Author: Eduard Nalbandian

Armenia-Azerbaijan reconciliation unthinkable unless there are clear,reliable security guarantees for NK people – Russia

Eduard Nalbandian

 00:53,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, ARMENPRESS. Russia is concerned over the continuing blockade of Lachin corridor and considers that Armenian-Azerbaijani reconciliation is unthinkable unless there are clear and reliable security guarantees and observance of the rights of residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Russian representative to the UN said during the UN Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from the Azeri blockade of Lachin Corridor.

“We are concerned over the continuing blockade of the Lachin corridor. Now as never before we need actual steps to be made on the ground in order to ensure prompt de-escalation of the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh, including the unblocking of the Lachin corridor and use of other humanitarian routes,” Chargé d'Affaires of the Russian Federation Dmitry Polyanskiy said.

“With support from the both sides, Russia is taking maximum efforts to ensure the soonest possible resolution of the crisis and promote overall normalization of relations of our two friendly nations, Armenia and Azerbaijan. We do our best to prevent a humanitarian disaster in the region. For this purpose, we engage at all levels of political and diplomatic channels, and also take action on the ground via the Russian peacekeeping contingent.

“We maintain energetic contacts with all stakeholders with an aim of immediate recovery of sustained deliveries to Nagorno-Karabakh of food, medications, and other basic necessity items, as well as resumption of electricity and gas supply.  

“The series of statements by President of Russia, President of Azerbaijan, and Prime Minister of Armenia of 2020-2022 remains a mandatory roadmap for reconciliation of Baku and Yerevan. The potential of trilateral agreements has not been exhausted. Their key aspects are delimitation and subsequent demarcation of Armenian-Azerbaijani border with expert support from Russia, unblocking of transportation links under the auspices of the Trilateral Working Group co-chaired by Deputy Prime Ministers of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, assistance with elaboration of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty, facilitation of parliamentary and public activists’ dialogue. There is some progress on each of these tracks. Russia intends to proceed with meaningful efforts.

“ Armenian-Azerbaijani reconciliation is unthinkable unless there are clear and reliable security guarantees and observance of the rights of residents of Nagorno-Karabakh on the basis of universally recognized international principles within Azerbaijan’s legal framework. This logic follows from the repeatedly confirmed recent agreements of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan on mutual recognition by the parties of each other's territorial integrity in accordance with the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration.

“At the talks of the foreign ministers of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan that took place in Moscow on July 25, our side proposed realistic compromise-based solutions for de-escalation, which the parties have taken into consideration. I refer to the proposed parallel opening of passages through Aghdam and Lachin for civilians and non-military cargo. This will create the necessary prerequisites for an early launch of direct dialogue between the authorized representatives of official Baku and the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Mutual commitments of the parties to refrain from politicizing purely humanitarian issues stand in no smaller demand. We trust that all participants in the process will find the political will to overcome their contradictions in order to alleviate the plight of tens of thousands of Nagorno-Karabakh residents and have a sustained Baku-Stepanakert dialogue.

“We are ready to engage with all responsible stakeholders who are interested in normalization of the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenian-Azerbaijani reconciliation at large. Those who truly adhere to this scenario, which is based on the fundamental interests of the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples, should put aside geopolitical and all sorts of domestic political considerations. We also call for a responsible approach to the use of the Security Council platform in this context. In any case, it is Baku and Yerevan who should resolve these problems. No externally imposed schemes and solutions will replace their dialogue. For our part, we will continue to encourage such dialogue, bringing the parties closer to an original good-neighborly solution, i.a. by employing the potential of the Russian peacekeeping contingent.”

Minibus crash: Prime Minister Pashinyan offers condolences to families of victims

Eduard Nalbandian

 15:27,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 14, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has extended condolences to the families of the victims of the minibus-truck collision that killed 11 passengers. 

“I am shocked by the news of the tragic car crash in Shirak Province. Road safety is among the priorities of the government’s agenda. In conditions of a constantly growing number of cars, in 2022 the number of deaths in traffic accidents had dropped compared to 2021. According to preliminary information, both vehicles involved in the crash in Shirak Province had technical inspection [license] and [insurance] contracts, and the drivers had relevant driving permits. The investigation will give the answers to the remaining questions. Additional steps are being taken and will be taken to increase the level of road safety, and the steps can be maximally effective through more consistent introduction and supervision of working, technical and road standards. My condolences to all the relatives of all the victims of all car accidents,” Pashinyan said in a statement on Facebook.

Armenian Christians Trapped and Facing Genocide: An Explainer

Eduard Nalbandian
Aug 9 2023

Commentators say international intervention is needed immediately to allow food and necessities to get to the Armenians trapped in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Kevin J. Jones/CNAWorldAugust 9, 2023

More than 120,000 Christian Armenians are currently trapped, without food or medicine, behind a blockade of the Nagorno-Karabakh region maintained by the Muslim-majority nation of Azerbaijan. 

Former ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom Sam Brownback, who recently returned from a fact-finding mission to Armenia, said Azerbaijan is “strangling” the Christians in the region and that the blockade is the regime’s latest attempt at “religious cleansing.” 

“They’re working to make it unlivable so that the region’s Armenian-Christian population is forced to leave, that’s what’s happening on the ground,” Brownback said in June. 

Why is Armenia At War With Azerbaijan?

Since 1988, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been fighting over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, or “Artsakh,” as the Armenians call it.

Though some see the conflict as strictly one over borders, experts have emphasized that religion also plays a central part in the war between Christian Armenia and Muslim Azerbaijan. Armenia wants to retain its hold on Artsakh, while Azerbaijan wants to expel the Armenian Christian population to solidify its hold on the region, according to Brownback.

Azerbaijan is both politically and philosophically aligned with the major regional power, Turkey. Brownback believes Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has ambitions to reestablish the Ottoman Empire, which committed genocide on Armenian Christians in the early 20th century. 

Sandwiched between the Muslim nations of Turkey and Azerbaijan in the southern Caucasus Mountains, Armenia has long been under threat from its larger and more powerful Islamic neighbors.

With Christian roots that go back to ancient times, Armenia has one of the oldest Christian communities in the world.

Both nations were part of the Soviet Union until it fell in 1991. After the Soviets’ collapse, both claimed Nagorno-Karabakh as their own.

The conflict has escalated into outright war multiple times throughout the years, with several unsuccessful truces being unable to keep the peace.

What’s At Stake?

According to several experts who have spent time on the ground in Armenia, the Christian community in Nagorno-Karabakh is facing genocide.

“The situation is extremely urgent and existential,” Robert Nicholson, president of the Catholic human rights group the Philos Project, said in June.

“This is the oldest Christian nation facing again for the second time in only about a century the possibility of a genocide,” Nicholson added.

Commentators say international intervention is needed immediately to allow food and necessities to get to the Armenians trapped in Nagorno-Karabakh.

What is the Blockade About?

In 2020, with the backing of Turkey, Azerbaijan reignited the long-simmering conflict by invading Nagorno-Karabakh. A six-week conflict ended in Azerbaijan seizing control of Nagorno-Karabakh. 

The war killed 6,800 combatants, displaced 90,000 people, and left over 100,000 Armenian Christians cut off from the rest of Armenia. A narrow road less than four miles long, called the “Lachin Corridor,” connects Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh and is the only way to get food and supplies to the Armenians living there.

In December 2022 pro-government Azerbaijanis, ostensibly protesting Armenian environmental violations, began blockading the Lachin Corridor, cutting off all access to aid. In April, the protests ended after Azerbaijani troops, defying warnings from the international community, established a military checkpoint on the road, continuing the blockade.

How is the Blockade Threatening Christian Lives?

Since the start of the blockade in December 2022 the plight of the 120,000 Christian Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh has steadily worsened. 

Lusine Stepayan, project manager at the Catholic relief group Caritas Armenia, told CNA in February that the blockaded population includes 30,000 children, 20,000 elderly people, and 9,000 people with disabilities.

“The blockade of the Lachin corridor has left Nagorno-Karabakh without food, medicine, electricity, or natural gas,” Simon Maghakyan, a Denver-based researcher and human rights advocate, told CNA.

“The situation for the entire population is dire,” Maghakyan said. “They are on the brink of mass starvation. But the goal is psychological terror: to make the indigenous Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, who have lived in the region for 2,500 years, feel helpless and hopeless and leave at the first opportunity [when the blockade is lifted] for good.”

What Does the Pope Have to Say?

In his Dec. 18, 2022, Sunday Angelus remarks, Pope Francis voiced his worries about the situation in the Lachin Corridor.

“I ask everyone involved to commit themselves to finding peaceful solutions for the good of the people,” the Pope said. 

“In particular, I am concerned about the precarious humanitarian conditions of the populations, which risk further deterioration during the winter season,” Francis added.

Despite the Pope’s words and protests from Armenia, international human rights groups, and the United Nations, Azerbaijan has refused to lift the blockade and in January denied that it exists.

According to the Azerbaijani government, Azerbaijan guarantees the safety of civilians, vehicles, and goods traveling through the Lachin Corridor. In its view, these guarantees include “the prevention of abuse along Lachin Road.”

What Are Catholic Relief Agencies Doing?

Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the U.S. bishops’ international aid organization, has been supporting Armenian Christians in Nagorno-Karabakh through financial contributions to Caritas Armenia, the Armenian arm of the international Catholic relief group Caritas.

“After the outbreak of the war in 2020 CRS presence and direct and immediate support came very soon, from the very first days of the war,” Stepayan said. 

The agency provided emergency humanitarian relief, financial support, and capacity-building support to Caritas Armenia.

Caritas International has also supported Caritas Armenia’s fundraising and emergency appeals. 

What Can the U.S. Do?

Despite the blockade and preceding armed conflict, the U.S. has continued to give Azerbaijan millions of dollars in economic aid, according to U.S. State Department numbers. The U.S. sent more than $13 million in aid to Azerbaijan in the 2022 fiscal year. 

France and the European Union also continue to give Azerbaijan tens of millions of dollars in economic aid in recent years. 

This leads many to believe that international pressure can resolve the situation. 

Former ambassador Brownback has called on the U.S. government to invoke Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act of 1992. 

Section 907 mandates that U.S. aid and funding “may not be provided to the government of Azerbaijan until the president determines, and so reports to the Congress, that the government of Azerbaijan is taking demonstrable steps to cease all blockades and other offensive uses of force against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Despite continued conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, the U.S. has waived this restriction for more than 20 years. 

What’s Next?

The U.S., European Union, Russia, and several other nations helped to facilitate several peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan in May and June. 

In the span of those two months, leaders from the warring nations met in Washington, D.C.; Moscow; Brussels; Chisinau, Moldova; and Ankara, Turkey, leading many to be hopeful that a diplomatic, peaceful solution could soon be on the horizon. 

Though Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijani-sovereign territory, he continues to advocate for the rights of the Armenians trapped in the region. 

Thus far there have been no official agreements or resolutions signed by either nation. 


https://www.ncregister.com/cna/armenian-christians-trapped-and-facing-genocide-an-explainer






Creating a piece of Lebanon in northern Armenia

Eduard Nalbandian
Aug 10 2023
 

ByPaul Vartan Sookasian
Kiki cooking at Sajj Terouh Setté. Photo: Hranush Mashakaryan/OC Media

After a move that neither of them could have anticipated, two friends from Lebanon ended up bringing a little piece of home to northern Armenia. 

‘It was a crazy idea’, admits Christiane ‘Kiki’ Saadeh. 

In 2020, Kiki Saadeh and Natalie Khalife were living in Lebanon and had just lost their jobs in hospitality, a result of a financial crisis compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and Beirut port explosion. Despite their deep devotion to Lebanon, or perhaps because of it, the two friends felt they could not remain at home watching their nation descend into economic, political, and social disaster. 

So in August of 2021, they decided to make a change. They packed up their belongings, uprooted their lives in Lebanon, and moved to a country neither of them had been to before — Armenia.

A year later, the friends ended up finding a home and sense of purpose in an unlikely place:  the northern Armenian city of Vanadzor, a former industrial centre whose star had fallen along with the Soviet Union. 

‘Almost nobody speaks English there and we don’t speak Armenian, but we wanted to make a life in Vanadzor‘, says Kiki, a Lebanese Maronite with no Armenian heritage. 

What brought them to settle in Vanadzor is a story in itself. 

On the morning of 14 August 2022, Kiki had a strange feeling that they needed to get out of Yerevan immediately. 

She urged Natalie to cancel her planned errands at the nearby Surmalu Market, and for them to instead visit Vanadzor, in the northern Lori Province. Upon arrival, they discovered the market had exploded just after they left, leaving 16 people dead and over 60 injured due to improperly stored fireworks at an on-site warehouse.

Unable to return to their dust-filled neighbourhood for days due to health risks, their chance day trip became an extended stay. The two friends fell in love with Vanadzor, and the idea to open a restaurant there was born. 

Although it became her livelihood, Kiki had no knowledge of how to cook until she lost her job in 2020. She used her newly-acquired free time to practice making traditional Lebanese dishes based around ‘saj’ bread. After a while, she began selling them out of her garage in her hometown of Bejjeh, which in an uncanny twist is Arabic for ‘explode’. 

After Kiki and Natalie moved to Yerevan, they were unable to find jobs in hospitality. Kiki found work teaching English, and Natalie in a supermarket, but Kiki says that something ‘wasn’t adding up — we weren’t happy in Yerevan’. 

But after returning from their trip to Vanadzor, things seemed clearer. Kiki and Natalie swiftly packed up their lives in Yerevan, moving to Vanadzor at the end of August 2022. During their days in the city, they had found a space that suited their needs, which they began renovating immediately after moving. 

In November 2022, Kiki and Natalie opened Sajj Terouh Setté, hailed by a number of customers as the most authentic Lebanese restaurant in all of Armenia. 

The name represented their mission of bringing a bit of Lebanon to Armenia: a sajj is the name of the oven in which they bake the saj bread, ‘terouh’ is both the name of property owned by Kiki’s grandmother in Lebanon and a term for a rainwater gulley between mountains, and ‘setté’ means grandmother. 

‘Many thanked us for seeing Vanadzor’s potential‘, says Kiki. ‘It reminds me of Lebanon because everyone here is so kind and hospitable, they will run to help you.’ 

Despite being Armenia’s third largest city and a former industrial hub, the number of people living in Vanadzor has dropped by half from just under 170,000 at independence in 1991, with the city only beginning to show signs of development in the past few years. 

The fall in population is in line with national trends throughout that period, and has shown little sign of abating: in 2021 alone, over 70,000 citizens left Armenia, the most in at least a decade. 

[Read more: ‘I dreamt of a carefree life — I was deceived’: the Armenians immigrating illegally to America]

Yet that outflow is now being countered by newcomers like Kiki and Natalie, along with tens of thousands of migrants in the past year, primarily those escaping the effects of the war in Ukraine. 

The landscape is starting to change in Vanadzor as well, with Sajj Terouh Setté joining a number of new cafés opening in Vanadzor, including Shamam’s Macaroons and Boo Mountain Bike Park and Café, contributing to the town’s development and bringing a new air of excitement.

Kiki sees ‘huge potential for Armenia to grow and become self-sustaining’, and that Armenians will be inspired to reverse the negative demographic movement by choosing to stay or return to their country. She states her hope that Armenians, both within the country and amongst those that have left, will ‘one day see what we see in Armenia.’ 

Last year, Kiki and Natalie transformed what had been an abandoned kindergarten on Vanadzor’s main avenue into a small and humble eatery sporting photographs of famous Lebanese celebrities and landmarks, and a wooden sign in red paint that reads: ‘Yalla habibi, let’s eat Lebanese.’

On the grand opening night in November, the food was free and the place was full. Kiki and Natalie invited everyone they could think of: their butcher, the electrician, the woman who reads their water meter, and friends from Yerevan. 

‘We wanted them to just taste the food for nothing in return, and if they liked it, I knew they would come back‘, Kiki explains. ‘It was beautiful because this place is like our baby, a dream coming true.’

The restaurant’s centrepiece is the saj, a dome-shaped hot stone grill imported from Lebanon on which they cook dishes like the ground meat pie, lahem biaajin, and grilled chicken shish taouk. Everything on the menu is made from scratch using only high-quality raw ingredients. To add to the authentic taste, they import the za'atar and other seasonings directly from Lebanon.  

Though this food is new to many residents of Vanadzor, there is a sizeable community of ethnic Armenians from Lebanon in the country who have longed for it. This includes Natacha Kalfayan and her friends, who stopped by one Sunday in early May after seeing an ad online while passing through the town. 

‘We were shocked when we tasted the food‘, says Natacha, who adds that it was probably the first time she’d had ‘real Lebanese food’ in Armenia since moving to the country in 2006. 

‘The places in Yerevan describe themselves as Lebanese, and they’re good, but it’s not what I know. Here though, the dough, the flavour of the za'atar, the crunchiness — you feel you’re back home.’

Natacha also points out that most Middle Eastern restaurants in Armenia are Syrian-based rather than Lebanese, and so use other spices and have a different feel. Sajj Terouh Setté serves particular specialities which the group hadn’t seen offered anywhere else in Armenia, like the Lebanese village staple keshek, a bulgur and milk soup. 

‘The food they make is simple and yet so difficult to get just right. They put their spirit into the food, that’s the Lebanese way‘, she says.  

Sajj Tarough Setté. Photo: Paul Vartan Sookasian/OC Media

Such reviews closely echo Kiki’s reason for opening the restaurant.

‘When we were living in Yerevan we couldn’t find a real authentic Lebanese place to eat, which broke my heart because Lebanese food is delicious’, explains Kiki. 

She decided to give the ‘privilege’ to Vanadzor, a place she had fallen in love with on their first visit there.  

‘After visiting Vanadzor, it was like a piece of our hearts stayed there‘, says Kiki. ‘We lived in Yerevan for a year and only knew a few people, whereas after a month in Vanadzor, we already knew the entire neighbourhood.’ 

Now open for the past half year in Vanadzor, the restaurant’s business has been boosted by Russian migrants who have also come to Armenia due to economic sanctions and political turmoil at home. 

‘Besides learning Armenian, we’re also learning Russian‘, says Kiki. ‘Sixty per cent of our business are Russians who live here now because of the war in Ukraine.’ 

It helps that the Russians tend to be more culinarily adventurous than the local Armenians, Kiki says, though noting that once locals do try their food they become repeat customers too. She’s invigorated by the opportunity to introduce her favourite foods to people who might never have tasted it otherwise, allowing her to maintain a special link with her homeland from far away. 

‘Here, I created my own little Lebanon‘, says Kiki. ‘The Lebanon that I love and want to keep remembering, that I want other people to discover.’

By Paul Vartan Sookasian

Paul Vartan Sookiasian is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Yerevan. He has worked in Armenia as the English language editor at CivilNet and as a project associate for USAID programs. He is also a historian of Armenian immigration to the United States, especially regarding his

Center for Truth and Justice Welcomes Ocampo Report Citing Genocide in Nagorno Karabakh

Eduard Nalbandian
Aug 11 2023
  • Luis Moreno Ocampo, first prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, said Azerbaijan's blockade applies as genocide under the Genocide Convention
  • Ocampo called on world powers to prevent starvation of 120,000 Armenians
  • CFTJ says turning a blind eye to the tragedy could ripple around the world

MONTROSE, Calif., Aug. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The Center for Truth and Justice (CFTJ), a group of attorneys dedicated to collecting testimonial evidence of war crimes, has called on world powers to intervene in Nagorno-Karabakh after a report this week by renowned international legal expert Luis Moreno Ocampo found Azerbaijan's blockade of the enclave constituted a genocide against the 120,000 ethnic Armenians living there.

"This hidden genocide, starvation by blockade, has been exposed," the California-based group said. "It is now the responsibility of state parties, especially the US, to take measures to stop Genocide 2023."

Maggie Arutyunyan, Esq. a founding member and member of the Board of Directors of CFTJ said the horror of genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh is the failure of the state parties to the Genocide Convention that keep repeating the words "never again" to mass atrocities but have not stepped up to prevent the latest case. 

"When put on notice by Mr. Ocampo's thorough report, those who continue to turn a blind eye become complicit in Genocide 2023,"  she said, adding that ending the blockade will have the immediate effect of preventing  what Ocampo called the "physical destruction" of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. "At this point, it takes political will by the US and state parties to stop Genocide 2023, and stop starvation by blockade."

Azerbaijan seized control of much of Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies inside Azerbaijan's official borders but which has operated as a self-governing entity for decades, in a deadly 2020 war. What remains of the enclave – known by Armenians as Artsakh – is connected to the outside world by the Lachin Corridor. On December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan blocked the road, allowing only intermittent passage by the Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers – and since June 15 all passage has been entirely blocked, cutting off food and other supplies.

"Without immediate dramatic change, this group of Armenians will be destroyed in a few weeks," Ocampo wrote in the 22-page pro bono report (read it here) entitled "Genocide against Armenians in 2023." 

Ocampo, who was the first chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, noted that  Article II(c) of the Genocide Convention determined that "deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction" constituted a genocide attempt.

"You will find no crematoria in Artsakh, nor machetes, but genocide by starvation is no less devastating for being silent," Ocampo said. "It was the same deadly method used against Armenians in 1915, against Poles and Jews in 1939, and against the people of Srebrenica in 1993. And unless we intervene right now, we'll have a Genocide on our hands by year's end."

Ocampo, who began his legendary career by helping to liberate his native Argentina from military dictatorship, had written last week to Azerbaijan's authoritarian president, Ilham Aliyev, demanding explanations about his intentions and cautioning that his behavior could be investigated as a genocide. He did not receive a reply.  Ocampo said Aliyev should be investigated by the ICC, but the priority now is to prevent the physical elimination of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

"Ocampo's meticulous analysis of President Aliyev's intention of genocide, and possible avenues for state parties to prevent 'physical destruction' of Armenians, is crucial," Arutyunyan said. "As neutral third parties we will continue to document first-hand evidence, using proper methodology ensuring its reliability and authenticity."

The Center for Truth and Justice collects testimonial evidence of war crimes and provides them to international organizations and actors – especially amplifying the voice of Armenians affected by discrimination, ethnic cleansing, displacement, war crimes, mass atrocities and genocide.

Ocampo's report, released Aug. 8, has been delivered to the President of Nagorno-Karabakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, to Armenia's Ambassador to the United Nations Mher Margaryan, and to the Armenian Foreign Ministry in Yerevan.

During his time at the ICC, in 2008, Ocampo obtained arrest warrants against Sudan's then-President Omar al-Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur. Bashir was deposed and is in jail in Khartoum.

ABOUT THE CFTJ:

CFTJ is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, established in November 2020 in response to the Nagorno-Karabakh war. We are a group of lawyers overseeing the collection of firsthand testimonial evidence from war survivors via in-depth, recorded interviews. We run two law clinics, one in Armenia and one in Nagorno-Karabakh, which are the first of their kind. Through our clinics, we train Armenian law students and young lawyers to interview survivors of the war and record their testimonies. To date, we have conducted hundreds of interviews and trained nearly 100 current or future lawyers. By being a permanent home for the testimonials, CFTJ serves as a resource to academic and legal practitioners who seek to use the evidence for purposes of education and/or legal action.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Maggie Arutyunyan, Communications Director,  at 1(818)749-8185

SOURCE Center for Truth and Justice

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/center-for-truth-and-justice-welcomes-ocampo-report-citing-genocide-in-nagorno-karabakh-301898485.html

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Center for Truth and Justice 

11 Aug, 2023, 08:44 ET


Armenpress: Kim Kardashian, Eric Esrailian raise awareness of former ICC prosecutor’s genocide warning in Nagorno-Karabakh

Eduard Nalbandian

 20:18, 9 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. American reality TV star, entrepreneur Kim Kardashian and UCLA physician, Emmy-nominated film producer Eric Esrailian took to social media to raise awareness of Nagorno-Karabakh and the report issued by a former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court concluding that the Azerbaijani blockade of Lachin Corridor constitutes genocide.

Former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno Ocampo has warned that Azerbaijan is preparing genocide against the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh and called for a U.S. Security Council intervention.

Esrailian, who produced the 2016 historical drama The Promise set during the years of the Armenian Genocide, and who visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan the following year together with filmmaker Terry George, shared the report on Instagram.

Armenian-American media personality Kim Kardashian, who has also personally visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan and in 2021 thanked U.S. President Joe Biden for officially recognizing the 1915 Armenian Genocide, shared Esrailian’s post on Instagram.

“Please share! This report is by Luis Moreno Ocampo – former Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court. He argues Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin corridor should be considered a genocide against the ethnic Armenians of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh. The government of Azerbaijan is using oil & gas leverage to cleanse the Christian Armenian population from the region. Read & share the report! The link to the full report is in my bio,” Esrailian said.

Georgian Civil Society Organizations Express Concern Over Crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh

Eduard Nalbandian
CIVIL GEORGIA
July 31 2023

On July 28, Georgian civil society organizations issued a statement on the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. The statement expressed the concern of Georgian civil society about the escalation of tensions resulting from the total blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan.

The statement reads: “We, the civil society organizations of Georgia, extend our solidarity to all those affected by the conflict”. The organizations emphasize the profound and irreversible hardships endured by the civilian population over 30 years of unresolved conflicts, including loss of lives, compromised health, daily insecurity, and an uncertain future.

“As advocates for peace and human rights,” they stress the urgent need to safeguard and support the well-being of civilians. They believe it’s crucial for the conflicting parties and international community to prioritize humanitarian concerns and the protection of human rights during negotiations and are convinced that safeguarding conflict-affected people is essential for building confidence and normalizing relations between the parties.

The statement highlights that in the current geopolitical crisis, all three South Caucasus countries share a common interest of establishing peaceful coexistence and creating precedents of trust, mutual assistance, and cooperation, which aims to ensure the peace, development, and prosperity of all the people in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

The civil society representatives conclude that all sides must show restraint and avoid actions that may escalate the situation or further complicate negotiations in the fragile conditions. “It is crucial to safeguard the dignity, rights, and security of those impacted by the conflicts,” – notes the statement and adds that the Azerbaijani authorities hold a specific responsibility in ensuring the safety and rights of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh, as their actions will significantly influence inter-ethnic relations and the overall peace in the South Caucasus region.

The statement highlights the dire situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, where 120,000 people have been living in severe socio-economic and humanitarian crisis for nearly seven months. Their movement has been restricted, leading to total isolation. The International Committee of the Red Cross, previously instrumental in providing aid, expressed its inability to do so despite several attempts. Furthermore, Russian peacekeepers have stopped supplying essential supplies like food and medicine for about a month.

The organizations emphasize that a severe shortage of food, medical supplies, and essential goods in Nagorno-Karabakh, is leading to an increase in health problems among women and children. Elderly, disabled individuals, and chronically ill people have limited access to health services. Women face complex challenges both legally and from a humanitarian perspective. The statement further notes that around 27,000 students are unable to attend school due to limited heating and electricity, and some 1,100 people, including 270 children, are unable to return home due to movement restrictions.

On December 28, 2022, Armenia filed a request with the International Court of Justice for temporary measures to address the freedom of movement restrictions in the Lachin Corridor. In response, on February 22, 2023, the Court ordered Azerbaijan to ensure the unimpeded movement of both cargo and people within the corridor. The Court’s decision was based on the need to protect the rights of the ethnic Armenian population under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), including freedom of movement and protection from discrimination. The European Court of Human Rights also issued a judgement on December 22, 2022, requiring Azerbaijan to take necessary measures for individuals with limited access to essential services, including healthcare facilities. On July 26, 2023, the European Union described the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh as critical.

Armenpress: Blinken holds call with Aliyev, underscores urgent need for free transit along Lachin Corridor

Eduard Nalbandian

 10:05, 31 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 31, ARMENPRESS. United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev over the weekend to express deep concern for the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and underscored the urgent need for free movement along the Lachin Corridor, according to the United States State Department.

“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev yesterday to express deep concern for the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Secretary Blinken underscored the urgent need for free transit of commercial, humanitarian, and private vehicles through the Lachin corridor, and emphasized the need for compromise on alternative routes so humanitarian supplies can reach the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Secretary stressed the need for all parties to keep up positive momentum on peace negotiations,” the State Department said in a readout of the call.

Blinken then posted a tweet about the call, saying ‘I spoke to Azerbaijani President Aliyev yesterday to express our deep concern for the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Nagorno-Karabakh. The United States urges all sides to continue dialogue to reach a durable peace agreement.’

Armenian weightlifter Garik Karapetyan wins gold at European U20 Championships

Eduard Nalbandian

 12:03, 2 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 2, ARMENPRESS. Armenian weightlifter Garik Karapetyan (102 kg) has won gold at European U20 Weightlifting Championships in Bucharest, Romania.  

Karapetyan scored a result of 386 kg (181+205). Karapetyan also won small gold medals in snatch and clean and jerk exercises.

Performances of four other Armenian weightlifters, Julieta Avanesyan (+87 kg, U20), Liana Gyurjyan (87 kg, U23) Petros Petrosyan and Yasha Minasyan (109 kg., U23) are scheduled for today, August 2.

Rafik Harutyunyan (81 kg) and Garnik Cholakyan (61 kg) have won gold in the U23 Championships, while Karen Margaryan (81 kg) won silver.  Suren Grigoryan (89 kg) has won the U20 Championship. Tigran Karapetyan (97 kg), Gor Sahakyan (73 kg) and Emma Poghosyan (81 kg) have won silver, while Alexandra Grigoryan (58 kg), Seyran Khudanyan (55 kg), Meruzhan Eghoyan (61 kg), Martin Poghosyan (73 kg) and Mnatsakan Abrahamyan (81 kg) won bronze. The European Junior Championships will take place from July 23 to August 3.