Author: Ani Basmajian

 12:15, 8 January, 2021

YEREVAN, JANUARY 8, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan has commented on the speech made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on January 7, stating that the Azerbaijani leader has used “statements and emphases which are part of the anti-Armenian policy in Azerbaijan and the organized propaganda of hostility towards the Armenian people”.

“Yesterday, on January 7, 2021, the President of Azerbaijan, in his speech summarizing 2020, used statements and emphases which are part of the anti-Armenian policy in Azerbaijan and the organized propaganda of hostility towards the Armenian people.

In particular, the speech used open threats against Armenia and the Armenian society, expressions threatening the entire Armenian people and insulting their dignity.

The speech also referred to the isolation of Artsakh, and to the disruption of humanitarian aid to Artsakh. This, as a matter of law, violates the internationally recognized principle that no one should be left behind and no human right ignored, regardless of the political status of the territory in which one is present or resides therein.

The Ombudsman of Armenia deems it imperative to note that the speech of the President of Azerbaijan should be viewed in the context that the entirety of the war of September-November 2020 was accompanied by the Azerbaijani armed forces’ onslaught onto internationally recognized rights to life, health, property, and other internationally protected rights of Armenians. These gross violations of rights were carried out and caused mass destruction of peaceful Armenian residential towns, villages and communities. Similar violations were also recorded at different times and instances which predated this war.

The wording and emphasis of this speech should be viewed in the context of the condemnable actions committed by the Azerbaijani military in recent days against the border residents of our country and, in general, our people.

Here are just two such examples, which are based on alarming complaints addressed to Armenia’s Human Rights Defender from civilians of bordering regions, as well as on monitoring of the Defender’s Office:

1) placing a sign with "Welcome to Azerbaijan" and a map covering the territory of the Republic of Armenia in the middle of the road connecting the two communities of Syunik region of Armenia, Goris and Vorotan, and doing it in a way that intimidates civilians;

2) placing Azerbaijani flags on civilian houses in peaceful communities of Syunik region and posting videos that clearly offend civilians in order to blatantly intimidate them and much more.

And all these activities provoking civilians are done against the background of the crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces during this war.

Therefore, I draw the attention of the international community to the fact that the distortions and emphases of the speech of the President of Azerbaijan on January 7, 2021 violate international humanitarian law and international human rights law in general.

These sentiments are absolutely reprehensible in as much as they continue to serve to encourage anti-Armenian policies and hostility towards the Armenian people at the highest state level”, the statement says.

 15:24, 7 January, 2021

YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Spokesperson of the Armenian prime minister Mane Gevorgyan has commented on the statement made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev over the Nakhijevan corridor in response to ARMENPRESS inquiry.

– Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has talked about the “Nakhijevan corridor”, stating that it will open soon citing the November 10 joint statement. Are there any concrete agreements on opening such a corridor?

– Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has repeatedly drawn the attention to the fact that there is no talk about a corridor connecting Azerbaijan with Nakhijevan in the November 10 statement. Point 9 of the statement is about unblocking the transportation and economic infrastructure of the region and in this context about establishing a transport connection between the eastern part of Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic.

Armenia, of course, is interested in the possibility of transporting Armenian cargo through the territory of Azerbaijan to Russia and Iran and the opposite direction. We are interested in the possibility of the transfer of the Armenian cargo through road and rail transportation to Russia, and to Iran especially through railway transportation. In this context Armenia, naturally, is ready to ensure communication between the Eastern part of Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic.

However, the complete discussion of all these issues would be difficult without the complete fulfillment of point 8 of the November 10 joint statement which envisages exchange of captives, hostages, other detained persons and the bodies of the dead. The Armenian side also attaches importance to expanding the scale of ongoing search-rescue operations in the battle zones. The recent statements made by Azerbaijan on this topic are puzzling and question Baku’s commitment to implement the agreements of the November 10 statement. There are still Armenian captives in Baku, there are numerous evidence on ill treatment shown against the Armenian POWs. There is evidence on executions of the captives, and all these evidence must be investigated in detail, including in the international platforms.

At the same time, the anti-Armenian propaganda of the past decade still continues in Azerbaijan. In order to establish stability and peace in the region, it is necessary to put an end to the provocative actions and statements.

 13:32,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s economic activity index has declined 7.2% in January-November 2020 compared to January-November 2019, the National Statistical Committee reports.

Industrial production volume declined 0.2%. Construction volume declined 11.2%. The decline in trade turnover comprised 13.5%, and that in the services volume – 13.6%.

In January-November consumer price index increased 1%, the industrial production price index grew 2.2%. Electricity production volume increased 1.8% in the aforementioned period.

Average monthly nominal salary in Armenia increased 4.2%, comprising 186,167 drams.

External trade volumes have also registered decline – 12.4%: the export declined 5.2% and the import – 15.9%.

Dram exchange rate against the US dollar was 486.29 as of January-November 2020.

Reporting by Anna Grigoryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 19:46,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. 15 protesters demanding PM Pashinyan’s resignation have been arrested, a press service official of the Police told ARMENPRESS.

‘’15 citizens have been arrested by 19:30’’, the official said.

Earlier today, a group of citizens had blocked some roads in Yerevan as part of the civil disobedience declared by the opposition, demanding PM Pashinyan to step down.