Author: Garnik Zakarian

 15:28, 30 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. Representative of the RA Human Rights Defender, Ms. Anna Karapetyan participated in the OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting I entitled “International co-operation to address violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law”, which took place in March 28-29, 2022, in Vienna, the Ombudsperson’s Office said in a press release.

Issues related to the requirements and application of international humanitarian law and human rights law were discussed during the meeting, focusing on the situation of the civilian population in conflict zones and the impact of the conflict on them; best practice in documenting and investigating human rights and international humanitarian law violations, including issues related to digital technologies supporting national human rights institutions.

During the meeting, the representative of the Office of the Human Rights Defender made a speech, referring to the human rights and international humanitarian law violations by Azerbaijan during the Artsakh war, as well as the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh as a result of the war.

The representative of the Office of the Human Rights Defender presented the violations of international humanitarian law against the border population of the Republic of Armenia by the Azerbaijani side, the human rights violations and the torture of prisoners of war by the Azerbaijani authorities, referring to the facts presented in the ad hoc reports of the Human Rights Defender.

In particular, the fact that the presence of the Azerbaijani armed forces has posed serious humanitarian problems to the border residents of Armenia was mentioned in the speech. Due to the behavior of the Azerbaijani authorities, which violate all well-known norms of international law, people in Artsakh have been deprived of gas supply for weeks, which disturbs the implementation of the latter's right to health, education, work, and other fundamental rights. The recent aggressive acts of Azerbaijan have caused not only social but also serious security issues.

The representative of the Office of the Human Rights Defender made a particular reference to the urgency of the need to return the prisoners of war and civilian captives still held in Azerbaijan.

During the speech, the criminal behavior of Azerbaijan was strongly condemned, and a call was made to national human rights institutions and international organizations to act to stop the genocidal policy against Azerbaijan. In their speech, the representative of the Office of the Human Rights Defender emphasized the importance of securing the presence of international organizations in conflict zones, both during and in the post-conflict periods, as a mechanism of guaranteeing and protecting the rights of the civilian population.

 15:51, 1 April, 2022

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS. The Eastern Partnership Index 2020-2021 has been published.

The Eastern Partnership Index 2021 charts the performance of the six Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Georgia and Azerbaijan) and their progress towards sustainable democratic development and European integration.

The Index measures developments in the areas of:

• Democracy and Good Governance
• Policy Convergence with the European Union
• Sustainable Development

Armenia is leading the region with regards to the independence of the judiciary – 0.71 score, following by Moldova (0.66), Georgia (0.57), Ukraine (0.56), Belarus (0.50) and Azerbaijan (0.43).

 21:23, 1 April, 2022

YEREVAN, 1 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan received the delegation led by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau on April 1.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Armenian President, President Vahagn Khachaturyan reaffirmed the full support of the Republic of Armenia to the process of peaceful and final settlement of the Karabakh conflict. He stressed that Armenia has always been in favor of peace in the region. In this context, the President of the Republic highlighted the comprehensive settlement of the conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, stressed the importance of protecting the fundamental rights of the people of Artsakh.

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Zbigniew Rau also emphasized the need for establishing lasting peace in the South Caucasus, noting that the parties to the conflict must first of all show great will and political readiness for a final settlement. He noted that the OSCE will continue to make every effort to promote an exclusively peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and to ensure stability and peace in the region.

 10:25, 24 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. The New York Times’s wine critic Eric Asimov published an article about 10 grapes which are little known and worth knowing better. 

Armenian “Areni” type of grape is also in the list. 

In the article Asimov says the region South Caucasus is thought by many to be one of the points where wine originated. He says there are dozens of grapes in this region worth getting to know better, but he highlights areni from Armenia. 

“A red grape that I have had only a few times, but each time it was startlingly good — lightly tannic yet fresh with stony flavors of red fruits and great finesse. I don’t have a ready source for Armenian wines, I seem to find them by chance. But I’m looking forward to the next encounter”, he said.

Presenting these 10 grapes, Asimov said for many reasons, these varieties have either been unfairly dismissed or are little known outside their home regions. “But they make joyful wines”, he added.

 11:15,

YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS. 52 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Armenia in the past one day, the ministry of healthcare reported.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country has reached 422,254.

The COVID-19 recoveries rose by 149 in a day, bringing the total to 409,196.

The death toll has risen to 8592 (3 death cases in past day).

2396 COVID-19 tests were conducted on March 17. 

The number of active cases is 2822.

 10:06, 1 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. US Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. honored the memory of the victims of Azerbaijan's anti-Armenian pogroms in Sumgait (1988), the Armenian National Committee of America reported.

Rep. Pallone's full statement below:

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the Sumgait pogrom and the 32nd anniversary of the Baku pogrom.

Hundreds of Armenian civilians living in the city of Sumgait in Azerbaijan suffered horrific acts of violence when they were indiscriminately killed, raped, maimed, and burned alive in a pogrom that started on February 27, 1988. Almost two years later, a seven-day pogrom broke out in Baku during which Armenians were beaten, murdered, and expelled from the city beginning January 12, 1990. Over 90 Armenian civilians were killed, over 700 were injured, and countless other victims were permanently displaced by the ethnic violence that followed.

The Azerbaijani Government was complicit in each of these atrocities by using violent rhetoric in rallies leading up to the pogrom and by doing nothing to halt the ensuing violence against Armenian citizens.

Azerbaijan has taken steps over the last two decades to cover up these crimes against humanity and dismiss the atrocities committed in Sumgait and Baku. Even more disturbing, the Azeri Government lauded the perpetrators of this event and similar violent attacks.

President Aliyev's regime continues to use hateful rhetoric against Armenians to this day, including in the build up to Azerbaijan's deadly attacks on Artsakh in the fall of 2020. Azeri forces, Turkish drones, and Turkish-backed foreign terrorists conducted a premeditated attack that violated international law. The resulting indiscriminate bombing campaigns against large population centers killed thousands of Armenians and displaced tens of thousands more. It also included appalling war crimes against Armenians at the hands of Azerbaijani forces and foreign mercenaries that included beheadings, torture, and other abhorrent acts of violence.

I continue to stand with the Armenian people in condemning the horrific pogroms and in mourning the loss of those who were senselessly killed in Artsakh and subsequent Azeri attacks on Armenian soil. It is critical for the United States to recognize and denounce violent assaults against all civilians. If we do not condemn or punish crimes against humanity and ethnic violence, we become passive bystanders, failing to live up to the lessons of the 20th century and our pledge to uphold human rights and democratic values all over the world. If we do not take a firm stand against those who commit atrocities, it will embolden them and encourage others to commit heinous acts in the future. These lessons are especially important as we prepare to commemorate the 107th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in April.

I will continue to work with my colleagues on the Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus to honor the victims of the Baku and Sumgait pogroms and the victims of Azerbaijani aggressions in Artsakh, I will also continue to condemn all acts of violence against people who are targeted simply because of who they are. I hope my colleagues will join me in rejecting violent rhetoric, intimidation and outright violations of human rights. In doing so, we renew our commitment to achieving a lasting peace in the Caucasus”.