Author: Ara Felekian

Russian Ally Warns Putin: Don’t Visit—or You’ll Get Arrested

Ara Felekian
GOING ROGUE

The decision from Armenia, which is part of a Russian-led defense organization, stands in stark contrast to other Russian allies not deviating from loyalty to Moscow.

National Security Reporter

The ruling party of has Armenia warned that if Russian President Vladimir Putin comes to Armenia, the country will have no choice but to arrest him.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest earlier this month over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, particularly his alleged involvement in the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine. But the ICC doesn’t have power to enforce its warrants, and since Russia doesn’t recognize the court’s jurisdiction, much of its enforcement will depend on other countries’ willingness to step in if Putin travels.

“If Putin comes to Armenia, he should be arrested… It is better for Putin to stay in his country,” Gagik Melkonyan, deputy of the Armenian National Assembly, said this week, according to a Moscow Times translation of an interview with Factor.am. “If we enter into these agreements, then we must fulfill our obligations. Let Russia solve its problems with Ukraine.”

The decision from the ruling party of Armenia, which is part of a Russian-led collective defense organization, stands in stark contrast to other Kremlin allies that are not deviating from loyalty to Moscow. Hungary, which has close ties with Russia, announced it will not enforce the ICC’s arrest warrant for Putin last week.

Even though Armenia is technically a Russian ally—as part of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)—Armenia’s decision is just the latest indication that the country is willing to take matters into its own hands and hold Putin accountable. Just last week, Armenia took steps that will pave the way for it to ratify the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.

“If we enter into these agreements, then we must fulfill our obligations,” Melkonyan said.

The Kremlin rebuked Armenia for entertaining the idea of joining the Rome Statute, according to a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“Moscow considers absolutely unacceptable the plans of official Yerevan to accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court against the backdrop of the recent illegal and legally void ‘warrants’ of the ICC against the Russian leadership,” the source said early this week, according to TASS.

The Russian Foreign Ministry warned there would be “extremely negative” consequences for Armenia moving forward.

But Armenia is not alone, and other countries are banding together with plans to arrest Putin. Ireland, Croatia, Austria, and Germany have each said they will enforce the warrant.

The decision in Armenia suggest that Russia’s allies are growing more willing by the day to question Moscow’s judgment in the war in Ukraine over one year in to the conflict.

Indian officials have expressed concern over Putin’s war in Ukraine, urging against conflict and the use of nuclear weapons in the war. Chinese President Xi Jinping has also been caught off guard by Putin’s invasion, and has been dismayed at the way he is carrying it out, according to the U.S. intelligence community.

Sports: GdS: Milan interested in Armenian forward drawing Kvaratskhelia comparisons

Ara Felekian
 
Sempre Milas
Italy –
GdS: Milan interested in Armenian forward drawing Kvaratskhelia comparisons

AC Milan are interested in FC Krasnodar forward Eduard Spertsyan who is drawing comparisons with Kvara Kvaratskhelia, a report claims.

According to a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Spertsyan is the big hope of the Armenian national team while he has also been impressing with Krasnodar too having amassed 11 goals and 10 assists in 27 games this season.

He is like Kvara in role as he currently plays in a 4-2-3-1 as the attacking midfielder behind the striker but also operates wide on the left in a 4-3-3. He is quick, loves dribbling, is able to assist and his left foot is almost as good as his favoured right.

There are clubs in Spain who seem keen on landing the 22-year-old, but Marseille are interested and sources in Russia have said that Milan are also following him and have offered €8m despite the fact there is currently an asking price of €12m that seems destined to rise.

There will be no new escalation. Pashinyan emphasizes the support of the international community for the peace treaty

Ara Felekian

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 19:16, 23 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 23, ARMENPRESS. There will be a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which will be based on official statements made at the highest levels, ARMENPRESS reports, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote in his Twitter microblog.

"There will be a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and it will be based on the joint official statements adopted at the highest level. There won’t be а new escalation! The international community must strongly support this narrative," the Prime Minister wrote.

Ceasefire deal in Nagorno-Karabakh violated: Russian MOD

Ara Felekian
Mehr News Agency, Iran

TEHRAN, Mar. 26 (MNA) – Russian defense ministry has said that Azerbaijani troops crossed the contact line in the disputed region in violation of the ceasefire deal in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Baku’s forces have violated the Russian-brokered 2020 peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday, according to Russia Today (RT).

Russian peacekeepers stationed in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region are now investigating the incident, the ministry added.

On Saturday, an Azerbaijani military unit crossed the contact line set by the 2020 deal and seized a high ground area, the statement issued by the ministry said. The Azerbaijani forces then started fieldwork in the area.

It is unclear if the Azerbaijani troops complied with the peacekeepers’ demands as of Saturday evening. Baku and Yerevan have been locked in a decades-old dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, which is part of Azerbaijan but has a mainly ethnic Armenian population.

Nagorno-Karabakh declared independence from Baku in the early 1990s and has since enjoyed support from Yerevan. In 2020, the two nations fought a 44-day war, which ended in a truce brokered and monitored by Russia. Moscow sent a peacekeeping force to the area as part of the deal.

The conflict has since seen sporadic flare-ups resulting in border clashes. A major outbreak occurred last September and claimed the lives of dozens of soldiers on both sides.

The agreements brokered by Russia include the delimitation of the two nation’s borders, the opening of transportation routes, and the establishment of contacts between civilian groups, lawmakers, and religious leaders from the two countries. Moscow has said it is ready to further contribute to the peace process.

The incident comes just days after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that a peace deal would be struck, adding that there would not be another escalation.

MNA/PR

Russian Ambassador visits Tavush province, border security discussed with local authorities

Ara Felekian

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 15:13,

YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS. The Ambassador of Russia to Armenia Sergei Kopyrkin visited the Tavush Province where he met with Governor Hayk Ghalumyan.

During the meeting “the sides attached importance to the continuous development of the Armenian-Russian relations, including interregional cooperation,” the Russian embassy said in a readout.

Commending the dynamics of trade-economic cooperation between the two countries, the Ambassador and the Governor discussed the current state and prospects of expansion of the ties between Tavush Province and the federal subjects of Russia, including by taking into account the significant mutual interest displayed by business circles.

Russia’s Trade Representative to Armenia Anna Donchenko informed the Tavush administration on the possible formats for establishing and developing partnership between the business communities of Russia and Armenian provinces.

Ambassador Kopyrkin thanked the Tavush authorities for supporting the humanitarian initiatives implemented by Russia, including supporting the Russian language education.

The necessity of ensuring security along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border was emphasized. The Ambassador spoke about Russia’s systemic efforts for supporting a peaceful settlement in the region. The Russian Ambassador then visited the village of Berkaber.

The ambassador also toured the Ijevan branch of the Yerevan State University and the Russian Center.

Asbarez: Fresno State to Present Exhibition Featuring Artwork by Yervant Gojabashian

Ara Felekian
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Art, Arts & Culture, Latest, News, Top Stories

“Gojabashian: Blessed Hands of the Armenian Heritage" exhibition flyer


An art exhibition entitled “Gojabashian: Blessed Hands of the Armenian Heritage” will be on display in April at California State University, Fresno. The exhibition, held in the Leon S. Peters Ellipse Gallery (second-floor) of the University Library, located at 5200 N. Barton Ave., at Fresno State, will be open from Monday, April 10 to Sunday, April 30.

An opening reception with the artist, Yervant Gojabashian, will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 13, in the second-floor gallery of the University Library on the Fresno State campus. The reception and the exhibition are free of charge and the public is welcome.

The exhibition is sponsored by the Thomas A. Kooyumjian Family Foundation and the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State. The exhibition organizers are Lucy Erysian, Mike Bashian, Hazel Antaramian, and Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian and the exhibition curators are Steve Ruppel and Chris Lopez.

Artist Yervant Gojabashian is one of Armenia’s most prominent sculptors and painters. He is internationally recognized and his exhibits have appeared in major cities throughout the world.

Yervant Gojabashian was born in 1939, Aleppo Syria and at an early age moved to Soviet Armenia with his family. In 1966, he graduated from the Yerevan Art and Theatre Institute.

Sculpture is more than Yervant Gojabashian’s profession, it is his calling. He prefers to work with black tufa, the “national” stone of Armenia, though he is just as expert in handling marble, basalt, and wood.

Gojabashian’s bas-reliefs decorate the entrance to St. Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the façade of Hotel Ani, and the building of the Yerevan House of Cinematography. His reliefs are distinguished for their complex ornamental composition, their variety of national motifs, figures, and plants. He is also an expert in life-size sculptures, most of which are displayed in different museums.

In 1981, Gojabashian moved to the United States and established residence in Montebello, California. He has been featured in several large exhibitions, including in Boston, Detroit, and Los Angeles. His works, including marble and tufa figures, have been exhibited at Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre Gallery, the Pasadena Armenian Center, and at the Downey Museum of Art.

“Among the prominent artists of Armenia, Yervant Gojabashian should be singled out,” said art critic Poghos Haitaian.

The late art historian Henrik Igitian said, “Armenia is a land of stone, and it is not unnatural that it would produce a generation which is influenced by modern-day life and would give new form to these stones. In the hands of Yervant Gojabashian the stone is revitalized.”

The reception is free and open to the public. Parking is available in Fresno State Lot P30 or P31, near the University Library. A parking pass is required for the Thursday night reception. Contact the Armenian Studies Program for a free parking code.

For information about upcoming Armenian Studies Program presentations, please follow their Facebook page @ArmenianStudiesFresnoState or visit the Program website.

TelAviv: Opinion: Iran puts pressure on Israel’s ally Azerbaijan over Karabakh

Ara Felekian
i24

Israel – March 14 2023

Opinion: Iran puts pressure on Israel’s ally Azerbaijan over Karabakh

Ariel Kogan March 14, 2023

Is Karabakh to turn into new Syria?

With Azerbaijan getting progressively closer to Israel as of late, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian regime see this is a major threat to their interests on the northern frontier.

Following their modus operandi, the IRGC has been training militant proxy groups, which fought in Syria already, for a new potential task – infiltrating Karabakh and disrupting Azerbaijani control of this area. Karabakh, the UN-recognized Azerbaijani territory, was mostly liberated from Armenian occupation in 2020 (thanks to Israeli military aid to Azerbaijan), except for a separatist enclave, populated by the Armenians.

The presence of Shi’ite militias in this tumultuous region would be a blatant escalation towards armed conflict, potentially leading to total regional war. A scenario which would be familiar to those knowledgeable about the conflict in Syria.

According to the Turkish news outlet Türkiye Gazetesi, the IRGC plans to deploy up to 4,000 militants and IRGC operatives to Karabakh by May 2023. For this reason, the commander of the IRGC special unit Niru-ye Qods Esmail Qaani visited Iraq and Syria in February. The Iranian general instructed the leaders of the Iranian proxy groups to create a unit for special operations.

It is not hard to imagine how the 4,000-man contingent would reach Karabakh when considering the tight-knit relations between Iran and Armenia, as well as the Lachin corridor connecting the latter and the Armenian-populated separatist enclave in Karabakh – Artsakh. Convoys secretly carrying weapons have already been confirmed traveling through lesser-known routes from Armenia to the enclave.

Moreover, the area around the Lachin corridor is under the control of Russian army peacekeepers. Just so it happens that Russia, a major ally of Iran, is supervising the only officially recognized road between Armenia, another ally of the two, and the separatist “autonomous republic” on Azerbaijani soil.

Iran and Russia have solidified their ties over the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine, so it is safe to assume that the IRGC would be able to coordinate with the Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh in order to secure safe and discreet passage into the region, and ensure no interference with their operations against Azerbaijan.

The Iranian-backed proxies which fought in Syria are numerous and diverse. To name a few infamous examples: Liwa Fatemiyoun and Liwa Zainebiyoun. The organizations are made up of Shia extremists trained, organized, and instructed by the IRGC to fight for its interests in turbulent areas on the map.

The Fatemiyoun brigade is mostly Afghans, while the Zainebiyoun brigade is primarily made up of Pakistanis – however, the ethnic makeup of the different Iranian militias varies and includes many other ethnic groups. The binding factor being the IRGC, Khomeinist ideology, and being pronounced enemies of the West and its allies. These groups are willing to carry out the ayatollah’s bidding in the most ruthless of methods.

It is not the only threat: on March 11, an Iranian military plane flew along the border with Azerbaijan without notifying or warning the Azerbaijani side of the maneuver. This incident, in violation of the internationally accepted practice of issuing a warning, was condemned by the Azeri government.

What’s more is that the Iranian aircraft flew close to the Azerbaijani territories in which, according to many IRGC and Iranian official claims, Israel presumably has military assets such as air bases and intelligence gathering outposts.

A day after that Azerbaijani secret services announced the arrests of 32 Iranian agents, who carried out “provocation and disruption acts under the guise of religion.” This is the second large operation since November last year, when a similar number of Iranian operatives and agents were arrested.

Some of them participated in planning and carrying out attempts to kill Israelis in other countries and to collect information about Israeli equipment, which is supplied to Azerbaijani military. Clearly, increased Iranian involvement in Azerbaijani affairs and destabilization efforts leading to potential escalation in the region are not without cause. Tehran sees the tightening of ties between Jerusalem and Baku as a grave threat to its hegemony and seeks out ways to weaken its opponents and provoke a disproportionate response.

Politician: Double standards ‘killing’ international law

Ara Felekian
Panorama
Armenia –

Armenian politician Suren Surenyants has criticized the EU for “double standards” on international law after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

"Nearly 20 years ago, Tony Blair and George Bush Jr. violated international law, but the International Criminal Court in The Hague did not issue an arrest warrant for them, but now the court has issued a warrant for Vladimir Putin’s arrest,” Surenyants, the leader of the Democratic Alternative Party, wrote on Facebook on Saturday.

“The EU adopted 10 packages of sanctions against Russia for invading its neighbor’s territories, and not only is there no question of sanctions against Azerbaijan, but also Aliyev is encouraged in Western capitals as a "reliable partner".

“Double standards are killing international law, which weak and defenseless Armenia counts on,” the politician said.

Artsakh Warns of Baku’s Plans to Ethnically Cleanse Armenians

Ara Felekian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

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

The Artsakh has been blockaded by Azerbaijan since Dec. 12


Recent remarks by high-level Azerbaijani officials who threatened military action against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh has prompted the Artsakh foreign ministry to issue a statement on Wednesday warning on an impending plan by Baku to ethnically cleanse Armenians in Artsakh.

The foreign ministry pointed to statements made by Hikmet Hajiev, the chief adviser to President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, who on numerous occasions threatened military action and the use force against Artsakh residents.

Below is the text of the Artsakh Foreign Ministry statement.

The statements by the Azerbaijani side that the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict has been resolved and is no longer on the international agenda do not correspond to reality. The fact that the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict has not been resolved and needs a comprehensive settlement has been repeatedly stated by representatives of both individual States, including the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries, and a number of international organizations.

The fact that the UN Security Council, which bears primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, in December 2022 discussed the situation related to the blocking of the Lachin Corridor, and refuted the claims of the Azerbaijani side that the conflict is no longer on the international agenda. Official Baku’s desire to legitimize the results of the illegal use of force against the Republic of Artsakh and its people and present it as a solution to the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict is an attempt to return to the times when military force prevailed over international law. 

We are convinced that a comprehensive settlement of the conflict can only be achieved through negotiations, on the basis of the norms and principles of international law. Rejecting the international mechanism of dialogue with official Stepanakert, Azerbaijan is trying to avoid the implementation of possible agreements. Engagement of the international community in the dialogue between Artsakh and Azerbaijan is the only way to guarantee a comprehensive settlement of the conflict. 

We strongly reject Azerbaijan’s attempts to distort the essence of the conflict and present it as an internal issue. Against the backdrop of the 90-day blockade of Artsakh, it is obvious that in this way Azerbaijan seeks to create conditions for unhindered ethnic cleansing in Artsakh, excluding the intervention of the international community. This is why Azerbaijan is opposed to the involvement of the international community, including the sending of international missions to Artsakh, so that nothing and no one can prevent the implementation of their criminal plans to ethnically cleanse Artsakh. 

At the same time, Azerbaijan continues to make false accusations claiming that Armenia has not fully withdrawn its armed forces and continues to supply arms and ammunition to Artsakh. Such statements do not correspond to reality and are intended to justify the blockade of Artsakh, which has been lasting for more than 90 days. 

We emphasize that the Republic of Artsakh has a Defense Army made up of local residents, the presence of which does not contradict any provision of the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020, and remains the main guarantee of the security of the people of Artsakh. Azerbaijan’s campaign against the Artsakh Defense Army is due to the fact that Baku seeks to deprive the Artsakh Armenians of the possibility of self-defense and resistance to Azerbaijan’s criminal plans of ethnic cleansing.

Azerbaijan’s claims that the Lachin Corridor is open are false. It should be noted that during the hearings of the International Court of Justice, Azerbaijan had the opportunity to present all its arguments regarding the situation related to the blocking of the Lachin Corridor. However, after a detailed examination of the arguments presented by the parties, the International Court of Justice ordered Azerbaijan to ensure the unimpeded movement along the Lachin Corridor. We recall once again that the decisions of the International Court of Justice are legally binding.