Author: Raffi Khondkarian

 10:01,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 17, ARMENPRESS. The Office of the Human Rights Defender continues the collection of information with regards to the unlawful interference with Mr. Vagif Khachatryan’s fundamental human rights by Azerbaijan.

The Office of the Human Rights Defender continuous the collection of information with regards to the unlawful interference with Mr. Vagif Khachatryan’s fundamental human rights by Azerbaijan, the Human Rights Defender’s Office said in a press release.

In this context, it is noteworthy that Mr. Khachatryan joined the military service on September 1, 1992, only after which he participated in combat operations. Before that Mr. Khachatryan worked as an ordinary driver in Stepanakert.

Therefore, the statement of the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan that Mr. Khachatryan allegedly "committed a crime in Meshali village as part of a group of Armenian armed formations" on December 22, 1991, does not correspond to reality. This information is substantiated by archival documents, orders issued by commanders, references documenting his military service, and the testimonies of the members of his family.

Moreover, the information obtained and analyzed by the Human Rights Defender’s Office confirmed the fact that there is no data in international wanted lists regarding Mr. Khachatryan, who was being transferred to Armenia for medical treatment and abducted by Azerbaijan.

The Human Rights Defender reiterates that Mr. Vagif Khachatryan was being transported to Armenia under the auspices of the ICRC to receive the appropriate and necessary medical assistance, and was a protected person under international humanitarian law. Hence, the deprivation of the liberty of the latter is a gross violation of international humanitarian law.

Immediately after the abduction of Vagif Khachatryan, calls for violence against Armenians, propaganda of hatred and enmity, also directed against Vagif Khachatryan and his relatives, gained momentum in the Azerbaijani media.

This phenomenon is yet another manifestation of the policy of Armenophobia and ethnic hatred propagated by Azerbaijani authorities. Moreover, the Azerbaijani society, including public figures, state officials, as well as mass and social media outlets labeled Mr. Khachatryan as a criminal.

The Human Rights Defender underlines that, when ethnic hatred is being propagated, and the presumption of innocence is violated, the fundamental human rights of Mr. Khachatryan cannot be guaranteed, and the proper examination of the case in correspondence with the requirements of the fair trial, by an impartial and fair court cannot be ensured.

The abovementioned gives reasons to conclude that unlawful interference with the fundamental human rights of Vagif Khachatryan by Azerbaijan has been/is being carried out in a gross violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, considering that universally recognized international legal guarantees and standards are not ensured.

The full information obtained and analyzed by the Defender’s Office was sent to the competent authorities and international partners.

 17:22, 5 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. Inter Milan’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan has called for immediate action in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Over 30’000 children and their families in Nagorno Karabakh have now endured 8 months of blockade and devastation,” the former Armenian national football team captain said in a statement on Facebook. “Stranded in their homeland, they are at a brink of famine and humanitarian catastrophe with no access to life-saving medicine, food or other essential supplies. The heart-breaking reality of people starving to death is catastrophe that demands immediate action. Children need an end to this war to begin to heal and recover.Principled and unimpeded humanitarian access should be ensured across the Lachin corridor. #StopArtsakhBlockade #OpenLachinCorridor,” Mkhitaryan added.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. The ICJ reaffirmed its order on 6 July 2023.

Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno-Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.

On July 25, the Government of Armenia said that it will try to send over 360 tons of flour, cooking oil, sugar, and other foodstuffs and medication to Nagorno-Karabakh to mitigate the humanitarian crisis resulting from the blockade of Lachin Corridor. Armenia requested the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh to escort the aid but Azerbaijan has blocked the convoy at the entrance of the Lachin Corridor.

 17:12, 3 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. Central Electoral Commission (CEC) Chairman Vahagn Hovakimyan, who was a member of Civil Contract party before his appointment, has said that he will ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the 2023 Yerevan City Council elections.

Hovakimyan talked about this during a press conference held on August 3, addressing the issue of whether he will be able to ensure free, fair and transparent elections of the Yerevan City Council, which will be held on September 17, taking into account the fact that before becoming the Chairman of the CEC, he was a member of the ruling party.

"Yes, I can, because before being a member of the Civil Contract party, I was a journalist, and for many years my activity was dedicated to free, fair, transparent, competitive elections. Being a party member does not mean being a criminal, because failure to fulfill one's duties as a CEC Chairman would be a crime. I can and will ensure that the elections in Armenia are free, fair and transparent," he said.

 10:21, 1 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 1, ARMENPRESS. The World Council of Churches (WCC) is calling on Azerbaijan for the immediate lifting of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, as more than 120,000 people—including 30,000 children—are suffering under an increasingly dire humanitarian crisis.

“As the humanitarian crisis in the blockaded enclave of Nagorno-Karabagh (Artsakh) reaches a tragic level, the World Council of Churches reiterates its statements and positions on the need for urgent and immediate action by the international community,” said WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay. “The Lachin corridor, the only road that links the region to Armenia, has been blocked for more than seven months, sparking a humanitarian emergency and putting the lives of 120,000 people, including children, in great danger.”

People lack food, medication, electricity, and gas. “The WCC urges the international community to intervene immediately and quickly in order to end the blockade and save the lives of the Artsakh residents and then proceed to efforts of finding diplomatic solutions for a just peace in the region,” said Pillay.

“The WCC calls on Azerbaijan and other forces involved for the immediate lifting of the blockade and to reopen the Lachin corridor to allow for the two-way free and safe passage of civilians, transport, and goods along the corridor and to guarantee unimpeded humanitarian access to alleviate the suffering of the Armenian population of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh).”

The WCC has made several previous statements and minutes on Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), including a minute at the WCC 11th Assembly entitled “Consequences of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war,” in which it reiterated its condemnation of the use of chemical weapons and cluster munitions, the targeting of civilians, hospitals and public infrastructure, and all other war crimes, beheadings, torture, and other atrocities witnessed during the conflict.

 19:30, 28 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS. The Premier League of Armenia starts on July 29, within which the Football Federation of Armenia and IDBank will cooperate in a new format.

“As you know, IDBank is the general sponsor of the Football Federation of Armenia. Now the organizations are expanding the scope of cooperation. FFA and IDBank also agreed to cooperate within the Armenian Premier League. Thus, the Armenian Premier League in the upcoming season will be called the IDBank Premier League,” IDBank announced on July 28.

 President of the Football Federation of Armenia Armen Melikbekyan noted: “We have been cooperating with IDBank for several months. Now we are expanding the scope of cooperation. I am confident that together we will be able to increase interest in the Armenian Premier League and the development of Armenian club football.”

According to Mher Abrahamyan, Chairman of the Board of IDBank, they hope that the cooperation between IDBank and the FFA will increase interest in football among even wider masses of the population and increase the recognition of Armenian football in the world. “We are glad that during our cooperation our guys won powerful victories. We hope that this championship will also be successful, and our teams will achieve even greater success,” Mher Abrahamyan notes.

 IDBANK IS CONTROLLED BY THE CBA