Author: Karapet Navasardian

Press Release: LA DCCC Unanimously Passes Emergency Resolution Condemning Turkey and Azerbaijan for War Crimes and Calling for U.S. Sanctions

Karapet Navasardian

For Immediate Release |

Media Contact

Anahit Sargsyan

916.768.0725 | [email protected] 


Elen Asatryan  

818.523.8389 | [email protected]

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LA Democratic Party County Central Committee Unanimously Passes Emergency Resolution Condemning Turkey and Azerbaijan for War Crimes and Calling for U.S. Sanctions

Los Angeles, CA – On Tuesday, October 13, the Los Angeles Democratic Party County Central Committee, by a 139-0 vote, unanimously passed an emergency resolution (Res 003-2024) condemning Azerbaijan and Turkey of committing war crimes with their attacks on the Republic of Artsakh and Armenia and calling on the U.S. to immediately impose sanctions and halt military aid to Azerbaijan and Turkey. 

Authored and introduced by County Central Committee member Elen Asatryan, the resolution came to a floor vote with a broad group of cosponsors, including: Congressman Adam Schiff, California State Senator Anthony Portantino, California State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, California State Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon, Assemblymembers Adrin Nazarian and Richard Bloom, LACDP Chair Mark Gonzales, LACDP members Suzie Abajian, Mark Ramos, Jennifer Chang and forty-six others.

“I am proud to have led the effort to bring this resolution to the floor today and I am grateful for the unanimous support it has received. As war crimes are being committed and the right of Armenians to exist peacefully in their ancestral homeland is threatened, we are on the brink of a second genocide against the Armenian people and our tax dollars are being used to commit these war crimes. If we don’t take a strong stance now to sanction Turkey and Azerbaijan, then nothing sets us apart from the international community in 1915 who stood by and watched the Armenian Genocide unfold- and did nothing to stop it,”said Asatryan.  

“It is our collective responsibility to demand and achieve concrete action to stop Azeri and Turkish war crimes and support the people of Artsakh in their right to self-determination,” she added.

During the meeting, LACDP Chair Mark Gonzales stated, “We stand in support of our brothers and sisters in Armenia and Artsakh.” LACDP Member Daniel Tamm echoed: “This is a body that must stand against oppression and aggression; we are looking at pure aggression against Artsakh and Armenia here, and I ask the body to unanimously adopt this resolution.” 

"Tonight's LACDP resolution was very meaningful for me as an Armenian American who, for decades, has fought for justice alongside many other communities here in Greater Los Angeles. I greatly appreciate this powerful act of solidarity, affirming our people's right to live in peace in their ancestral lands," stated LACDP member Suzie Abajian.

The resolution did not receive any opposition from the floor and proceeded to a vote.

The Los Angeles County Democratic Party resolution language is perhaps one of the strongest heard across the political spectrum in the U.S. The resolution acknowledges Turkey’s direct involvement in aiding Azerbaijan and the deployment of terrorist jihadist groups by Turkey to assist Azerbaijan in targeting settlements, killing and injuring civilians in Artsakh, thereby violating international humanitarian law.  

Specifically, the resolution condemns Turkey and Azerbaijan for the commission of war crimes in their attacks on Artsakh and Armenia and urges for the immediate cessation of hostilities without preconditions. The resolution calls on President Erdogan to cease providing military assistance to Azerbaijan and asks Congress and President Trump to stop providing military assistance to Turkey and Azerbaijan and to sanction both countries. 

The resolution will be delivered to the President of the United States, the Secretary of State, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representative, as well as the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the United States Senate. 

As part of the party process, the resolution will be sent to the California Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee to pass a resolution in the same regard. 

The language of the resolution as presented and Asatryan’s statement of appeal is available here.

The County Central Committee is the official governing body of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, which develops party policies and positions, evaluates and decides on which candidates and issues to endorse in local and municipal elections, and provides a grassroots forum for the study and discussion of public policy issues and their impact.  It is also the largest local Democratic Party entity in the United States, representing nearly 2.9 million Democrats in the 88 cities and the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County – a population larger than 42 individual states. Most importantly, the County Central Committee works to educate the public and encourage the fullest possible participation of all Democratic voters.

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Estonian Armenians rally for peace in Nagrono Karabakh

Karapet Navasardian
Public Radio of Armenia
Oct 12 2020
The Estonian Armenian community organized a march for peace in Nagorno-Karabakh. The procession began at the Estonian Congregation of St Gregory of the Armenian Apostolic Church and ended at Freedom Square, Delfi reports.
The purpose of the march was to call for re-establishment of peace in the region and for an end to terrorism and war crimes against Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“Armenians are fighting for their right to live in their historic land, exercising their right to self-determination. The march also aims to call on humanity to speak up and act,” one of the participants said.
https://en.armradio.am/2020/10/13/estonian-armenians-rally-for-peace-in-nagrono-karabakh/

CivilNet: Karabakh Parliament Calls on International Community to Recognize Independence

Karapet Navasardian
CIVILNET.AM

5 October, 2020 23:26

The Karabakh parliament is calling on international governments all around the world to recognize Karabakh as an independent republic. 

Amid the collapse of the Soviet Union, and following Azerbaijani pogroms, the ethnic Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh declared independence in 1991. Karabakh currently holds the status of an “unrecognized state”, as no country has so far recognized its independence.

As the renewed war with Azerbaijan continues to intensify with the Karabakh capital of Stepanakert under constant bombing, the Parliament of the Republic of Karabakh issued a statement on the need for international recognition of the Republic. 

"The Parliament of the Republic of Artsakh [Karabakh] strongly condemns the aggression carried out by Turkey and Azerbaijan jointly with international terrorist organizations against the Republic of Artsakh [Karabakh]. We call on the parliaments of the world to recognize the independence of the Artsakh [Karabakh] Republic as the most effective way to cease the attacks carried out against the peaceful civilians of Artsakh, and to protect the rights of those civilians," the statement reads. 

Azerbaijani army and terrorists suffer 440-450 manpower losses in one day

Karapet Navasardian

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 21:21, 3 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 3, ARMENPRESS. 440-450 Azerbaijani soldiers and terrorists have been killed on Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line clashes on October 3, ARMENPRESS reports representative of the MoD Armenia Artsrun Hovhannisyan said in a press conference.

‘’According to the summarized information for October 3, 21:00, the adversary has suffered 440-450 manpower losses, which includes servicemen and non servicemen-terrorists. 800-900 are injured. 45 armored vehicles were destroyed during combat operation and 8-9 dozens were destroyed before starting combat mission. 3 aircrafts, 1 helicopter, 10 UAVs and 3 ‘’Smerch’’ systems were also destroyed’’, Hovhannisyan said.

He added that Azerbaijan has suffered a total of 2300 manpower losses, 113 UAVs and 375-385 armored vehicles.

Artsrun Hovhannisyan noted that today’s military operations were extremely fierce and tense in the northern and southern parts of Artsakh. The adversary attempted to break through the front line, but after fierce clashes the Armenian side was able to stop that operation. Non stop clashes continued for 6-7 hours.

Starting from September 27, Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey and thousands of terrorists unleashed military operations against Artsakh, using its entire arsenal and targeting even civilian population both in Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia.

Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan

Tbilisi: Georgia’s National Security Council on Karabakh Developments

Karapet Navasardian
Civil Georgia
Oct 3 2020

The National Security Council (NSC) of Georgia convened on October 3 in connection to the renewed Armenia-Azerbaijani clashes over Nagorno-Karabakh, stated that “since the inception of escalation, [Tbilisi] temporarily suspended the issuance of permits for transiting military cargo through its territory in the direction of both countries, be it by air or land.” The NSC said the decision “was duly communicated to both sides.”

The Council stated, however, that “civilian goods and cargo are transited through Georgia safely, without obstacles, in all directions, including to Azerbaijan and Armenia,” adding that “the intensity of freight transport is high, and it has not changed since the resumption of the armed conflict.”

The NSC noted that since the escalation of the conflict, Georgia has not and will not impose any restrictions for the purposes of civilian cargo air transportation.

Noting that Georgia continues meeting its international obligations with due diligence, including in relation to its neighbors, Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Council said, “Georgia’s transit function is an important factor for the economic functioning and development of both said countries, and that, naturally, serves Georgia’s interests as well.”

The NSC also highlighted that “we should not allow that, amid the crisis between Azerbaijan and Armenia, certain destructive elements in or outside of Georgia cast shadow over our friendship and historic experience.” 

Georgia, the Council underlined, “has always prided itself on the peaceful coexistence of Georgians and different ethnicities, including Azerbaijanis and Armenians, which is our common achievement requiring great care and shared commitment.”

The National Security Council of Georgia also reaffirmed its readiness to contribute, in any form, to the defusing of tensions, including by facilitating dialogue and hosting a meeting of representatives of the conflicting sides in Tbilisi, if need be.

“It is our common interest to promptly stop the military confrontation and restore the peace in the region,” the statement noted.

NSC is an eight-member advisory body chaired by the Prime Minister. The rest of the permanent members include: Defense, Interior, Foreign and Finance ministers, heads of State Security and Intelligence services, and Chief of the Armed Forces. The role of its Secretary is currently assumed by Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri.

Georgian PM: "We are ready to host representatives of Azerbaijan and Armenia for negotiations"

Karapet Navasardian
JAM News
Sept 30 2020

Georgia is ready to hold a meeting of representatives of the conflicting parties in Tbilisi. On September 30, Georgian PM Giorgi Gakharia made a statement on the hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

“Our common interest is to establish peace in the region as soon as possible. Georgia is ready to support this process in any possible way, including holding a meeting of representatives of the conflicting parties in Tbilisi in order to conduct a dialogue,” the Prime Minister noted.

•Fighting in Karabakh. Live updates. Reports, videos, photos

•Georgia will not permit gun transit through its territory

Gakharia calls on the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and international actors to make the most of their opportunities in order to end the escalation of the conflict and resume dialogue.

According to him, Georgia has good-neighborly relations with both countries.

“The Azerbaijanis and Armenians historically living in Georgia have always played a significant role in the development and strengthening of our country, as well as the region as a whole. At the same time, their peaceful coexistence is a good example of the fact that Georgians, Armenians and Azerbaijanis have the potential to turn the entire South Caucasus into a zone of peace and development,” the prime minister said.


NATO urges NK conflicting sides to cease hostilities in Line of Contact

Karapet Navasardian

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 19:48,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 27, ARMENPRESS. James Appathurai, the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, has made a statement over the ongoing situation in the Artsakh-Azerbaijani line of contact.

“NATO is deeply concerned by reports of large scale military hostilities along the line of contact in the Nagorno Karabach conflict zone. The sides should immediately cease hostilities, which have already caused civilian casualties. There is no military solution to this conflict. The parties should resume negotiations towards a peaceful resolution. NATO supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group”, the statement says.

On September 27 early morning the Azerbaijani military has launched a massive cross-border artillery attack on Artsakh, including on civilian settlements. Peaceful settlements are also under bombardment, including the capital city of Stepanakert.

The Azerbaijani side suffered losses in its military equipment.

Dozens of civilians in Artsakh were wounded as a result of the Azerbaijani attack. A woman and a child were killed in the Azerbaijani attack.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Sports: Europa League: Ararat-Armenia makes it to play-off round

Karapet Navasardian
Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 24 2020
Europa League: Ararat-Armenia makes it to play-off round

Armenian champions Ararat-Armenia made it to the play-off round of Europa League after beating Celje (Slovenia) 1-0 at home in the third qualifying round.

The Armenian side took the initiative in the starting minutes and had an advantage early in the first half.

However, both clubs missed the chances in the first half.

The match moved to an extra time after a goalless draw. It was not until the 111th minute that Ararat Armenia’s Sergei Vakulenko found the net, taking the team to the play-off round.

The Armenian champion is now set to face Crvena Zvezda (Serbia).

CivilNet: Lebanese Armenians Became the Target of Azerbaijani Attacks

Karapet Navasardian
CIVILNET.AM

11:18

In a statement, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh Masis Mayilian said that Lebanese Armenians families who have resettled in Nagorno Karabakh were an unacceptable target of Azerbaijani Attacks. 

"We consider it inadmissible for the victims of the Beirut humanitarian catastrophe to become the target of attacks and political manipulations by the Azerbaijani authorities.

The comments come in the wake of a recent complaint of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry submitted to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen, in which an attempt was made to present the decision of several Lebanese Armenian families to settle in Artsakh as a violation of international humanitarian law.

“The authorities of the Artsakh Republic are interested in the preservation of the Armenian community in Lebanon, but at the same time, within the framework of their sovereign right, we will provide the necessary support to our compatriots in a difficult situation, who will wish to come and settle in our republic,” Mayilian said.

Artsakh has joined the global effort to assist the Lebanese Armenian community since the August 4 blast in Beirut, which has left hundreds dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.  More than 1300 Lebanese-Armenians have flown to Armenia and Karabakh since early September, 850 intend to stay long-term, according to the Armenian High Commissioner of Diaspora  Affairs Zareh Sinanyan. Several more Lebanese-Armenian families have moved to Nagorno-Karabakh, according to the President Arayik Harutyunyan. 

After gunning down Armenian soldier, Azerbaijan again blatantly plays the victim

Karapet Navasardian

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 16:49,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian military has commented on Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov’s order to the Azerbaijani troops to maintain high combat readiness and vigilance.

“The concerned reaction of the Azerbaijani Defense Minister after their own provocation was fully predictable,” Armenian Ministry of Defense spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan told ARMENPRESS.

As usually, the Azerbaijani top brass is spreading disinformation and attempting to put the blame on Armenia after their own provocation killed an Armenian soldier.

Junior Sergeant Hovik Tamazyan of the Armenian army sustained the fatal injuries while on duty at a military position in the northeastern part of the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border on September 16.

The Ministry of Defense of Armenia said in a statement that in recent days Azerbaijan has become active in this section of the border and attempted to carry out reinforcement works, which led to escalation.

“With the purpose of suppressing the adversary activity and preventing future escalations the Armenian Armed Forces vanguard units were forced to take appropriate countermeasures. As a result of the adversary’s provocation, Junior Sergeant Hovik Tamazyan sustained fatal gunshot and shrapnel wounds in the combat position of a military base in the northeastern section on September 16,” the defense ministry said.

 “The entire responsibly for this situation and the border escalation falls on Azerbaijan’s military-political leadership,” it added.

After this, Hasanov announced he has ordered the Azerbaijani troops to “immediately and decisively prevent the possible provocation of the Armenian Armed Forces in different directions.”

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan