Author: Arsine Chaltikian

Massis and Suneh Abrahamian were barred from entering Armenia

The chairman of the Armenian National Committee of Netherlands and his daughter, a member of the Armenian Youth Federation of Netherlands were banned from entering Armenia on Sunday.

In a social media post, Suneh Abrahamian reported that after waiting at Zvartnots Airport in Yerevan for 12 hours, Armenia’s security officials told her that she was banned from entering the country and was considered a persona non-grata. On Monday, it was revealed that her father, Massis Abrahamian, was also shown the same treatment and both were told to return home.

Suneh Abrahamian, wrote on her Facebook page on Sunday that she had gone to Armenia to participate in a camp in Syunik organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Youth Office.

“Yesterday evening upon arriving at the airport in Armenia to participate in the ARF Youth Office voluntary camps in Syunik, I was immediately put in a small room and interrogated. After taking my passport and keeping me for 12 hours without any explanation, I was informed that my entry to my homeland was rejected and I am a persona non grata for the Armenian authorities. Words cannot describe the disappointment and pain I feel for being denied my homeland. Currently I am waiting at the airport to return to the Netherlands,” said Abrahamian in her Facebook post, adding that she is a member of the Garegin Njdeh Armenian Youth Federation chapter of the Netherlands.

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy, headquarters in Brussels, demanded that Armenia’s authorities to immediately stop this process and “put an end to the anti-national attitude toward Armenian Cause leaders and activists, especially the youth who are have their first experiences in that realm.”

With the Abrahamians ban, the Armenian authorities have thus far refused entry to three Diaspora Armenians.

On July 14, Mourad Papazian, a member of the ARF Bureau and a co-chair the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF) was similarly turned back at Zvartonts International Airport.

Weeks later, the Armenian government explained that the reason for Papazian’s ban was his alleged active role in a protest against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan while he was visiting Paris in June 2021. Papazian had traveled to Armenia at least on four occasion since June 2021, the most recent of which was in May when he accompanied Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to Armenia for an official visit.

On Thursday Papazian announced that a complaint has already been filed on his behalf to reverse the decision.

Upon Papazian’s dismissal from Armenia, the ARF Bureau, the CCAF as well as the ARF Western U.S. Central Committee issued statements condemning the government’s actions, with the latter emphasizing that the Armenian government does not have the right to refuse entry to any Armenian.

Armenian soldiers during the Artsakh war

Official Yerevan on Tuesday seemed to reassure Azerbaijan when it announced that it would withdraw all Armenian troops from Artsakh by September.

Armenia’s National Security Chief Armen Grigoryan told Armenpress in an interview on Tuesday that soldiers from Armenia will not longer be deployed to serve in Artsakh military, which he said would do its own call to service in Artsakh.

This announcement comes days after President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan complained about the presence of Armenian armed forces personnel in Artsakh, accusing Armenia of violating the provisions of the November 9, 2020 agreement.

According to Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry, this issue was brought up Saturday when the top diplomats of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov met in Tbilisi. According to Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry Bayramov called for the implementation of all agreement and especially emphasized “the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Azerbaijani territory.”

The Armenia foreign ministry’s readout of the same meeting did not contain that point, yet referred to Mirzoyan’s insistence that a comprehensive settlement of the Karabakh conflict be ironed out before any discussion of a peace deal with Azerbaijan.

“Let me clarify. Because of the war, a number of units of the Armed Forces of Armenia entered Nagorno-Karabakh to help the Defense Army. After the establishment of the ceasefire they are returning to the Republic of Armenia. This process is nearing completion and will end in September,” said Grigoryan, Armenia’s National Security Chief, who reassured that the Artsakh Defense Army “has been and continues to be in Nagorno Karabakh.”

Grigoryan also emphasized that that contract soldiers from Armenia are and will not be deployed to Artsakh, adding that the Artsakh authorities will hire contract soldiers on an as needed basis.

Armenia’s security chief countered criticism that Yerevan was kowtowing to Baku and essentially leaving Artsakh defenseless by saying that after the deployment of Russian peacekeeping forces, the withdrawal of Armenian troops from Artsakh “is logical.” He explained that prior to the war, Artsakh’s Defense Army defended that country’s security. “And nothing is being changed to that end,” said Grigoryan.

Before the war, soldiers conscripted to Armenia’s Armed Forces did serve in Artsakh. In fact, upon coming to power in Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan boasted on his son serving in Artsakh and took several trips there to “visit” his son and take ample photos to show the public that his son was not evading military service.

Grigoryan said the the Russian peacekeeping forces were deployed to provide security guarantees.

In late March, Azerbaijani forces breached the line-of-contact in Artsakh and invaded the village of Parukh in Artsakh’s Askeran region, advancing their forces to the strategic Karaglukh heights. Azerbaijani forces still remain in the breached area, according to Artsakh authorities, despite the fact that the line-of-contact and that area was under the control of Russian peacekeepers.

“The events in Parukh were a gross violation of the November 9 2020 trilateral statement and applicable international law,” Grigoryan told Armenpress. “The Azerbaijani Armed Forces invaded the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno Karabakh.”

He said Russia had assured Yerevan that “the invading Azerbaijani forces must withdraw, and we hope that the Russian peacekeeping forces will ensure the withdrawal of the Azerbaijani units that have illegally invaded into the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno Karabakh.”

“The presence of the Russian peacekeeping forces in itself shows Russia’s accepting the fact that there is a real existential threat for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh and the peacekeeping forces have a key significance in guaranteeing the security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh,” Grigoryan told Armenpress.