they take all the money and disappear. But since they are not simple swindlers, they start calling the person again, demanding to invest the amount again, saying that the previous deposit is frozen.

After a certain period of time this person can even see his name and surname on some pages indicating the amount. And he thinks it is his money, but it is not. These are just drawn figures on which they are trying to build new frauds,” says Martirosyan.

And when the “victim” already intends to apply to law enforcement agencies, it even comes to threats.

According to the expert, scammers do not stop there. At the next stage, when a person realizes that all these steps are useless, they start calling him again with an offer of help. Some people present themselves, for example, as representatives of a large Swiss company, but are in fact from the same group demanding a fee for their services.

The mass involvement of Armenian residents in this manipulative process is due to several circumstances, psychologist Hayk Baghdian believes. Among them are the high threshold of social insecurity, as well as psychological traumas resulting from the tragic events of recent years. The psychologist says that wars make people especially vulnerable and Armenia is no exception:

“First of all, a person with psychological trauma starts to be told what he can achieve with the help of this money. For example, they say that you will get rich, you will have the house of your dreams, you will provide everything you need for your family. They create in his perception a certain desired future, what he dreams of. The impact of this technique increases when a person has a feeling of emptiness and needlessness, when the present does not satisfy him. And he begins to think that if he accepts this offer, life will become full.”

Regarding videos distributed by fraudsters and their impact, Bagdyan emphasizes that any advertisement contains elements of manipulation. And advertisements created for this purpose are usually well thought out and have maximum impact on the subconsciousness of a person. That is why it is very difficult to refuse this temptation, and it requires attention and vigilance.

60 cases of pressure on journalists: analysis of the situation in Armenia in 2023

Garnik Zakarian
Jan 24 2024
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Violations of journalists’ rights

In 2023, pressure on media increased in Armenia. Sixty such cases were recorded, which is 5 more than in 2022. This was reported by Ashot Melikyan, Head of the Committee for the Protection of Freedom of Speech.

He presented to his colleagues a report on the state of freedom of speech in the country, and violations of journalists’ rights and media resources in 2023.

  • Sixth arrest in the Abzas Media case in Azerbaijan
  • The broadcasting of “Sputnik Armenia” radio programs has been temporarily stopped. What’s the matter?
  • Insults against Pashinyan on “Channel One”. Will Russian channels be taken off the air?

Melikyan characterized the past year as a difficult one for media and journalists, as many important events took place in and around the country, and recalled last year’s mass protests and aggravated socio-political situation, the fierce struggle during the pre-election campaign for the Yerevan Council of Elders, which resulted in the election of a new Mayor of the capital.

Among the “alarming events” of 2023, about which Armenian society was expecting information on a daily basis, he named the blockade of Nagorno Karabakh, which lasted for almost 10 months. The media worked hard during the days of September hostilities, which Azerbaijan conducted in NK, and during the days when the entire Armenian population moved to Armenia.

According to the annual report published by the Committee for the Protection of Freedom of _expression_, last year there were cases of pressure on journalists, including manifestations of hatred and threats against media representatives.

However, according to Melikyan, there were “noticeably fewer cases of physical violence” against journalists in Armenia in 2023:

“6 cases were recorded, while in 2022 there were 14 cases.”

Melikyan is concerned about the fact that lately state bodies consider granting accreditation to journalists as a “work permit or a favor”. But the media expert considers even more negative the deprivation of accreditation of journalist of the opposition newspaper “Zhoghovurd” Knar Manukyan in the parliament:

“I can hardly remember if there has been any case of depriving a journalist of accreditation in the last 30 years. But this is the second case under the current government, and it is completely unjustified.”

The report of the Committee for the Protection of Freedom of _expression_ also refers to cases of restriction of freedom of information. State bodies unreasonably rejected requests from media representatives or gave insufficiently complete answers.

“In 2023, 135 cases of violation of the right to receive and disseminate information were recorded, in 2022 – 115. In all 135 cases, open information was required. State bodies did not provide it, or provided incomplete information, vague answers,” Melikyan stated.

He said that in all cases studied by the committee no information containing state or military secrets was requested:

“We analyze these data very carefully. If a media outlet or a journalist applied to a state body with a request for information containing state or military secrets and received a refusal, we do not consider it a violation. Since secrets are not subject to disclosure.”

The expert advises journalists in such cases to apply to the administrative court. He believes that this is necessary not only to obtain the necessary information from a public body, but also to bring it to justice.

The Committee monitors lawsuits against journalists and media resources. Melikyan says it is examining how well-founded the claim is, whether the court’s decision is fair and legal. A separate report will be published summarizing this data.

But already in 2023, more lawsuits were filed with the courts. There were 32 in 2022 and 36 in 2023. Journalists are accused most of all of disseminating offensive information or slander.

Melikyan emphasizes that most of the plaintiffs refused to publish a refutation or the possibility of a response before filing an application with the court.

However, the media expert considers out-of-court solutions more effective and prompt. In particular, he mentions the possibility applying to the Council on Information Disputes or the Supervisory Council on Ethics.

https://jam-news.net/violations-of-journalists-rights-report-on-the-situation-in-armenia/

Change of school history subject title stirs controversy in Armenia

Jirair Kafian

Jan 24 2024


 

ByArshaluys Barseghyan

A proposal to change the name of a school subject, Armenian History, to the History of Armenia has stirred controversy in the country, despite government reassurances that the curriculum would remain unchanged.

During a meeting of the ruling Civil Contract party last week, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that a group of teachers and scientists had appealed to the Ministry of Education to change the subject’s name.

Pashinyan stated that he agreed with the proposal, adding that he ‘blamed himself’ for not ‘noticing this subtlety’ earlier.

‘There is a very serious difference in the deep content because the history of the Armenian people implies the history of the absence of statehood with episodes of existence of statehood, and the history of Armenia implies a history of statehood with episodes of absence of statehood’, said Pashinyan.

On Tuesday, Deputy Education Minister Araksya Svachyan stated that none of the current history textbooks would undergo any changes aside from their titles.

Despite the ministry’s assurances that no changes would be made to the curriculum, Pashinyan’s statement prompted public criticism. 

On Monday, the Ministry of Education submitted the proposal to change the subject’s name to the Unified Website for Publication of Legal Acts’ Drafts, a government portal used to share draft legislation with the public before its discussion.

The ministry argued that the name change reflects the different periods of the history of Armenian statehood and the Armenian people.

The portal on which the ministry submitted the proposal allows people to vote on drafts and leave their own suggestions, though such voting is not legally binding.

At the time of publication, 55% voted against the draft, while around 30 people left comments or suggestions.

Some pointed out that the word ‘Hayots’ from ‘Hayots Patmutyun’ (‘Armenian history’), was derived from the word ‘Hayq’, Armenia’s ancient name, and therefore denoted the history of both the Armenian nation and state.

This, they argued, was more reflective of Armenia over the past two millennia, rather than only the modern Armenian republic.

‘Armenian History is a much more comprehensive concept and includes the history of our people in the pre-state period, the history of Urartu and Greater Armenia, the history of Armenian principalities and mediaeval kingdoms, and much more’, wrote Avetik Chalabyan.

‘To replace it with the “History of Armenia”, which refers to a relatively recent period, will artificially exclude a significant part of Armenian history from teaching.’

In an interview with Armenia’s Public Radio, historian Edgar Hovhannisyan argued that the subject’s original name, Armenian History, was also representative of the Armenian Diaspora, which constitutes the majority of Armenians.

‘If we are talking about the history of Armenia, are we not going to study the Armenian colonies, the Diaspora? For example, the first seeds of the idea of restoring Armenia’s independence were born in the Indo-Armenian colony in the 18th century’, he said.

https://oc-media.org/change-of-school-history-subject-title-stirs-controversy-in-armenia/

Abu Dhabi will soon welcome Armenians without a visa

Karapet Navasardian
Time Out
Jan 24 2024

UAE citizens can drop into the country without a visa too

By Time Out Editors

Visiting the UAE is at the top of most people’s bucket lists. Why wouldn’t it be? We’ve got record-breaking attractions, phenomenal views and so many things to do here.

 And soon, thanks to a bilateral agreement between the UAE and Armenia, citizens from the Asian country can enjoy the beauty of the UAE without the hassle of paper work.

From February 1, citizens of the Republic of Armenia will be able to easily enter, exit and transit through Abu Dhabi without a visa.

Citizens of the UAE can also travel to Armenia without a visa; they can stay in the country for up to 180 days in a year.

Armenia is the latest in a number of countries that include visa-free travel for The UAE citizens. Some others who’ve made the list include Turkey, Uzbekistan and Kosovo.

(Credit: CanvaPro)

Thinking of a trip to Armenia? The good news is Wizz Air flies direct to Yerevan, which is only about three hours and thirty minutes away from Abu Dhabi.

Picturesque and with a rich history, Yerevan is one of the oldest cities in the world. Founded around 782BC, it’s worth a visit. You can learn about its ancient roots at the Erebuni Museum Archaeological Preserve.

If you want to see something quaint and take pictures for the gram, visit Kond District, which is cobble-stoned and has plenty of street art to keep you clicking.

Armenia Plans to Use Iranian Ports to Reach India

Garnik Zakarian
Jamestown Foundation
Jan 23 2024

03:57 PM Age: 22 hours

Executive Summary:

  • Iran has granted Armenia access to its Chabahar and Bandar Abbas ports to facilitate Yerevan’s trade access to India.
  • The proposed east-west transit route will serve as a supplemental component of the International North-South Transport Corridor in facilitating greater regional trade.
  • Armenia has increasingly turned to India for defense cooperation and arms purchases in the wake of Yerevan’s falling out with Moscow.

On January 3, Mehdi Sobhani, the Iranian ambassador to Armenia, announced that Armenian ships could freely use Iran’s Chabahar and Bandar Abbas ports (Arminfo, January 3). Yerevan has been moving toward signing formal economic agreements with Tehran to use Iranian seaports for its arms trade with India. This development is a further sign of Armenia’s estrangement from former protector Russia following military clashes with Azerbaijan last year (see EDM,February 9, September 20, 2023. Both New Delhi and Tehran strongly support Armenian aspirations to assist in the development and use of Iran’s ports. Compensating for Yerevan’s downgrade of defense and armaments agreements with Moscow, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said: “We view the security of Armenia as the security of Iran” (Caucasus Watch, February 22, 2023). The growth of trilateral cooperation among Armenia, India, and Iran looks to improve regional transit infrastructure and elevate each country’s influence in the South Caucasus (see EDM, June 21, 2023).

Armenian-Indian rapprochement dates back to Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s trip to Armenia in October 2021. That marked the first visit of an Indian foreign minister to Yerevan in the three decades since the Soviet Union’s collapse  (Firstpost, January 5). Jaishankar’s visit built upon an earlier meeting held on September 26, 2019, between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly in New York. There, Modi requested Armenia’s assistance in finalizing a trade arrangement with the Russian-dominated Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), of which Armenia is a member (Asia News International, September 26, 2019).

Armenia’s interests in expanding cooperation with Iran and India are twofold. Yerevan seeks to strengthen its military by importing high-grade sophisticated armaments and to stimulate its access to global markets by expanding its trade options beyond the Russian-dominated EAEU and post-Soviet space. Armenia began to search for new security partners after Russia, dominating the Collective Security Treaty Organization, refused to assist Armenia in fighting Azerbaijan during the Second Karabakh War (September 27–November 10, 2020) and subsequent border clashes. As a result, Yerevan and New Delhi began to discuss prospects for bilateral defense cooperation. Since then, India has proven to be a useful partner, as Armenia signed a contract in 2022 to import Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles, and other munitions. The supplies were ferried via Iran, provoking protests from Azerbaijan (The Times of India, October 26, 2023). In 2023, Pashinyan and Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan openly discussed Russia’s failure to Armenia with supply arms. The weapons and munitions are worth hundreds of millions of Armenia drams and have already been paid for, with no indication of Moscow planning to refund the money (JAMnews, December 29, 2023).

Landlocked Armenia is also engaged in discussions to join in developing Iran’s Chabahar port. Chabahar is situated on Iran’s Makran coast in the southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province bordering Pakistan. The port itself lies next to the Gulf of Oman at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz and gives Iran direct access to the Indian Ocean. Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan recently noted that Chabahar is an integral component in Armenia’s quest for enhanced access to India and Central Asia via connectivity with the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). Armenia’s link to Chabahar and the long-dormant INSTC, originally proposed by India, Iran, and Russia in 2000, can be completed by the end of 2024 ( Logistics Insider, November 9, 2023).

The proposed east-west trade route to connect Armenia, Iran, and India is meant to be a supplemental component of the INSTC. The original purpose of the INSTC was to reduce the cost of trade between India and Russia by about 30 percent and cut transit time by more than half (see EDM, July 13, 2022). Geopolitical disagreements and funding shortages have delayed the corridor’s development.

The Armenian economy would certainly benefit from a boost in its international trade. According to the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia, in 2021, the national poverty rate was 26.5 percent (Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia, November 30, 2022). Even worse, poverty in rural areas has reached a sobering 33–49.1 percent (Hetq.am, November 30, 2022). As of January 1, Armenia took over the rotating EAEU chairmanship from Russia for 2024. Yerevan projects that Armenia could serve as a transit conduit for Iran to the EAEU and European countries further afield. Iran, in turn, would assist Armenia in gaining access to the Persian Gulf, Central Asia, and India.

Moscow has voiced concerns about Armenia’s search for alternative security partners. For example, at the end of last year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressed the Kremlin’s concerns about Armenia’s drift toward the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He remarked: “I hope that Yerevan is aware that the deepening of cooperation with the alliance will lead to the loss of sovereignty in the field of national defense and security” (TASS, December 28, 2023). Russian concerns about Armenia drifting away from its weapons exports will not abate anytime soon. Recently, sources within the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that Armenia is interested in signing more defense contracts with New Delhi for Indian-made drones and counter-drone systems, munitions, and mid-range surface-to-air missiles (Firstpost, January 5).

Armenia’s hopes for gaining trade access to India via Iran’s ports may be premature. On January 16, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in Sistan-Baluchistan fired drones and missiles against Baloch Sunni Muslim militant group Jaysh al-Adl in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province (The Tehran Times, January 16). The day before, Iran had carried out similar strikes inside Iraq and Syria against “spy headquarters” and “terrorist” bases. On January 18, Pakistan retaliated with missile and drone strikes against “terrorist hideouts” in Iran (The News International, January 18).

Yerevan’s estrangement from Russia is a significant loss for Moscow’s position in the South Caucasus. Still, Armenia’s integration into global north-south and east-west trade patterns brings with it several challenges and opportunities. Pakistan’s strikes on Iran were the first external land attack on the Islamic Republic since Saddam Hussein’s forces invaded in September 1980, igniting eight years of conflict. Expanding security cooperation with more reliable partners than Russia is one thing. Succeeding in the increasingly turbulent Eurasian economic environment is quite another.

https://jamestown.org/program/armenia-plans-to-use-iranian-ports-to-reach-india/