Author: Samvel Nahapetian

Asbarez: SAVE MY HUSBAND: Wife of Lebanese-Armenian POW Fears He Has Been Killed in Azerbaijani Captivity

Samvel Nahapetian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 April 2, 2023

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Vicken and Linda Euljekjian


BY JASMINE SEYMOUR
Special to Asbarez

Linda Euljekjian, the wife of Lebanese-Armenian prisoner of war Vicken Euljekjian, who was convicted in a sham trial in Baku and sentenced to 20 years in jail, addressed a heart-breaking cry for help—an open Letter to leaders of the United Nations, European Union, Council of Europe, OSCE, the presidents of United States, France, Germany, Britain’s prime minister and human rights organizations.

“I am writing this letter pleading for your help, because my family and I are extremely concerned that the Azerbaijani authorities could have murdered my husband. We are unable to verify reports circulating on social media that my husband ‘was tortured to death in jail’.”

Armenian POW Vicken Euljekjian is seen in an Azerbaijani court in June, 2021 (Trend.az photo)

“The International Committee of Red Cross, the only organization allowed to visit Armenian hostages in Azerbaijan, has neither confirmed nor denied these allegations,” the letter said.

“The Red Cross said yesterday they are ‘investigating these reports with the Azerbaijani authorities.’ So, I am asking for the help of world leaders and human rights organizations to find out whether my husband is alive or dead, and if he is alive, to demand his immediate release, as he is innocent and in imminent danger,” Linda Euljekjian added.

“We have had no news from my husband for two and half months. The last time I was allowed to speak with him was on 27 January 2023. I have not heard from him since and I am concerned that he is being tortured in the Azerbaijani jail,” she said.

Lebanese lawmaker Paula Yacoubian (left) meets with Linda and Christine Euljekjian

On Saturday morning, unconfirmed messages were posted on social media, simply stating that Vicken Euljekjian was ”tortured to death in prison.” All efforts to check the horrific news turned vain. The weekend seemed painfully long, especially that the Red Cross staff was unable to provide Vicken’s family with an answer. And what if this was not fake news? What if the lives of Vicken Euljekjian and other Armenian hostages were hanging in the balance?

“This afternoon the news came that Lebanese Armenian Vicken Euljekjian, who was sentenced 20 years, was killed by Azerbaijani prison guards after being brutally bitten. Since then, no official statement has been provided by the Azerbaijani government,” member of Lebanon’s parliament Paula Yacoubian, who has been closely monitoring Vicken’s and other POW’s cases wrote in a Facebook post.

“It is obvious that Human rights in Azerbaijan are often criticized by countless international bodies such as Amnesty International, Freedom House, Human Rights Watch,” Yacoubian added.

She adamantly believes that the Red Cross should do more to bring news from Baku prison every month to Vicken’s distraught family.

“Vicken Euljekjian continues to remain in Baku prison extremely poor prison conditions and to this day continuously gets severely tortured. There is not a single statement from Azerbaijan providing information on Vicken’s condition. Everyone, and especially his wife and children deserve the right to find out about his health condition. It is within the rights of a political prisoner to get into contact with their family members. Vicken continues to stay imprisoned and to this day is suffering,” Yacoubian said.

Vicken Euljekjian was born in Lebanon to an Armenian family and holds dual citizenship of Armenia and Lebanon. He was married to his childhood sweetheart, Lebanese beauty Iman Linda in the Catholic Church in 2000 and the couple has two children, 20-year-old Christine and 23-year-old Serj. After the economic crisis in Lebanon, Vicken applied and received his Armenian passport in April 2018, and moved to Armenia. He was planning to start his business, get a house and later to move our teenage children to Armenia to start a new life.

On November 10, 2020, Vicken and Maral were captured by two Azerbaijani soldiers near Shushi, he was in his civilian clothes, after searching his car, there were no weapons found in the car. His car and all his belongings, computers, watch, cash was confiscated by Azerbaijani soldiers. Later in November 2020, in the Baku court hearing, Azerbaijan falsely accused him of “being a terrorist and a mercenary, as well as having illegally entered Azerbaijan”.

The International Committee of Red Cross visited Maral and probably Vicken as well on 10 February 2021. One month later, Maral Najarian was released on 10 March 2020 and returned to Lebanon. Vicken, on the other hand, was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by Baku Courts, following sham trials without receiving adequate legal representation by a human rights lawyer on 14 June 2021.

From the latest conversation, Vicken was spending his sentence in solitary confinement in one of the world’s most notorious prisons near Baku. Since his arrest, I have had very limited communication with my husband.

Linda told me during a telephone conversation this weekend she has raised her two beautiful children with Vicken as Armenians.
“Since we got married, I have learned some Armenian and my mother language is Arabic. But when my husband calls from the Baku prison, Azerbaijanis do not allow me to speak in Arabic, and this makes it difficult to communicate because my Armenian is very limited. Vicken is not allowed to speak on the phone more than couple of minutes under strict control. During his calls in November 2022 and January 2023, he was crying and begging me: ‘get me out of here quickly, I can’t take it anymore,’” Linda wrote in her open letter.

Last January the family received only a 50 second video recording from Vicken via the Red Cross, where he looked emaciated and old, and it was evident that he had lost a lot of weight. He had mentioned he was refused medication and treatment and was suffering from severe pain.

Vicken’s daughter and son, Christine and Serj, were too distraught to speak to me this weekend and were waiting for clarification from the Red Cross on Monday.

“I’m appealing to world leaders to help my family to find out whether my husband, Vicken Euljekian is still alive and allow a visit by human rights organisations and family lawyer. I’m also begging you to do everything in your power to secure the immediate release my husband, Vicken Euljekjian and ALL Armenian hostages held illegally in Azerarbaijani jails, before it is too late to save their lives,” Linda said in the conclusion of her open letter.

Silence means indifference. Inaction kills. We must act and make difference now, as tomorrow can be too late…

Jasmine Seymour is an activist who established the British Armenian Group, which focuses on campaigning for the release of Armenian prisoners of war currently being held captive in Azerbaijan. The organization has been circulating a petition on change.org and is urging the public to sign the plea to release Armenian POWs.




Raffi Joe Wartanian Named Glendale’s First Poet Laureate

Samvel Nahapetian
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Arts & Culture, Community, Latest, News, Top Stories
Raffi Joe Wartanian


GLENDALE—Raffi Joe Wartanian is the City of Glendale’s first Poet Laureate. The position serves as an ambassador for Glendale’s rich culture and diversity, promoting the art of poetry. As Poet Laureate, Wartanian will develop a project that engages community members of all ages in poetry writing, performance, and poetry appreciation; write a poem that celebrates Glendale’s rich culture and diversity; and read poetry aloud at special events throughout the City. 

Following a grassroots call from a citizen of Glendale, the request of Mayor Ardy Kassakhian, and the approval of the City Council, Glendale Library, Arts & Culture created the City’s first Poet Laureate program and requested applications from resident poets. The selection panel was comprised of Arts & Culture Commissioner Sevana Zadorian, Los Angeles Poet Laureate Lynne Thompson, Poet and Founder of The Los Angeles Press Linda Ravenswood, and Poet and Instructor at Glendale Community College Julie Gamberg. 

Raffi Joe Wartanian was selected as Glendale’s first Poet Laureate in recognition of his accomplishments in poetry and his vision for the “Glendale Poet Laureate as someone who can utilize writing to promote self-_expression_, find common ground across communities, and foster solidarity that celebrates diversity while embracing individuality.”

His poems have appeared in No Dear Magazine, h-pem, Ararat Magazine, Armenian Poetry Project, and The Armenian Weekly and performed live with the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, and International Armenian Literary Alliance. His essays have appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Review of Books, Outside Magazine, Lapham’s Quarterly, The Baltimore Sun, Miami Herald, and elsewhere.

Raffi’s hybrid piece “A Letter to My Great-Grandson” is forthcoming in the anthology “We Are All Armenian: Voices from the Diaspora” (University of Texas Press, March 2023). Raffi currently teaches writing with UCLA Writing Programs, and his work has received grant and fellowship support from the Fulbright Program, Humanity in Action, and the Eurasia Partnership Foundation. In 2017, Raffi collaborated with Abril Books, the Lakota People’s Law Project, and In His Shoes to launch “Days of Solidarity: Celebrating Armenian and Native American Survival,” a multi-day performance and workshop that united Armenians and indigenous American tribes in Glendale. Raffi currently serves on the advisory board of the International Armenian Literary Alliance and advises the Tumanyan International Storytelling Festival.  

“We are thrilled to have Raffi Joe Wartanian serve as our City’s first Poet Laureate,” said Mayor Ardy Kassakhian. “Wartanian’s work reflects the diversity and intricacies of our city and residents. His experience as an educator and organizer, leading creative writing workshops for incarcerated writers, veterans, and youth affected by war through Letters for Peace, a conflict transformation workshop he created, make him a great first Poet Laureate for Glendale.” 

Known as the “Jewel City,” Glendale is the fourth largest city of Los Angeles County. With a population of more than 200,000, Glendale is a thriving cosmopolitan city that is rich in history, culturally diverse, and offers nearly 50 public parks, and easy access to a municipal airport. It is the home to a vibrant business community, with major companies in healthcare, entertainment, manufacturing, retail, and banking. 

Founded in 1907, the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Department includes eight neighborhood libraries including the Brand Library & Art Center, a regional visual arts and music library and performance venue housed in the historic 1904 mansion of Glendale pioneer Leslie C. Brand, and the Central Library, a 93,000 square foot center for individuals and groups to convene, collaborate and create. The department also serves as the chief liaison to the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission which works to continually transform Glendale into an ever-evolving arts destination. Glendale Library Arts & Culture is supported in part through the efforts of the Glendale Library Arts & Culture Trust. For more information visit the Glendale LAC website, or contact Library, Arts & Culture at 818-548-2021 or via email at [email protected].

Azerbaijan ‘breaches line of contact’ seizing positions in Nagorno-Karabakh

Samvel Nahapetian
 

ByAni AvetisyanandIsmi Aghayev
Footage released by Azerbaijan claimed to show the construction of an alternative route to the Lachin Corridor.

Azerbaijani forces have crossed the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh, purportedly in response to the construction of a new road.

On Saturday evening, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry  announced they were taking ‘urgent measures’ to prevent the alleged construction of a road to bypass the Lachin corridor.

The corridor, the only connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, has been under blockade near Shusha (Shushi) since December. 

There were no reports of clashes or casualties. 

The Russian Defence Ministry said Azerbaijani troops had ‘breached’ the line of contact in violation of the 9 November ceasefire agreement, which brought an end to the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. They said Azerbaijani forces had taken up new positions near Shusha.

Russia urged Azerbaijan to comply with the agreement, which placed areas of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast that Azerbaijan had not taken control of at the time of the ceasefire under the control of a Russian peacekeeping force.

Stepanakert announced on Saturday evening that Russian peacekeepers had taken up positions on the height taken by Azerbaijani troops and were negotiating their withdrawl. 

In a statement later in the evening, the Foreign Ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh called on the peacekeeping mission and the international community to act. 

‘The authorities expect the peacekeeping contingent to take practical steps to eliminate the consequences of this violation and prevent new violations’, the statement read. 

They also said Azerbaijan’s actions were a ‘cynical response’ to a ruling by the International Court of Justice ordering Azerbaijan to unblock the Lachin Corridor.

On Friday, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry published footage of what they said was the construction of a new alternative road to the Lachin Corridor warning at the time that they would take ‘preventive’ measures. 

Baku has previously accused Yerevan, Stepanakert, and the Russian peacekeepers of using an alternative unpaved road to transfer arms and Armenian troops to the region. Both Yerevan and Stepanakert denied the accusations. 

According to Stepanakert, the road in question was used to connect four villages cut off from the rest of Nagorno-Karabakh by the closure of the Lachin Corridor.

The 2020 ceasefire agreement stipulated that a new section of the Lachin Corridor be constructed to bypass the entrance to Shusha, though a final agreed route has not been made public.

There have been unconfirmed media reports that an alternative route was being used to bring in supplies from Armenia, though no evidence of arms transfers has emerged. 

Following the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, Azerbaijani troops have appeared to breach the line of contact with Nagorno-Karabakh several times. 

In December 2020, in the immediate aftermath of the ceasefire, two villages in the Hadrut region of Nagorno-Karabakh, stipulated to be under the control of the Russian peacekeeping force, were captured by Azerbaijani troops, who took dozens of soldiers captive. 

Russian peacekeepers remained silent at the time.

In March 2022, Azerbaijani troops advanced in the direction of the village of Parukh (Farukh), forcing villagers to evacuate and positioning themselves in the mountains surrounding the village.

Despite the peacekeeping mission deploying troops and armoured vehicles to the area, residents have not been allowed to return due to security concerns. 

[Read more: Russia deploys more peacekeepers to halt ‘Azerbaijani advance’ in Nagorno-Karabakh]

These and other incidents in Nagorno-Karabakh have led officials in Yerevan and Stepanakert to question the effectiveness of the Russian Peacekeeping contingent. There have also been growing calls for an international peacekeeping mission or UN mandate for the Russian mission. 

[Read more: Nagorno-Karabakh seeks UN peacekeeping mandate]

 For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.


Armenia, Turkey agree to open the border for citizens of third countries before the start of the 2023 tourist season. FM

Samvel Nahapetian

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 18:30,

YEREVAN, MARCH 23, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Turkey have agreed to open the border for citizens of third countries and persons with diplomatic passports until the beginning of the 2023 tourist season, ARMENPRESS reports Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan said at the session of the Foreign Relations Committee of the National Assembly, adding that Yerevan is actively working in this direction.

Presenting the report on the progress and results of the implementation of the Government's Action Plan, the Minister said that the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey continued in 2022.

Mirzoyan reminded that on February 15 he was in Turkey to offer his condolences on the occasion of the many victims of the earthquake.

"We reaffirmed with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey the readiness to open the Armenian-Turkish border for citizens of third countries and persons with diplomatic passports before the start of this year's tourist season," said Mirzoyan.

Apply now for civil society fellowships: community engagement and civic digital fellowships

Samvel Nahapetian

The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Facility announced a new phase of its EU-funded fellowship programme, looking for civil society activists or civically minded women and men from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine to join its Civil Society Fellowship Network. 

The Fellowships will build the Fellows’ capacity to constructively engage with communities and authorities and contribute to reforms in the EaP countries. 

The selected candidates will be provided with tailored training and coaching, €5,000 to implement activities, and networking opportunities.

Under this Call, there are two types of Fellowship: Community Engagement Fellowships and Civic Digital Fellowships (specially designed for IT experts such as software engineers, data scientists, designers who use technology to benefit the community).

The call is open for all citizens from the Eastern Partnership countries, over the age of 18, with good English language skills.

The deadline for applications is 21 April.

Find out more

Press release

April 21, 2023
Fellowship or post-graduate
https://euneighbourseast.eu/opportunities/apply-now-for-civil-society-fellowships-community-engagement-and-civic-digital-fellowships/

Naghash Ensemble captivates sold-out audience at Carnegie Hall

Samvel Nahapetian
 Dalita Getzoyan Music, Culture 0

Aramayis Nikoghosyan, Tigran Hovhannisyan, John Hodian, Harutyun Chkolyan, Hasmik Baghdasaryan, Tatevik Movsesyan and Arpine Ter-Petrosyan (pictured left to right) of the Naghash Ensemble performing during their NYC debut (Photo: Zenop Pomakian)

NEW YORK, NY—On Saturday, March 11, 2023, the Naghash Ensemble made its New York City debut at Carnegie Hall to a sold-out audience at the 38th Musical Armenia concert sponsored by the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Church. 

The ensemble humbly took the stage in traditional all-black concert dress; its three female vocalists wore decorated sashes around their waists. The ensemble consisted of Aramayis Nikoghosyan on oud; Tigran Hovhannisyan on dhol, daf and dumbeg; John Hodian on piano; Harutyun Chkolyan on duduk, shvi, pku and zurna; and vocals by Hasmik Baghdasaryan (soprano), Tatevik Movsesyan (soprano/mezzo soprano) and Arpine Ter-Petrosyan (alto). Aside from Hodian, all members are born and raised in Armenia. Narration of the poems that inspired each original composition was provided by Garen Hamamjian, a candidate for the priesthood of the Armenian Apostolic Church and a student at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary.

The first half of the concert included pieces based on poems by the ensemble’s namesake, Mkrtich Naghash, an Armenian medieval poet who was born in Bitlis in 1394 and died in 1470. Hodian told Naghash’s story during the first set, explaining that during that time in history, people of multiple religions were living in relative peace in the Ottoman Empire. However, Naghash built a church with a steeple higher than most of the mosques. He refused to take down the steeple and was forced into exile. The poems that inspired the musical pieces are all that are left of Naghash. Hodian felt that writing music based on poems about exile continues to capture the Armenian experience, even today. This portion included live performances of “Meditation on Greed,” “If in this World by Sin You Wander,” “Lamentations on the Death of a Child” and “Woe to Those That Keep a Grudge.”

Naghash Ensemble vocalists (pictured l. to r.) Hasmik Baghdasaryan (soprano), Tatevik Movsesyan (soprano/mezzo soprano) and Arpine Ter-Petrosyan (alto) during the performance (Photo: Zenop Pomakian)

The second half of the concert was a last-minute change by the ensemble and based on theological poems by Kostantin Erznkats’i, who was born around 1250 and died around 1320. These were newer pieces for the ensemble and more experimental than the first half of the concert. They included “Another Answer,” “Futile Judgment,” “The Work of Darkness” and “Agvor Es.” Their excitement, joy and playfulness around performing newer material was palpable.

The ensemble instantly drew the audience in and cut to a deep emotional core. The musicians displayed a strong connection to each other and the music. They impeccably executed tight harmonies and rhythmic changes, with eye contact, body language and synchronized breathing that demonstrated a flow state indicative of true professionals. The general format for many of the pieces began with an ethereal musical presence and built into more concrete rhythmic structures. The variation between these styles allowed for a range of reactions to the music – moments for meditation followed by moments that could encourage movement or dancing. The influence of Hodian’s background as a film composer is evident in his pieces, but he also took the audience on a journey through Armenian music, jazz, medieval sounds, a capella chants, Western folk, modern classical and more. There is an expert use of tension and release, with dedicated moments of silence that allow for processing, for breathlessness and for discomfort while wondering what will happen next. “It made me feel as if Lord of the Rings was set in Armenia,” said Davit Gregorian of New York, who was in the audience. The pastoral elements of the music could evoke both a connection to and longing for the homeland.

Each ensemble member brought a special quality of their unique talent to contribute to the whole. Baghdasaryan angelically floated on her high notes, exemplifying Hodian’s inspiration when he heard her sing in the monastery. Her voice was the catalyst to form this ensemble. Movsesyan displayed an incredible range throughout the pieces and appears to be able to sing anything. She can carry both high soprano notes and low alto parts, often with the most difficult job of holding the middle harmony with precision and ease. Ter-Petrosyan was striking on her alto notes. The depth of her tone seemed to reach to the center of the earth. She is affectionately known as “Arpi Alto” online and has a large following due to her resonant contralto voice. In addition to the three vocalists, each instrumentalist played an important role. Nikoghosyan played challenging and intricate passages with relaxation and ease. Hovhannisyan steadily played the various rhythmic structures that allowed for the ensemble to stay together. According to Hodian, Hovhannisyan will take the parts that were written for the rhythmic instruments and embellish them to make them even better. Chkolyan expertly moved between the various wind and reed instruments, capturing the essence of each, from the gut-wrenching sounds of the oud to the strong horn-like sounds of the zurna. All were held together by Hodian, who not only meticulously composed each piece, but also played the piano and conducted the ensemble at the highest standard.  

John Hodian and Harutyun Chkolyan (Photo: Zenop Pomakian)

Perhaps one of the most impactful pieces in the program was “Lamentations on the Death of a Child.” Naghash wrote the poem after his son fell in battle. The piece began with just female voices and piano, like the sound of mothers in mourning. The grief was palpable, especially in light of the devastating Artsakh War. A more modern vocal placement rather than round operatic tones was also implemented in this piece, further reinforcing a connection to modern times. The use of all women vocalists in the ensemble provides an interesting platform for the feminine voice to be amplified, as it is often silenced in the traditional patriarchal Armenian society. It was reminiscent of how slaves utilized the blues for self-_expression_ of their work and hardships; some of the same techniques such as call-and-response were implemented here as well. 

“I was very happy it was a sold-out hall, and the crowd was half Armenian and half non-Armenian,” he told the Weekly. “So far, all of the concerts we have played (except for one), have been sold out, and I am hoping we come back to North America again sometime in the next two years.” 

Ter-Petrosyan shared her feelings about performing and visiting New York for the first time. “It was astonishing, especially because it was the first time in New York and in the beautiful Carnegie Hall. I am so excited, and it’s so important that I am here. It’s the first time, but I hope it’s not the last time!”

During intermission, audience members shared their impressions of the ensemble with the Weekly. “I feel every song in my body. I feel like I am crying, dancing and having chills, and I feel like their songs are coming up from the earth,” enthused Christopher Janigian of New York City.  

“I thought the whole ensemble was quite beautiful, and it was very spiritual,” said Lori Messerlian of New York. “It had parts of Armenian culture but also modernized with today’s music – timeless but timely.” 

The ensemble has now concluded its North American tour, but the group has more performances scheduled in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg in April and May. The tour schedule and further information can be found at www.naghashensemble.com.

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Dalita Getzoyan's involvement in the Armenian community began at a young age, beginning with attending Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church in Providence, RI, and singing in its choir. She also was a member of the Providence AYF "Varantian" junior and senior chapters. She has served both on local committees and the Central Executive for the AYF Eastern Region. Dalita now lives in NYC where she works as a Music Therapist for Hospice of New York. She holds a bachelor's degree in Flute Performance from the University of Rhode Island and a master's degree in Mental Health Counseling and Music Therapy from Lesley University. She also is currently pursuing a career as an actor in the city.


Armenia manager claims Mkhitaryan turned down multiple offers to hold talks

Samvel Nahapetian

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YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. The head coach of the Armenian national football team Alexander Petrakov revealed that he’s numerously attempted to contact Henrikh Mkhitaryan but the Inter Milan star refused to take part in any discussion.

“From the very first day that I’ve come to Armenia I tried to contact Henrikh Mkhitaryan. I asked the football federation, everyone, to help me contact him and speak to him personally. I even tried to contact him through former colleagues at Shakhtar Donetsk. But he turned down, saying that he’s made a decision and won’t change it,” Petrakov said at a press conference on Friday. 

He added that he tried to contact the former Armenia captain through retired goalkeeper and coach Roman Berezovsky, but he again refused to talk. Petrakov said he even offered to fly to Milan to meet personally, but Mkhitaryan again refused.

Russian Defense Ministry reports ceasefire violation in Nagorno-Karabakh

Samvel Nahapetian
 TASS 
Russia –
It is reported that the Russian peacekeeping contingent is processing the incident with Azerbaijani and Armenian sides

MOSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. Russian peacekeepers registered a ceasefire violation in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Russian Defense Ministry said in the bulletin on the peacekeeping contingent in the region Thursday, adding that no one was injured.

"A ceasefire regime violation was registered in the Martuni Region. No one was injured,""the statement says.

According to the Ministry, the Russian peacekeeping contingent is processing the incident with Azerbaijani and Armenian sides.

Newspaper: Karabakh president to resign?

Samvel Nahapetian
News.am
Armenia –
08:15, 11.03.2023

Hraparak daily of Armenia writes: The meeting between [Armenia’s PM] Nikol Pashinyan and Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] President Arayik Harutyunyan took place yesterday.

Arayik Harutyunyan told his close circles about what a difficult meeting he had with Pashinyan, the latter repeated the official Baku's point of view that, in its view, Artsakh should be integrated with Azerbaijan, the people of Artsakh should find an understanding, live with Azerbaijanis because there is no alternative, or there is: in the form of war and extermination of 120 thousand Artsakh citizens. And he hoped that the international community promised to ensure [Artsakh] a certain status, autonomy within Azerbaijan. Arayik Harutyunyan returned to Artsakh with a heavy mood and impressions and told a close circle that he no longer wants to remain in the position of president.

It is noteworthy that yesterday the [Standing] Committee on State and Legal Affairs of the AR [(Artsakh Republic)] parliament was discussing the draft constitutional changes and gave a positive conclusion [to them].

To remind: the [aforesaid] changes relate to the possibility of the [Artsakh] NA [(National Assembly)] electing a president [of Artsakh] in the event of a vacancy in the position of president during martial law. The NA will elect the president of Artsakh until the termination of the term of office of the incumbent president. And Artsakh is under martial law since 1992. In political circles, they believe that Harutyunyan wants to transfer the president's seat to someone else as soon as possible.