Author: Eduard Nalbandian

Armenia, Artsakh Rights Defenders Report on Use of WMDs by Azerbaijan

Eduard Nalbandian

November 6,  2020



A report was issued detailing Azerbaijan’s use of weapons of mass destruction against Artsakh

The Human Rights Defenders of Armenia and Artsakh have published a report on the use of incendiary weapons of mass destruction containing chemicals that are being used against Artsakh by the Azerbaijani armed forces, Armen Tatoyan, Armenia’s Human Rights defender said on Friday.

The report is based on evidence collected on the ground and include photos of civilians injuries, maps, illustrations and data. Specific findings are based on studies from the Mkhitar Hearts Military Medicine School of the Yerevan State Medical University.

Through detailed analysis, the report demonstrated the use of chemical agents by Azerbaijan against civilians and forests in Artsakh, causing severe long-term damage to the peaceful population and the environment, specifically impacting the areas of Nngi, Sghnakh, Aknaghbyur, Taghavard, Togh, Karin Tak.

The report warns of the long-term effects of the damage to the life and health of the civilian population.

The joint fact-finding missions of the two Human Rights Defenders revealed that overall approximately 1,815 hectares (4,485 acres) of forest area was damaged almost in all regions of Artsakh.

Considering the specificities of the ammunition, this number may increase even if its use is discontinued.

Moreover, it was also reported that in civilian communities of Nngi, Taghavard, Aknaghbyur, the damage to important infrastructure, such as gas lines, has also impacted the civilian population.

The current ad hoc report established the following facts, irrespective from the concrete type of the chemical element of the used ammunition:

  1. the used ammunition has nature of massive destruction;
  2. ammunitions contain chemical elements;
  3. are used towards forests, causing mass fires and long-term severe damage to environment;
  4. according to expert assessments, the fire, caused by this type of weapon is not stopped even with the extinguishing materials or water;
  5. the forests where these ammunitions were used, are located close to the civilian communities;
  6. according to the fact-finding activities, civilians, who were probably damaged from the use of the ammunition, are hiding from attacks of Azerbaijani military forces in those forests;
  7. the use of this ammunition against civilian objects is prohibited by the international law and may entail to war crime.


Armenian memorial centre in France defaced with pro-Turkish slogans

Eduard Nalbandian
RTL, Luxembourg
Nov 1 2020
 
 
 
Author: AFP|Update: 01.11.2020 15:44
 
The National Armenian Memorial Centre was daubed with the giant letters "RTE" in reference to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and with the words "Grey Wolves", a prominent Turkish nationalist movement, in French / © AFP
 
 
An Armenian association in France expressed outrage Sunday after a memorial centre to the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire was defaced with pro-Turkish slogans.
 
The incident in the town of Decines-Charpieu outside Lyon comes against a background of intense communal tensions in France between its Armenian minority and the Turkish community over the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
 
Turkey has strongly backed its ally Azerbaijan in the conflict during the last weeks over Nagorno-Karabakh, part of Azerbaijan but controlled by Armenian separatists since a 1990s war as the Soviet Union broke up.
 
The National Armenian Memorial Centre was daubed with the giant letters "RTE" in yellow paint in reference to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the words "Grey Wolves", a prominent Turkish nationalist movement, in French.
 
A nearby memorial to the killings was also smeared with an expletive against Armenia.
 
"This intolerable desecration.. is one of a series of events aimed at terrorising and intimidating French citizens of Armenian origin," the Committee for the Defence of the Armenian Cause (CDCA) said in a statement.
 
The Lyon region is home to one of France's largest communities of Armenians, centred around Decines-Charpieu.
 
Four people had been wounded on Wednesday in clashes between suspected Turkish nationalists and Armenians who had been protesting against Azerbaijan's military offensive.
 
The CDCA accused the French state of "passivity" in the face of the threat and the mayor of Decines-Charpieu, Laurence Fautra, said its Armenian community needed physical protection.
 
The region's top local official, prefect Pascal Mailhos, wrote on Twitter that he "strongly condemned" the damage to the memorial centre and vowed everything would be done to find those behind it.
 
Armenians have long campaigned for the mass killings of their ancestors in the Ottoman Empire during World War I to be recognised as genocide.
 
France is one of several countries to have recognised it as such.
 
Modern Turkey strongly rejects the use of the term, saying lives were lost on both sides during a time of war.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thousands of bodies decompose as Azerbaijan displays total disregard for own troops

Eduard Nalbandian

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 12:53,

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. The bodies of thousands of Azerbaijani servicemen who were killed in action are decomposing in various sections of the frontline due to Azerbaijan’s total disregard for the fate of its own troops, and meanwhile the Azeri military continues to violate the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing countries-facilitated cessation of hostilities agreement which envisaged the exchange of bodies, POWs and other detainees.

The Ministry of Defense of Artsakh released a video (Viewer Discretion Advised) showing highly disturbing images of multiple bodies of Azeri troops left unattended by Azerbaijan itself.

“With such behavior the Azeri military-political regime shows that it doesn’t care not only for international humanitarian law norms, but also for the bodies and the memory of its own troops,” the Artsakh Defense Ministry said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

WATCH: Residential areas reduced to ruins by Azerbaijani missile attack at Shushi

Eduard Nalbandian

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 16:56,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Unified Infocenter released images filmed on October 29 in the town of Shushi in Artsakh showing the aftermath of the latest Azerbaijani bombardment of the peaceful settlement.

Civilians were wounded and major material damages occurred in the attack.

Artsakh authorities said the Azeri military used the Smerch heavy multiple rocket launchers in the attack. Stepanakert City was also bombarded on October 29.

[see video]
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

v

Eduard Nalbandian

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 29-10-20

SaeShare  17:21,

YEREVAN, 29 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 29 October, USD exchange rate up by 0.44 drams to 493.15 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.37 drams to 578.32 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.10 drams to 6.21 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 2.69 drams to 641.59 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 539.86 drams to 29648.32 drams. Siler price down by 7.74 drams to 379.33 drams. Platinum price down by 272.94 drams to 13667.13 drams.

Azerbaijan loses great technological advantage – MoD Armenia presents war map

Eduard Nalbandian

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 22:26,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani army, reinforced by Turkish and terrorist forces, have lost their great quantitative and technological advantage in the war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, ARMENPRESS reports representative of the MoD Armenia Artsrun Hovhannisyan said during a press conference.

''The nature of the war has somehow changed. Our Armed Forces carry out difficult battles in mountains, forests and gorges. A number of subversive groups have been neutralized today, some others fled abandoning some military equipment, but this war is somehow complicated in its nature. The adversary has lost its huge quantitative and technological advantage. The war does not continue with the same intensity'', Hovhannisyan said.

He noted that starting from the morning, the Azerbaijani armed forces again continued offensive operations in different directions, at the same time artillery was used against the civilians of a number of settlements.

''Military operations continued in the northern direction with relatively low intensity, at the same time the fight against subversive groups continues in the directions of these villages (mentioned on the map – edit.). In the southern direction the advance of Azerbaijani armed forces looks like this (mentioned on the map – edit.). They also tried to develop an offensive in the direction of Berdzor as well as tried to approach the Armenian border in the southern direction, but the attempts were repelled, they recorded no success'', Hovhannisyan said.

According to him, the Azerbaijani subversive groups have light weapons when approaching villages. ''Crushed by our units, they retreat, flee in forests and mountains, try to develop attacks in other directions and 24-hour operations continue in a not very intensive manner. After some success in the plains the Azerbaijani armed forces reinforced by terrorist groups try to develop the success in complicated areas of mountains and forests, which is not so easy. This is a more difficult and complicated battle in terms of tactics'', Hovhannisyan said.

President of Artsakh discusses current situation, future plans with militia

Eduard Nalbandian

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 16:48,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan had a meeting with the members of the militia with the participation of the representatives of the security system.

“The talk with the defenders of the homeland focused on the ongoing developments and our actions to counter them.

The professionalism and knowledge of our soldiers, who have mastered the enemy’s tactics in the past month, only inspire excitement and trust. They understand very well both the importance of the defense of the homeland and the price of its sacrifice”, the President of Artsakh said on Facebook.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

TURKISH press: Azerbaijan slams Pashinian’s call to arms, dismissal of diplomatic solution

Eduard Nalbandian
 ISTANBUL DIPLOMACY 
OCT 21, 2020 4:15 PM GMT+3
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian pauses as he speaks at the Armenian parliament in Yerevan, Armenia, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP File Photo)

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's foreign policy adviser, Hikmat Hajiyev slammed Wednesday Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's call to arms and dismissal of diplomatic solutions to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Earlier in the day, Pashinian urged citizens to sign up as military volunteers to protect their country and claimed "Azerbaijan's aggressive stance" in the 25-day clash over Nagorno-Karabakh leaves no room for diplomacy.

Hajiyev said the statement reflects Armenia's lack of interest in a diplomatic solution and disrespect the efforts of international mediators.

The disputed Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory. The Azerbaijani military has been fighting to end the illegal occupation by Armenian separatists, while Armenian forces continue indiscriminate attacks on Azeri civilians.

In a live video address on Facebook, Pashinyan said all Armenians must "take up arms and defend the Motherland" and urged local mayors to organize volunteer units.

He charged that Azerbaijan's "uncompromising posture" has shattered hopes for a political settlement. "There is no way now to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh issue through diplomacy," Pashinian said.

"In this situation, we may consider all hopes, proposals and ideas about the need to find a diplomatic settlement effectively terminated."

Pashinian said Azerbaijan's stance on Nagorno-Karabakh effectively means the region surrenders.

"There is no Armenia without Nagorno-Karabakh," Pashinian said. "Defending Nagorno-Karabakh means defending the Armenian people's rights," he added, despite the fact Armenian occupation of the region is illegal.

On Friday, Armenia and Azerbaijan's foreign ministers are due to meet U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington. On Wednesday they held separate talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of Armenian separatists, backed by Armenia, since a war there ended in 1994. The current fighting that started on Sept. 27 marks the biggest escalation in the conflict since.

Two Russia-brokered cease-fires frayed immediately after entering force, and the warring parties have continued to trade blows with heavy artillery, rockets and drones.

According to Armenian separatists, 834 of their troops have been killed, while Azerbaijan has said 63 civilians were killed and 292 wounded.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev said that to end hostilities, Armenian forces must withdraw from the illegally occupied Nagorno-Karabakh.

Pashinian's statements came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held two separate meetings with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts in Moscow to discuss the implementation of a cease-fire in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

"During the talks, urgent issues related to the implementation of previously reached agreements on a cease-fire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone and the creation of conditions for its sustainable settlement were discussed," the ministry said in a statement, following Lavrov's meeting with Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Jeyhun Bayramov.

Azerbaijani authorities said at least 60 civilians have been killed and 270 wounded since Sept. 27, but they haven’t revealed military losses.

The number of houses damaged in Armenian attacks has reached over 1,700, along with 90 residential buildings and 327 civil facilities, according to Azerbaijani officials.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.

Turkey has supported Baku's right to self-defense and demanded a withdrawal of the occupying forces.

Armenia, Azerbaijan agree to a humanitarian ceasefire starting from October 18

Eduard Nalbandian

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 22:23,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan have agreed to a humanitarian truce as of October 18th, 00:00 local time, ARMENPRESS reports the Foreign Ministry of Armenia announced.

''This decision was taken following the statement of the Presidents of the French Republic, the Russian Federation and the United States of America, representing the Co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group, of 1 October 2020, the Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group of 5 October, and in line with Moscow Statement of 10 October 2020’'.

On October 10 the sides had again reached an agreement on humanitarian ceasefire, but the Azerbaijani side never respected the agreement, starting to violate it immediately after it entered into effect.




Presence of Pakistani fighters on the ground alongside Azerbaijan forces won’t be a surprise: Armenia Foreign Minister Avet Adonts

Eduard Nalbandian
Op India
Oct 2 2020
 
 
 
 
Pakistan has refuted the allegations of its forces fighting alongside Azerbaijan against Armenia made by Armenian foreign minister
 
As the spectre of a full-blown war between Armenia and Azerbaijan looms around the corner, the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Avet Adonts, said in an interview with Zee News that it won’t be a surprise to find fighters from Pakistan to battle alongside mercenaries operating in Azerbaijan.
 
Adonts recounted how Pakistanis were present on the ground in the 1990s when war broke out in Nagorno Karabakh, a longstanding bone of contention between the two countries. With the history of Pakistanis interfering the conflict, the foreign minister said that he couldn’t exclude the possibility of fighters from Pakistan joining the Azerbaijan military against Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.
 
Adonts also slammed Turkey for imposing a war on Armenia. “This imposed or instigated war has been a well planned jointly with Turkey,” he said. He further added that the dictatorship of Azerbaijan, supported by Ankara, instigated a large-scale war when its military instruments, aeroplanes, artillery and all other equipment were mobilised to attack Nagorno-Karabakh on the morning of September 27.
 
Pakistani trolls jump to the defence of Azerbaijan, vowing to wage a jihad against Armenia
 
Soon after Turkey extended its support to Muslim-majority Azerbaijan against Christian-majority Armenia, the eternal-rental state Pakistan, which shares a close affinity with Turkey and purports itself as a beacon for the Islamic world, jumped into the conflict, blaming Armenia for ratcheting up hostility against Azerbaijan.
 
Many social media trolls in Pakistan extended their solidarity with Azerbaijan and vowed to fight against Christian-majority Armenia. Several of them claimed that the war between the two countries represented a war between Christianity and Islam and it was the duty of the Pakistanis to join their co-religionists in Azerbaijan to repel the Armenian attack.
 
However, Pakistan has refuted the allegations of its forces fighting alongside Azerbaijan against Armenia. In a press release, Pakistan reacted saying the media reports claiming its fighters’ are present on the ground in Azerbaijan are “speculative and baseless”.
 
Though it rejected the allegations of providing ground support to the mercenaries backed by Azerbaijan, it nevertheless supported the Muslim-majority country, asking Armenia to stop its military action to avoid further escalation.
 
Clashes erupt between Muslim majority Azerbaijan and Christian-majority Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh
 
Deadly clashes erupted on Sunday between two former Soviet Republics—Azerbaijan and Armenia, over a longstanding territorial dispute for the turbulent Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, a strife-torn region that lies within the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan but is governed by ethnic Armenians.
 
Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia had declared martial law after Azerbaijan launched an aerial and artillery attack on Sunday, killing several of the military servicemen and injuring hundreds of others.
 
Azerbaijan, on the other hand, had also imposed martial law, claiming its attack was in retaliation to shelling by Armenia that had reportedly killed five members of a single-family.