Azerbaijani forces ambushed a vehicle in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Sunday morning, leaving three Armenian police officers dead and one seriously injured. Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry later reported two dead on its side. CivilNet host and analyst Eric Hacopian and Emilio Cricchio discuss recent developments on the international stage and the state of the negotiation process with the Armenian side that may have led to this attack.
The largest opposition Hayastan faction in the Armenian parliament has drafted a decision asking the National Assembly to apply to the Constitutional Court to dismiss its new judge, Seda Safaryan, who is accused of a gross misconduct, lawyer Arsen Babayan said on Friday.
Safaryan hired her husband as her driver and continued to work as an attorney after being appointed as a court justice last fall, sparking allegations of abuse of power.
“I held a phone call with Hayastan faction secretary Artsvik Minasyan a short while ago. He said that the faction had already drafted a decision on applying to the Constitutional Court over the case involving judge Seda Safaryan and would put it into circulation,” Babayan wrote on Facebook.
“The ball is now in the ruling team’s court. It’s for the parliament majority to decide whether to allow the judge installed by them to continue serving as a “judge-suspect” throughout her tenure or to apply to the Constitutional Court to settle the issue,” he added.
Rep. Adam Schiff
WASHINGTON—Congressman Adam Schiff on Monday released a statement to mark the 35th anniversary of the Sumgait Pogrom. The statement will be included in the Congressional Record for .
Below is the text of the statement.
I rise today to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the pogrom against the Armenian residents of the town of Sumgait, Azerbaijan. Beginning on February 27, 1988 and over the course of three days, Azerbaijani mobs assaulted and killed Armenians. The violence left dozens of Armenian civilians dead and hundreds injured, women and girls were raped, and some victims were burned alive after being tortured and beaten. Thousands were forced to flee their homes, leaving behind their belongings. Armenian homes and businesses were left to be looted and destroyed.
The pogroms came about as the result of years of hateful, racist anti-Armenian propaganda woven into the very fabric of Azerbaijani society by Azerbaijani leaders, who made little effort to punish those responsible, instead attempting to cover up the atrocities in Sumgait and denying the government’s role in instigating the killings. This unprovoked violence against Armenians was a precursor to subsequent attacks on ethnic Armenians, including the pogroms in Kirovabad, Baku, and the Maragha Massacre.
Time has not healed the wounds of those victimized in the pogroms or their families because three decades later, Azerbaijan’s aggression against the people of Armenia and Artsakh continues.
Beginning on September 27, 2020, and over 44 days, Azerbaijani forces once again targeted and murdered innocent Armenians in Artsakh and displaced tens of thousands more. Azerbaijan’s violence again escalated in September of 2022, when Azeri forces shelled homes in the villages of Karmir Shuka and Taghavard in Artsakh and launched an unprovoked assault on sovereign Armenian territory.
Today, Azerbaijan continues to terrorize the people of Artsakh by blocking the Lachin Corridor — the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia. Since the blockade on December 12, 2022, the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh has grown more dire by the day, with widespread shortages of food, medicine and other necessities and rolling blackouts amid freezing temperatures. The effect has been devastating to the 120,000 individuals living in Artsakh, including children and the elderly.
These are the horrific consequences when aggression and hatred grow unchecked and when Aliyev’s hostility is met with deafening silence, emboldening him to continue, and expand, his unprovoked attacks on the Armenian people, knowing there will be no repercussions. This is why Azerbaijan considers it acceptable to annihilate Armenians in their historical homeland. We cannot allow violence and crimes against humanity to go unanswered.
The United States must immediately and permanently stop all U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan and impose sanctions. It must also direct U.S. humanitarian assistance to Artsakh, call for the safe and unconditional release of the remaining Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians, hold Azerbaijan accountable for the destruction of religious and cultural sites, and support democracy in Armenia and a free, independent Artsakh.
On this tragic anniversary, as we pause to remember the innocent victims of the pogroms, we are also reminded that despite the trials the Armenian people have faced, it has not broken their faith, determination, and their will to survive in the face of constant threats from Azerbaijan. Today, let us recommit ourselves to doing everything we can to bring liberation to our Armenian brothers and sisters abroad, once and for all.
17:24, 22 February 2023
YEREVAN, 22 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 22 February, USD exchange rate down by 1.20 drams to 390.48 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.10 drams to 414.96 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.04 drams to 5.21 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 1.61 drams to 471.74 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 183.58 drams to 23060.22 drams. Silver price down by 0.02 drams to 273.37 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.
Burbank Armenian Association applauds City Council for standing with the Armenian community in a historic moment for justice!
The resolution passed unanimously by the Burbank City Council, reflecting the city’s commitment to supporting the Armenian-American community and advocating for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing Artsakh conflict.
What is happening in Artsakh?
The Artsakh blockade is an ongoing issue that has affected the lives of thousands of people, and the situation remains highly volatile. Despite several attempts at ceasefires and peace negotiations, violence and conflict continue to plague the region. To address this, it is essential to raise awareness and advocate for solutions that address the root causes of the conflict, including issues of territory, human rights, and economic inequality. By working together and promoting meaningful change, organizations like ANCA Burbank and Burbank Armenian Association are playing a crucial role in advocating for peace and justice in the region.
https://myburbank.com/city-council-supports-burbank-armenian-association-with-resolution/
19:16,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received Italian Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister noted that Armenia and Italy have intensive relations in the political and economic spheres and expressed confidence that they will be further strengthened by the development and expansion of cooperation in the cultural sphere. According to Nikol Pashinyan, the Armenian government is interested in Italy's experience in training specialists in the management of the cultural sector, restoration and preservation of cultural values, so as to develop these capacities in our country.
The Minister of Culture of Italy noted that bilateral historical ties are a good basis for giving a new impetus to cultural cooperation. According to Gennaro Sangiuliano, he discussed with the Armenian colleagues the further steps and plans aimed at making Armenian culture more recognizable in Italy. At the same time, he added that they are ready to support the training of specialists in the field of culture and organize educational courses for students.
12:57,
STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani military violated the Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire on February 21 by opening small arms fire in the northern and eastern directions of the line of contact, the Ministry of Defense of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) said Wednesday.
The Russian peacekeeping forces command was notified on the incident, the ministry added.
The situation is since relatively stable.
Furthermore, Azerbaijan had again spread disinformation falsely accusing the Artsakh military in breaching the ceasefire. “The statement released by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense claiming that in between February 21, 20:45 and February 22, 01:20 the Defense Army units opened fire in the direction of the Azerbaijani positions deployed in the occupied territories of the Shushi, Martuni and Karvajar regions of the Republic of Artsakh is yet another disinformation,” the Artsakh military said in the statement.
19:08,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a meeting with the President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Werner Hoyer within the framework of the Munich Security Conference.
The Prime Minister attached importance to the cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the EIB and the joint investment programs implemented in various fields, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a read-out.
PM Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that the projects being implemented in cooperation with the EIB are of great importance for the business circles and citizens of Armenia, since the projects are aimed at financing the private sector and improving various infrastructure junctions. The Prime Minister also noted that the Armenian government is interested in discussing the opportunities for implementing new programs with the EIB.
Werner Hoyer assessed the cooperation with the Armenian government as productive and noted that the EIB is ready to discuss the possibilities of implementing new projects in different directions with Armenian partners.
20:59,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Chairman of the Munich Security Conference Christoph Heusgen asked Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan to comment on the blockade of Lachin corridor during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference.
“You are right, it is already 70 days that Lachin corridor is blocked and now unfortunately we have humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh, and an anergy crisis as well because electricity supplies to Nagorno Karabakh have been shut down, and the gas supplies as well have been shut down, and we counted and during last 70 days the gas supplies were cut at least 10 times and it is a problem that should be addressed. And our position is that in the trilateral statement from 9 November 2020 we have very precise provisions connected with Lachin corridor, and according to that statement it is the obligation of Azerbaijan and Russian peacekeepers to keep Lachin corridor operable, but now, unfortunately we have totally different situation and I meant Lachin corridor as well saying that international attention should be kept on this situation, because we are afraid that continuation of this situation can cause unturnable humanitarian consequences for Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh,” PM Nikol Pashinyan said at a panel discussion alongside Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and the Secretary General of the OSCE Helga Schmid at the Munich Security Conference, moderated by Chairman of the Munich Security Conference Christoph Heusgen.
A malicious campaign conducted against entities in Armenia in November 2022 has been spotted by security researchers at Check Point Research (CPR). According to a Thursday advisory, the campaign relied on a backdoor tracked by the security firm as OxtaRAT.
“The newest version of OxtaRAT is a polyglot file, which combines compiled AutoIT script and an image,” reads the technical write-up.
“The tool capabilities include searching for and exfiltrating files from the infected machine, recording the video from the web camera and desktop, remotely controlling the compromised machine with TightVNC, installing a web shell, performing port scanning, and more.”
According to CPR, the malicious campaign was executed amid rising tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Lachin corridor in late 2022.
“All of the samples from this campaign and earlier ones are related to Azerbaijani government interests; they either targeted Azerbaijani political and human rights activists or, if the targets were not disclosed publicly, reference tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh,” CPR wrote.
However, the company clarified that the new campaign represents the first instance of these attackers using OxtaRAT against Armenian individuals and corporations. Further, CPR added that the November 2022 campaign differed from previous activity conducted by the threat actors.
“[It] presents changes in the infection chain, improved operational security, and new functionality to improve the ways to steal the victim’s data.”
In the advisory, CPR provides defenders with indicators of compromise (IOCs) connected with the recent OxtaRAT attacks. The company also warns them that these attacks are likely to continue.
“All the details indicate that the underlying threat actors have been maintaining the development of Auto-IT based malware for the last seven years and are using it in surveillance campaigns whose targets are consistent with Azerbaijani interests.”
The CPR advisory comes weeks after a separate remote access Trojan (RAT) malware dubbed "SparkRAT" was spotted targeting