Author: Andranik Taslakhchian

Armenia’s Authorities File Charges Against 5 Returned POWs

Andranik Taslakhchian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 December 9, 2021

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

A plane carrying 10 Armenian captives landed in Yerevan on Dec. 5

Armenia’s Investigative Committee on Thursday filed criminal charges against five of the 10 Armenian prisoners of war who were captured during the November 16 attempt by Azerbaijan to invade Armenia and were released on Saturday.

The five soldiers have been charged with violating the rules for on-duty combat service that resulted in severe consequences, the Investigative Committee spokesperson Vardan Tadevosian told News.am.

The spokesperson also informed that the Investigative Committee is currently considering the motions for arrest, and the court hearings are in progress.

On December 4, through Russia’s mediation, Azerbaijan transferred to Armenia 10 Armenian soldiers who were captured during the fighting on Armenia’s southeastern border on November 16, two days after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan fired defense minister Artak Gabrielyan following another botched attempt by Azerbaijan to invade Armenia.

The soldiers were transferred to Yerevan via a plane by former commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Artsakh, Deputy Commander of the Southern Military Okrug of the Russian Armed Forces, General Rustam Muradov.

On November 23, during an online press conference, Pashinyan announced that there would be criminal cases launched, stressing the need to clarify the circumstances of the capture of each soldier.

Pashinyan was criticized for publicly criticizing the capabilities of Armenia’s combat soldiers. Around the same time, Armenia’s Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan was caught on tape criticizing Armenian soldiers during a gathering with Armenian community representatives in Paris.

Russia confirms first two cases of COVID-19 Omicron variant

Andranik Taslakhchian

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 18:46, 6 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Two people from South Africa who arrived in Russia have been diagnosed with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

ARMENPRESS reports, citing Ria Novosti, the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare informs.

According to the Federal Service, SARS-CoV-2 was present at ten passengers from South Africa. Virus versions are being clarified.

Sports: 10 Armenian lifters headed to World Championships in Tashkent

Andranik Taslakhchian
PanArmenian, Armenia
Dec 6 2021
December 6, 2021 – 12:54 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - 10 Armenian lifters will compete in the 2021 World Weightlifting Championships scheduled to be held from 7 to 17 December in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the Weightlifting Federation of Armenia reports.

In particular, Tatev Hakobyan (81 kg weight category), Rafik Harutyunyan (81 kg), Andranik Karapetyan (89 kg), Hakob Mkrtchyan, Davit Hovhannisyan (96 kg), Samvel Gasparyan, Arsen Martirosyan (102 kg), Simon Martirosyan (109 kg), Varazdat Lalayan and Gor Minasyan (+109 kg) will represent Armena in the competition.

Several nations will not compete at the event due to travel restrictions to Uzbekistan as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Weightlifters competing at the event are exempt from the required quarantine when visiting Uzbekistan.

Holy Lance “Geghard” will be brought out on December 4

Andranik Taslakhchian
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 4 2021

SOCIETY 10:32 04/12/2021 ARMENIA

This year, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church will celebrate the Feast of the Apostles St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew on December 04. Information department at the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin reports, that according to the Pontifical Encyclical of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians; the feast was proclaimed as Pilgrimage Day of Holy Lance (Geghard).

On December 03 at 5:30 p.m., on the Eve of the Feast, a Divine Liturgy was offered in St. John the Baptist and St. Vardan Chapel-baptistery of the Mother See. During the Eve of the Feast, the relics of the St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew were brought out.

On December 04 at 10:30 a. m., a Divine Liturgy will be offered in St. John the Baptist and St. Vardan Chapel-baptistery of the Mother See, during which the Holy Lance (Geghard) will be brought out. The relic will remain in the Chapel-baptistery for the worship of the faithful until 6 p. m.

Baku rejected the Stockholm meeting of the foreign ministers due to visit of Armenian MPs to Artsakh

Andranik Taslakhchian
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 4 2021

The Azerbaijani foreign ministry issued statement about the failed meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers on the sidelines of the 28th meeting of Ministerial Council of the OSCE in Stockholm, TASS news agency reported. 

According to the statement, issued by the Azerbaijani side, a few hours before the considered meeting on December 3, Armenian MPs paid what it described 'illegal' visit to Nagorno Karabakh and as a response, 'the Azerbaijani side did not consider it expedient to hold a meeting of Ministers of two countries in Stockholm.'

To note, Armenian foreign ministry spokesperson Vahan Hunanyan earlier commented that the expected meeting between Ararat Mirzoyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov didn't take place, adding the Armenian side has never avoided meetings in the framework of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. 

Armenian businessman wins $1 million in Dubai Duty Free draw

Andranik Taslakhchian
Panorama, Armenia
Dec 1 2021

An Armenian businessman in Dubai won $1 million (around Dh3.67 million) in the latest Dubai Duty Free (DDF) Millennium Millionaire draw on Tuesday, Gulf News reported.

Abraham Melkonian, 50, is a father of three and runs a heavy equipment business in Dubai and Sharjah.

Melkonian is the first Armenian to win the DDF millionaire draw, in the latest edition held at Concourse A of Dubai International Airport.

He had bought his winning ticket (No. 4351), which was picked up in Millennium Millionaire Series 375, online on November 18.

A regular participant in DDF’s promotion since its inception, Melkonian is a resident of Dubai for 32 years. Melkonian previously won a BMW 750 LI XDrive car, with ticket number 1261 in DDF’s Finest Surprise Series 1720 back in June 201. He was delighted to receive another call from DDF informing him that he had won $1 million this time.

Armenian ballet dancer wins Gomel Fest International Art Festival

Andranik Taslakhchian
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 29 2021

CULTURE 11:30 29/11/2021 ARMENIA

Armenian ballet dancer Gor Sargsyan has won Grand Prix at the Third Gomel Fest International Art Festival held in Gomel, Belarus from November 18 to 21, becoming its absolute winner.

Gor is an artist from the ballet troupe of the Armenian National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet named after Alexander Spendiaryan, it said on Sunday.

The Gomel Fest International Art Festival brought together 300 ballet dancers from 15 countries.

PM Pashinyan chairs Security Council meeting

Andranik Taslakhchian

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 13:29, 15 November, 2021

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan chaired a meeting of the Security Council. Aside from members of the Security Council, the Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan, Prime Minister’s Office Chief of Staff Arayik Harutyunyan and Parliament Majority Leader (Civil Contract Party) Hayk Konjoryan were also in attendance.

“Since yesterday we’ve had several meetings and discussions in this composition and various formats,” the Prime Minister said at the meeting. “The subject of discussions was the fact of Azerbaijani troops invading into the territory of the Republic of Armenia in one of the eastern parts of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The goal of today’s session is to summarize the discussions and also to provide complete information to our public on the developments. Before that I’d like to emphasize that I have made a decision to dismiss Arshak Karapetyan as Minister of Defense and to appoint [Deputy PM] Suren Papikyan instead. This decision was made as a result of analyzing the developments taking place since yesterday. I’ve invited Mr. Karapetyan in the morning and thanked him for his work as Minister of Defense, I told him that I appreciate what he’s done, but right now the situation led me to a decision that there should be a change of the Minister of Defense. Today we will first of all listen to the briefing of the Chief of General Staff Mr. Davtyan on the situation and generally the tactical situation, and we will also analyze the situation and we will try to make a decision on several directions regarding our actions aimed at defending the security, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia,” Pashinyan said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Documentary Film Highlights Missing POW from Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Andranik Taslakhchian
EIN Presswire
16 Nov 2021

Film poster of The Son

Filmed over a period of three years, filmmaker Karan Singh spoke to witnesses in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Italy and Russia in his search for the truth.

This is a universal story that transcends the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. People everywhere can relate to this story of a grieving family denied closure.”

— Karan Singh

FARGO, U.S.A., November 16, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — A new documentary film highlights the human tragedy of missing prisoners of war. The Son, directed by Karan Singh, investigates the disappearance of a young prisoner of war, Natig Gasimov, during the first Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 1992.

The Son is part of the official selection at the fifth annual North Dakota Human Rights Film Festival that is taking place in Fargo from November 2nd to 18th.

The film uses unpublished photos taken by Italian war photographer Enrico Sarsini, who covered the conflict for Russia’s Ogoniok magazine. He was present with Armenian forces at their siege of a strategically-located church near Agdam that was defended by Gasimov, a 19-year-old Azerbaijani volunteer.

After Gasimov surrendered in exchange for the lives of Azerbaijani hostages captured in Khojali, he was then interrogated by Armenian forces. Sarsini’s photos of this interrogation show the Armenian officers and soldiers present. But once Sarsini had to leave to return to Moscow, the young Azerbaijani prisoner of war disappeared and was never heard of again.

The 46-minute documentary finds out what happened to Gasimov and who may be responsible for his disappearance. Filmed over a period of three years, the filmmaker spoke to witnesses in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Italy and Russia in his search for the truth. Singh travelled to Nagorno-Karabakh, which was under Armenian control at the time, to meet local Armenian officials and to track down the church defended by Gasimov.

“This film looks at a forgotten conflict of the 1990s, seen through the eyes of ordinary people caught up in this brutal war on the eastern edge of Europe. Thousands are still listed as missing,” said the film’s director Singh.

The London-based filmmaker met the family of Gasimov in the Azerbaijani city of Ganja, who still believe that he is alive and will return. The film shows a particularly emotional moment when Gasimov’s mother sees the last photos taken of her son by Sarsini.

“This is a universal story that transcends the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. People everywhere can relate to this story of a grieving family denied closure, of a mother waiting for her son for over almost three decades,” Singh pointed out.

The Son held its world premiere in July at the Whistleblower Film Festival, an annual festival held in Washington D.C. to highlight civil and human rights violations across the globe.

Karan Singh
Broken Pot Media Ltd.
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