Author: Ara Felekian

Artak Zakaryan: We all renounce ‘the Artsakh and Armenia of tomorrow’

Ara Felekian
Panorama, Armenia
Oct 27 2021

Armenia’s former Deputy Defense Minister and member of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Artak Zakaryan states the power in Armenia does not belong to the people.

"Armenia and Artsakh are falling victim to the conformist indifference of the rich, the ignorance of the poor, the silent obedience of those receiving salaries from the budget and the total disorganization of the compassionate,” he wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.

“The power in the Republic of Armenia belongs not to the people, but to Turkish-Azerbaijani (as well as other foreign) circles.

“Today, we all, led by Nikol the capitulator, renounce the Artsakh and Armenia of tomorrow. We need to drive out the main conspirator as quickly as possible, and only after that to put things in order in the Armenian House,” Zakaryan said.

CoE delegation visits Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan

Ara Felekian

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 14:50,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 20, ARMENPRESS. The Group of Rapporteurs on Democracy of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) led by the Permanent Representative of Sweden to the CoE, Ambassador Mårten Ehnberg visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan.

Deputy director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Lusine Abrahamyan welcomed the guests and introduced them on the history of the creation of the Memorial, the Museum-Institute said in a news release.

The CoE delegation members laid flowers at the Eternal Flame, honoring the innocent victims with a moment of silence.

They also toured the Museum, got acquainted with the exhibits.

At the end of the visit Mårten Ehnberg left a note in the Honorary Guest Book.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

​Armenia and Azerbaijan face off in UN court over ethnic discrimination case

Ara Felekian
Deutsche Welle, Germany
Oct 14 2021


Armenia and Azerbaijan face off in UN court over ethnic discrimination case

Both Armenia and Azerbaijan accuse the other of violating an international anti-discrimination convention in the wake of the Nagorno-Karabakh war. The conflict left thousands dead, and tensions continue.

   

Armenia told the ICJ it wants to 'prevent and remedy the cycle of violence and hatred perpetrated against ethnic Armenians'

Armenia on Thursday accused Azerbaijan of promoting systematic ethnic hatred against Armenians, and urged judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to issue an order to halt hate speech.

During opening arguments at the ICJ, Armenian representative Yeghishe Kirakosyan also asked the court to order the release and repatriation of prisoners of war taken during the conflict in late 2020.

The feud between the neighbors escalated into open war last year over the disputed region of Nargorno-Karabakh , which left well over 6,000 people dead.

Azerbaijani troops drove ethnic Armenian forces from territory that they had controlled since the 1990s in and around the region before Russia brokered a ceasefire.

"With this application, Armenia instead seeks to prevent and remedy the cycle of violence and hatred perpetrated against ethnic Armenians," Kirakosyan said.

What is the legal background of the case?

Last month, Armenia filed a case with the ICJ, charging that Azerbaijan violated the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

After Armenia made its claim, Azerbaijan filed a counterclaim, accusing Armenia of violating the same treaty. Hearings on the Azerbaijani case are due before the court next week.

The hearing Thursday did not go into the merits of the case, but dealt with a request from Armenia to impose urgent interim measures to stop any violations while the court considers the larger case.

What has Azerbaijan said?

Azerbaijan is asking the court to order similar protective measures while the cases are ongoing, accusing Armenia of carrying out ethnic discrimination against Azerbaijanis.

Azerbaijzan's deputy foreign minister, Elnur Mammadov, told the hearing via video link on Thursday that it is actually Armenia that was involved in "decadeslong ethnic cleansing."

Mammadov also said Armenia's request "is defective, and must be rejected.''

It will likely take years before ICJ judges reach a final ruling in the Armenia-versus-Azerbaijan case, but a ruling on emergency measures could come in weeks.

kb,wmr (AP, Reuters, dpa)

War is impossible – Artsakh’s Foreign Minister

Ara Felekian

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 01:10,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 15, ARMENPRESS. After the shootings in Artsakh this evening, the situation is calm, it is completely controlled by the Artsakh Defense Army and the Russian peacekeepers, the Artsakh Defense Army has no casualties, and the lives of the wounded soldiers are not in danger, Foreign Minister of Artsakh Davit Babayan told ARMENPRESS, urging the Armenian people not to give in to the misinformation or unchecked information and to follow exclusively official information, particularly, the press releases of the Defense Army, since exaggerated information having nothing in common with the reality is being spread.

“At this moment, thank God, we have no victims, the doctors are doing everything possible to ensure no risk to the lives of the wounded servicemen.. The general situation is stable now. The peacekeepers are also dealing with that issue, they came to the scene immediately, that is, there is no reason for panic," Artsakh’s Foreign Minister told Armenpress.

According to Davit Babayan, today's incidents took place near Norshen community of Martuni region of Artsakh. Answering the question of what size and scale the Artsakh-Azerbaijani clashes were, whether there is a danger of escalation of tension, Davit Babayan answered that at the moment the situation is fully under control. Babayan does not think that the incident can escalate into a large-scale war. “It’s impossible as long as Russian peacekeepers are standing there. We should understand this very well, and avoid spreading panic. War is impossible. And we must understand that it is a provocation by the enemy, and they will resort to such provocations again, because this is their style. This is not something new for us”, Davit Babayan said, adding that this new provocation of the Azerbaiajni side pursued not just a political, but geopolitical goals. He clarified that Azerbaijan’s acts are directed against both Russia and Armenians.

Alvina Aghababyan: Re-liberation as a national goal

Ara Felekian
Panorama, Armenia
Oct 14 2021

Alvina Aghababyan, the head of the Center for Strategic Studies, reflected on the history of Artsakh’s Handaberd fortress which fell under Azerbaijan’s control as a result of the 2020 war, stating, “you can’t beg for peace, you have you impose it.”

"Handaberd was one of the most important defense structures of Artsakh. The oldest structures were built back in the 5th century. Each subsequent local prince expanded and strengthened the fortress with new and even more powerful walls and fortification constructions,” she wrote on Facebook on Thursday.

“In the first half of the 9th century, during the reign of Prince Atrnerseh Smbatian Handaberd was a powerful defense center, which had accompanying fortresses – observation points on the neighboring mountain peaks.

“Artsakh princes didn't beg for peace, they strongly defended their land, moreover, they imposed peace on those who wanted to invade our country. That’s why when we lost our statehood in almost all parts of Greater Armenia (Mets Hayk), the Armenian statehood in Artsakh was preserved in the form of melikdoms up to the 19th century.

“Handaberd, Shahumyan region, Artsakh. Since 2020 it has been occupied by Azerbaijani forces,” Aghababyan said, adding the hashtag “re-liberation as a national goal”.

Catholicos of All Armenians conveyed his message to the inter-church prayer organized by Sant’Egidio community

Ara Felekian
Public Radio of Armenia
Oct 8 2021
October 8, 2021, 16:05

 1 minute read

On October 7, at the amphitheater of the Colosseum in Rome (Italy), His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, participated in the annual traditional peace prayer organized by the community of Sant’Egidio, which was attended by the Heads of the Sister Churches, leaders and officials from different countries. During the inter-church prayer for peace, His Holiness conveyed his message to those present.

“The gift of peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he left to his disciples about two thousand years ago, is given to us today to distribute to Christians in the twenty-first century, to all people, especially in these days of violence, war, ethnic discrimination, and religious extremism,” His Holiness said.

His Holiness referred to the catastrophic aftermath of the 44-day war. “We come from a country where the Christian testimony has been concentrated in every stone and grain of history through the omnipotent hand of the Almighty,” the Catholicos said.

“My Armenian nation knows well the price of peace that it has paid and continues to pay. Last year, our people crossed the Path of the Cross again. To protect the right to live freely and independently, the right to God-given peaceful life, the children of my nation suffered the horrors of the 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan with the help of Turkey and the involvement of terrorist groups,” the Catholicos said.

The Patriarch of All Armenians thanked the Sister Churches for condemning the injustice and genocide during the war and expressed confidence that they would continue to speak out against the seizure of the right of the Armenians of Artsakh to live independently, and for the sake of freedom of the captives, for the preservation of the Armenian religious and cultural heritage on Armenian lands currently under Azerbaijani control, for the re-establishment of lasting peace in the region.

Messages from religious and church leaders were heard during the ceremony. At the end, after the message of Pope Francis, those present observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims of all the wars, then the children conveyed the message of peace to the participants.

 

Stefan Schennach: In our society there is no place for phenomenon such as Azerbaijan’s ‘war trophy park’

Ara Felekian
News.am, Armenia
Sept 27 2021
Stefan Schennach: In our society there is no place for phenomenon such as Azerbaijan's 'war trophy park'
19:37, 27.09.2021

Chairperson of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and rapporteur on media freedom and the safety of journalists Stefan Schennach calls on Azerbaijan to return all Armenian prisoners of war.

In his speech at the session of the PACE, he stated that he has visited the conflict zone twice.

Schennach emphasized that the war crimes that were taped and posted on social networks, need to be investigated, adding that the aggressive rhetoric is still strong.

Schennach said the PACE calls on Azerbaijan to return all the prisoners of war and calls on Armenia to transfer the mine maps since peaceful civilians are dying. He added that the victorious country needs to show respect, but Azerbaijan creates a ‘war trophy park’, and this has no place in our society.

231 troops, 22 civilians missing – Armenia Investigative Committee on 2020 Nagorno Karabakh War

Ara Felekian

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 10:04,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. The major crimes department of the Investigative Committee of Armenia continues its investigation into the criminal case on the war of aggression unleashed by the Azerbaijani government against the Republic of Artsakh on September 27, 2020, its deployment of pre-recruited mercenaries, employment of prohibited methods of warfare and munitions, indiscriminate, premeditated and coordinated attacks at civilians of Artsakh, namely the bombardments of civilian infrastructures and population, and gross violations of international humanitarian law.

The Investigative Committee said that according to its data 3781 servicemen and civilians were killed in Artsakh and Armenia as a result of the war unleashed by Azerbaijan. As of 2021 September 27, there are 231 servicemen classified as missing-in-action. The fates of 22 civilians also remain unknown.

So far, the Azeri authorities have returned a total of 108 POWs, including both servicemen and civilians.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

US Congress demands Azerbaijan to release all Armenian prisoners of war

Ara Felekian

Sept 23 2021


    JAMnews, Yerevan

The House of Representatives of the US Congress demands Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian military and civilians who continue to remain in captivity after the end of the second Karabakh war. The House of Representatives approved an amendment to the law presented by Congressmen Adam Schiff, Tony Cardenas and Brad Sherman.

It says that all Armenian prisoners who continue to be held in Azerbaijan must be returned in accordance with the requirements of international law and the Geneva Conventions.

“Despite its obligations under the Geneva Conventions and the statement of November 9 [document on the cessation of hostilities in Karabakh, signed by the heads of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia – JAMnews], the Azerbaijani government continues to detain about 200 Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees, distorting the status of these people to justify their being in captivity”, says the document, published on the website of the House of Representatives.

The authors of the bill also demand that the Biden administration investigate the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan in the fall of 2020 during the war in Karabakh.

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The document says that on September 27, 2020, with the support of Turkey and foreign armed formations, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive on Nagorno-Karabakh. As a result, thousands of people died, tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians became internally displaced persons.

The authors of the bill insist on the investigation of war crimes committed by Azerbaijan during 44 days, while the military actions were going on in Karabakh, including the use of prohibited weapons against civilians (white phosphorus, cluster bombs).

In addition, Congressmen are demanding an investigation into the use of American technology in Turkish-made unmanned aerial vehicles. This refers to the Turkish “Bayraktars”, which, as indicated in the document, were used to shell peaceful settlements.

The US Secretary of Defense must report the results of these investigations to the appropriate congressional committees within 180 days of the law’s entry into force.


U.S. Administration to continue close collaboration with Armenian authorities – Alen Simonyan receives Lynne Tracy

Ara Felekian

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 18:21,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan received Ambassador of the USA to Armenia Lynne Tracy, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the National Assembly of Armenia.

Welcoming the Ambassador, Alen Simonyan noted that since the establishment of democratic relations with the United States Armenia has developed partnership and friendly relations, which includes a large scope of cooperation. He highly appreciated the support shown for many years by the U.S. in strengthening democracy, economic development, reforms being implemented in different spheres. Alen Simonyan stated that the format of the inter-parliamentary cooperation plays an important role in the Armenian-American bilateral relations. He informed the Ambassador that the Armenia-USA Friendship Group will be formed in the National Assembly soon, which is an important link between the cooperation of the legislative bodies of the countries, as well as for the development of inter-state relations.

Regarding the post-war situation, Alen Simonyan emphasized that at this moment the issue of the urgent repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians being detained in Azerbaijan remains a priority. He underlined that the unconstructive rhetoric of Azerbaijan cannot result in the solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The conflict should be settled exclusively through dialogue, under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship and based on the implementation of the principles developed by the mediatory mission.

Thanking the President of the National Assembly for the reception, the Ambassador noted that the U.S. Administration will continue the close cooperation with the Armenian authorities. During the talk, the collaboration with the legislative body, the development and the strengthening of democratic processes were highlighted. The Ambassador stressed the faithfulness of the U.S. Administration to the implementation of the activities within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Issues concerning the reforms to be implemented in a number of spheres of bilateral interest were also discussed.