13:26,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 14, ARMENPRESS. Investigators have revealed new details about the deadly August 14 minibus-truck collision in Shirak Province.
According to the Investigative Committee, the driver of the ZIL truck had entered the wrong side of the road when the head-on collision took place.
11 people died Monday in a car crash involving a minibus and a truck in Shirak Province. The Volkswagen van carrying passengers collided with a ZIL truck near the village of Lanjik.
The report was prepared by Argentine lawyer Luis Moreno Ocampo, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and former assistant prosecutor in the Juntas trial in 1985 and now a lecturer at Harvard and Yale.
The jurist acted at the request of the government of that region involved in a conflict with Azerbaijan, a country claiming total sovereignty over that territory.
According to the 28-page exposé, the Azerbaijani regime, which has already taken military part in that space, closed the so-called Lachin Corridor which is the only one through which it is possible to send food and medicine to the population, mostly Armenian.
The report argues that “in analyzing the Srebrenica case, the International Court of Justice ruled that the “deprivation of food, medical care, shelter or clothing” constitutes genocide within the meaning of Article II(c) of the Genocide Convention. He refers to the massacre of some 8,000 ethnic Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica in 1995, during the Bosnian war.
The crisis of the corridor, which connects Armenia with the disputed enclave, began last December, when sporadic blockades began to be established, which were later aggravated with the installation of checkpoints along its route which filtered the passage of truck. December 12 was closed, interrupting since then the transport of 400 tons of basic necessities per day.
The intention would be the surrender of the population resisting the annexation to Azerbaijan. Between September and November 2020 there was a war with an all-out offensive by the Azerbaijani armed forces, which are much more powerful than the local ones.
Both South Caucasus countries belonged to the Soviet Union, one Shiite and the other Orthodox Christian. Dictator Joseph Stalin was the one who handed over Nagorno to Azerbaijan. As the Communist camp fell into crisis, the Armenians were involved in the First Nagorno War which ended in thousands of deaths and the reconquest of territory that had since remained loyal to Yerevan.
In the conflict three years ago, the Azerbaijani regime captured most of the territory, including the enclave’s second city, but did not advance all over the space due to pressure from Russia. which is Armenia’s economic and military ally.
However, due to the war in Ukraine, which reduces the Kremlin’s autonomy in that region, Azerbaijan has taken steps under the protection of its main patron, Turkey, which has strong geopolitical appetites on those borders. In this context the blockade of the Lachin took place with danger for its inhabitants.
With the time since that closure, the situation is extremely complex today, as the report indicates. Medical care is at a minimum, schools are practically non-functioning and there is a pressing shortage of food, including fruit, vegetables and milk.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.
17:03, 8 August 2023
YEREVAN, 8 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 8 August, USD exchange rate up by 0.37 drams to 386.46 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.33 drams to 423.29 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.03 drams to 4.03 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.09 drams to 491.54 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 110.46 drams to 24001.33 drams. Silver price down by 0.41 drams to 290.68 drams.
In the face of a growing humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), ACT Alliance expresses deep concern with the blockage imposed by Azerbaijani authorities to block the Lachin corridor, the sole road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, precipitating a humanitarian crisis.
Over the last seven months, the blockade has severely impacted the lives of the people in the region, especially the most vulnerable. Some 120,000 ethnic Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh, including 30,000 children, are suffering from severe shortages of food, medicine and fuel. In addition, this crisis is affecting their ability to access medical care and life-saving services.
On 25 February, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Azerbaijan to ensure free movement of all persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin corridor in both directions.
ACT Alliance is concerned by Azerbaijan’s lack of observance of its ethical obligations and humanitarian principles and urges the Azerbaijani government to end human suffering, giving particular attention to the most vulnerable. Blocking humanitarian aid should not be used as a strategy to resolve a conflict or other disputes.
ACT Alliance calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately lift the blockade of the Lachin corridor and allow for unhindered and safe passage of civilians and goods along the corridor, as well as guarantee unimpeded humanitarian access in line with international law and the order of the ICJ.
ACT Alliance is furthermore calling on the international community to urgently work to end the blockade and to find diplomatic solutions to bring a just peace to the region.
Rudelmar Bueno de Faria
ACT Alliance General Secretary
https://actalliance.org/act-news/act-alliance-calls-for-an-immediate-lift-of-the-blockade-of-the-lachin-corridor-in-nagorno-karabakh-and-adherence-to-humanitarian-principles/
In this latest episode of the Global Conversation, Euronews speaks with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan
Nagorno-Karabakh has been the stage of some of the most violent episodes in the south Caucasus’ recent history. Despite a ceasefire deal brokered by Russia in 2020, tensions are far from over.
The United States and the European Union have been playing a bigger role in mediating the crisis – since the vacuum left by Russia (a more traditional regional power broker, now bogged down in Ukraine). And the talks have been filling people with hope of lasting peace.
But the latest developments surrounding disagreements over the Lachin Corridor and claims that Azerbaijan is blocking the only passageway connecting Armenia to Armenians inside Nagorno-Karabakh, seem to indicate the road to peace will be a long one.
We negotiated for months to be able to sit down with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan – involved in one of the longest-lasting conflicts in the world.
Euronews asked the same questions to both Azarbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan – and offered them a chance to express their points of view without interruption or contest.
Prime Minister Pashinyan said "not only there can, but there must be peace," while President Aliyev said "I think it is right to be hopeful."
The idea was to give both sides a platform to express their views about the conflict and about the chances for peace.
Watch the full Global Conversation video, hosted by Euronews' international correspondent Anelise Borges in the player at the link below:
https://www.euronews.com/2023/08/01/the-leaders-of-azerbaijan-and-armenia-talk-about-the-prospects-for-peace-in-the-caucasus-r
A creeping genocide is unfolding slowly before our eyes. For more than seven months now, 120,000 Armenians in Artsakh (commonly known as Nagorno-Karabakh) continue to remain under complete blockade: with no food, medicine, fuel, gas or electricity. The only lifeline connecting Artsakh to Armenia was initially blocked by government-sponsored Azeri “peace-advocating” fake “eco-activists” on December 12, 2022. Azerbaijan officially institutionalised the blockage of the road by an illegal checkpoint installation on April 23, 2023, grossly violating its international obligations.
Azerbaijan continues to demonstrate a willful disregard for the provisions of the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, the ECHR ruling of December 21, 2023, as well as ICJ orders issued on February 22 and July 6, 2023, calling on Azerbaijan to urgently “take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.”
Moreover, Baku is presenting the latter decisions of the international courts willfully to delude the international community and continue its policy of starving to death the population of Nagorno Karabakh.
It blatantly ignores the calls by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe, the European Parliament, other international organisations and numerous states. Azerbaijan's illegal actions persist despite those demands and appeals.
Encircled and sieged by Azerbaijan, the 120,000 Armenians, among which 30,000 children and 20,000 elderly, survive merely on scarce local produce. No single consignment of goods or medicine has been allowed to enter the region for over a month. Healthcare, public transport and public and business offices have been paralysed.
Agricultural fields cannot be harvested because of the lack of fuel. Pregnant women and children are malnourished. No fruits or vegetables can be imported to Artsakh. Death rates are higher than ever.
Europe is watching; sometimes, statements are made. It tries hard to maintain “parity”. It calls “on both sides” to contribute to peace. It describes the situation as unsustainable and in “no one’s interest”.
In the meantime, the total blockade continues by a country that some have labelled as a “reliable energy partner”. At the same time, international non-governmental organisations have a consensus that it is a “consolidated authoritarian regime.” A “sustainable blockade” is making the lives of Armenians living there more and more unbearable.
Besieged locals only have limited access to energy.
Moreover, some are considering the Baku proposed “integration” as a solution to the problem. The PROBLEM encompasses three wars imposed by the “Integrator”. Three battles were unleashed to eliminate Armenians, leaving thousands dead, tortured, and many POWs still illegally held in Azerbaijani prisons. Add to that the massacres and forced displacement of all Armenians living in Azerbaijan in 1988-1991.
Has anybody ever asked why Azerbaijan has no " integrated” Armenians? How many integrated Armenians has anyone met in Baku, Sumgait, Kirovabad or Nakhijevan? Not only Armenians but even the graves of their dead have been harassed – demolished and erased. The destruction of thousands of cross-stones in Nakhijevan's medieval cemetery proves that. The deliberate and planned destruction of cemeteries and churches in the territories Azerbaijan currently controls speak for themselves. Any Armenian trace is being erased. It is part of the creeping genocide in action.
True, we are talking about providing the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh as one of the critical elements of the ongoing negotiations. So far, though, there are no signs that Azerbaijan is ready to respect these very fundamental human rights. The conflict can not have an enduring and just solution by such means.
Enduring peace is equivalent to conciliatory peace and not punitive, which has historically proven to be short-term. Humiliation, subjugation and ethnic cleansing merely postpone the vicious cycle of violence. Azerbaijan has juxtaposed its perilous “quest for domination” (power to coerce and destruction) against the Armenian side’s understandable “quest for security”.
Heating will become a major issue with only a few weeks of summer left.
Azerbaijan is not ensuring its security interests by attempting to ethnically cleanse Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, occupying territories of the Republic of Armenia and making further territorial claims against the sovereignty of Armenia.
This attempt of self-aggrandisement and self-extension to the detriment of Armenia will enmesh the Caucasus region into long-term instability and catastrophe with very unpredictable results. This is not in the interest of any major international player.
Azerbaijan objects to any international humanitarian assistance to be delivered to Nagorno-Karabakh. For Azerbaijan, statements demanding the opening of the Lachin Corridor ring hollow: background noise as it proceeds undeterred and with impunity to employ measures of obscene inhumanity to subjugate the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan forcefully, expel them from their native homeland, or destroy them wholesale.
The evidence is overwhelmingly clear: the ongoing blockade of Artsakh and intentional disruption of vital infrastructure by Azerbaijan, as well as the regular and consistent armed attacks against the Artsakh Armenians, are specifically engineered to ethnically cleanse Nagorno-Karabakh of its indigenous Armenians through physical and psychological intimidation and unbearable, indeed inhumane, living conditions.
Please do not be hoodwinked: Azerbaijan’s rhetoric of “integration” is actually one of abject subjugation. In this reality, it is absurd to demand that a victim of a targeted and total blockade—to boot, a malnourished and starving victim—negotiate tete-a-tete with its very torturer without any international mechanism, international presence or international guarantees.
Realpolitik in an international context is about states pursuing their interests. Most of the time, morality and human rights outside their nations are seen in the context of their national interests.
Energy is important. How about responsibility? The Responsibility to Protect – R2P- is an international norm that seeks to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing. Indifference to the fate of others, under the pretence of neutrality, is an obsolete idea.
Moreover, it is a short-sighted and immoral approach. When profit and power have driven policies at the cost of the most fundamental and preached values, the result has always been more instability, destruction, and lives lost.
By playing a deaf ear to the creeping genocide unfolding before your eyes, those who have leverage on Azerbaijan, but prefer negligence instead, may become silent participants and enablers of the green light to new crimes against humanity.
Resolute and tangible steps must be taken as soon as possible. Every hour the situation is becoming untenable and explosive.
Global decision-makers, collectively and individually, face the moral problem of choosing first the value that deserves protection by all means – the right to life, which guarantees it offers values like liberty, justice and peace. Energy infatuation will dissipate in time; moral stain most probably will not. Liberal humanitarianism still has a chance.
For our people, any hope for stability and security demands, first of all, human survival. Open and unhindered access through the Lachin Corridor is that guarantee of human survival.
Tigran Mkrtchyan
Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Republic of Greece, Cyprus and Albania
The ANC of Albany leads the charge in support of Artsakh and secures the third friendship city in the Eastern Region between Troy, New York and Martakert, Republic of Artsakh.
TROY, N.Y.—The Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Albany secured a Friendship City between Troy, New York, and the village of Martakert, Republic of Artsakh earlier this month. ANC of Albany co-chair Antranig Karageozian thanked the City Council and Mayor of Troy at the City Council meeting where the resolution was voted upon. The establishment of a Friendship City between Troy and Martakert comes on the heels of the 220th day of the genocidal blockade that Azerbaijan has imposed upon Artsakh.
Welcomed for its importance in creating awareness about Martakert and the ongoing genocide of the Armenian nation, the resolution allows for both cities to exchange cultural ideas and concepts, including the establishment of economic and social ties.
Troy is home to a multigenerational Armenian-American community who first established roots in the capital of New York in the late 19th century during the Hamidian massacres, during which hundreds of Armenian refugees chose Troy as their new home. Several churches and cultural organizations soon established in the region, creating a new “little Armenia.” Despite being displaced from their ancestral homeland, the Armenians of Troy maintain traditions from the Old Country, such as traditional “Madagh” community dinners and other events. Armenians have been part of the political scene in Troy, as well; for several years, Armenian-American Harry Tutunjian served as mayor.
The village of Martakert is home to a population of 5,000 and is surrounded by several smaller villages. The local economy and social landscape is diverse, boasting more than 80 commercial enterprises, several schools and libraries, as well as various cultural institutions. Martakert is an integral part of the Armenian highlands and has had an Armenian presence since at least the 1st century BCE. Martakert and the encompassing areas possess both a natural and material richness, containing several millennia-old sites, such as pre-Christian tombs, a church constructed in the 13th century, several ancient cemeteries and a nearby medieval village. During the first Artsakh War, just 30 years ago, Martakert was left in utter ruins after a brief Azerbaijani occupation. Recent escalations as well as the recent 2020 war have led to new complexities, leaving the future of the region uncertain.
“We know the importance of strengthening ties and relationships on the federal and state level but are as diligent in our efforts on the local level. Thank you to Troy Mayor Patrick Madden and Troy City Council chair Carmella Montello for their support in the establishment of this Friendship City. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our compatriots in Artsakh and wanted them to know that though they are faced with the unthinkable – genocide – they are not alone. We encourage all of our fellow ANCs to pursue this same agenda of establishing Friendship Cities and informing the American people – on the federal, state and local level – on the active genocide happening in Artsakh as we speak,” said Karageozian.
Friendship Cities with Artsakh have been established throughout the Eastern Region between Granite City, Illinois and Ashan, Republic of Artsakh; Cranston, Rhode Island, and Stepanakert, Republic of Artsakh; and now Troy, New York and Martakert, Republic of Artsakh, this year.
Dr. Bruce Boghosian Appointed AUA President
YEREVAN, Armenia — After a meticulous and intensive search process, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Bruce Boghosian as the next University President, effective September 1, 2023.
Dr. Bruce Boghosian was selected by the Board of Trustees from a deep, diverse, and excellent pool. Currently a professor in the Department of Mathematics at Tufts University with secondary appointments in the Departments of Computer Science and Physics, he previously served as President of AUA from 2010 to 2014, leading the University through rapid expansion, including the creation of undergraduate programs. He received the “Order of the Republic of Armenia,” awarded by the Prime Minister, for his service as president and continued to be involved in the AUA community following his departure, including attending graduation ceremonies, and collaborating with faculty on different projects and initiatives.
An award-winning teacher, Dr. Boghosian has been a professor at Tufts University since 2000. He has served in a variety of leadership roles at Tufts, including Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Co-Director of the Master of Arts Program in Data Analytics. He was elected to Fellowship in the American Physical Society in 2000 and named a Distinguished Scholar of Tufts University in 2010, a Fellow of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life in 2018, and a Fellow of Tufts’ Data Intensive Studies Center in 2019.
Dr. Boghosian earned his degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California, Davis, including a Bachelor of Science in physics, a Master of Science in nuclear engineering, and a Ph.D. in applied science and engineering. His research spans the areas of applied dynamical systems, applied probability theory, kinetic theory, mathematical models of the economy, and complex systems science, among others.
Chair of the AUA Board of Trustees Dr. Lawrence Pitts is delighted to welcome Dr. Boghosian back to AUA. “The University is expanding its facilities and student body to help Armenia meet its needs for growth and prosperity,” he said. “The AUA Board believes that Dr. Boghosian is ideally suited to help us achieve AUA’s expansion and to guide and enhance AUA’s excellent education of its students. There is much to do, and Dr. Boghosian’s love for and commitment to Armenia and his extensive background in higher education make him the right person for this position.”
Since December, the leadership has been occupied by Interim President Dr. Der Kiureghian, who graciously accepted the temporary role following the resignation of Dr. Karin Markides. His prior experience as AUA President from 2014 to 2019 allowed him to deftly steward the University through a critical period of transition, allowing the Board of Trustees the time and latitude necessary to successfully search for a new President.
“The AUA Board of Trustees and indeed the entire AUA community are endlessly grateful to Dr. Der Kiureghian for stepping in again as the University's President on short notice,” said Dr. Pitts. “His experience and dedication has allowed AUA to continue to grow and function exceedingly well while we appointed Dr. Boghosian. Thank you, Armen, for your dedicated service to AUA."
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.
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Azerbaijan installed a concrete barrier on the Lachin Corridor on June 22
The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Moscow Polad Bulbuloglu on Monday to discuss what the ministry called “the situation in South Caucasus, as well as the reconciliation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”
“The Russian side reaffirmed the need for the complete and immediate unblocking of Lachin Corridor and restoration of transport connection in two directions, in accordance with the November 9, 2020 trilateral statement, as well as the need for creating conditions for the normal livelihood of Nagorno Karabakh,” read a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The parties also discussed Azerbaijan’s strong reaction to a recent statement by the Russian foreign ministry. Azerbaijan criticized Russia for what it described as associating its territorial integrity with the statements made by the Armenian Prime Minister on recognizing the Azerbaijani territorial integrity, which, according to Baku, contradicts the Moscow-Baku partnership agreement.
The Azerbaijani foreign ministry hit back at Moscow on Monday and refused to lift the now seven-month-old blockade of the Lachin Corridor.
“Regarding the inappropriate comments by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement on July 15, it was emphasized that the Russian Federation has always respected the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and is fully committed to the spirit and letter of the bilateral statement on allied cooperation. At the same time, this doesn’t eliminate the issue of comprehensively promoting the Armenian-Azerbaijan normalization process and resolving all issues on the agenda, including the issues of ensuring the rights and security of the population of Nagorno Karabakh, with exclusively peaceful political-diplomatic methods,” the Russian foreign ministry said.
Moscow also expressed readiness to organize a trilateral foreign ministerial meeting to discuss the implementation of high-level agreements, the draft peace treaty, which will then be followed by “a summit of the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan for signing the aforementioned document.”
07/13/2023 Armenia (International Christian Concern) – In the darkness of her room, Mila Dolukhanyan shows the works submitted for admission to the Paris School of Fashion and Design on her phone. Among them, she proudly shows a T-shirt sewn on the theme of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh.
“The carpet piece symbolizes Artsakh, the torn part – the enemy’s attempt to obliterate us. The threads represent our blood and roots, which mean that no matter what, we will preserve our tradition and culture,” said Mila.
Mila is one of dozens of Artsakh graduates who share the desire to advance their educations in Armenian and foreign universities. The blockade presents significant challenges that hinder their dreams.
The ongoing seven-month blockade imposed by Azerbaijan has taken the population of Nagorno-Karabakh hostage. The crisis was exacerbated on June 15, as Azerbaijan imposed a ban on the entry of humanitarian cargo to Artsakh and restricted the movement of citizens through the Lachin Corridor.
The consequences of the blockade have profoundly affected every aspect of life in the country, and the sphere of education has not been exempt from its impact.
Due to the impossibility of leaving Artsakh and the absence of international exam centers in Nagorno-Karabakh, local applicants are deprived of the opportunity to take entrance exams to be admitted to their desired universities.
Nagorno-Karabakh Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Youth Affairs, Hasmik Minasyan, mentioned in an interview with us that to solve these issues, they have agreed with the relevant universities of Armenia the ad-hoc opportunity for the applicants to take the exams online and through video recording.
“We organized exams in ten subjects for these applicants. Oral exams were conducted through the Zoom platform, and the performance of the applicants to the theater and singing departments was audio-recorded and sent to the relevant institutions in Armenia.” According to the deputy minister, this process was also challenging because it was carried out during rolling blackouts and Internet connection disruption.
Margarita Kiziryans, 19, graduated from Stepanakert Music College and intends to study at Yerevan State Conservatory. As an ad hoc solution, she passed the exam by recording the works and sending them to the examining committee. But even when admitted to the conservatory, her getting from Stepanakert to Yerevan by closed road is questionable.
For Margarita, Mila, and other students crossing the road is not the only problem. The 2020 war and now the blockade have significantly affected their studies.
The blockade cut off the only gas supply from Armenia to Artsakh. It led to the regular interruption of the 118 schools operating in Artsakh and kindergartens and primary and secondary professional education institutions during the winter.
Margarita is from the city of Shushi, which came under the control of Azerbaijan as a result of the 2020 war. Now she has become an internally displaced person (IDP), living in Stepanakert with her family. Through music, Margarita tries to escape the reality of war and blockade.
According to the deputy minister, after the examinations are over, their next step will be transferring students admitted to Armenian and foreign universities, and the ministry will meditate and find solutions to transfer them to realize their educational rights.
Mila is also struggling to focus on her studies in these conditions. “I want to study abroad and bring fashion culture to my home place, but it is so vague today that I don’t know if I will be able to follow my dream if I can return to Artsakh and implement what I have learned.”
According to the special report of the Nagorno-Karabakh ombudsman, the worsening food scarcity partially closed all 41 kindergartens and 56 preschool groups, as a result of which 6,828 children could no longer attend educational institutions in general, being deprived of adequate care and nutrition.
Hundreds of local students who study in universities in Armenia and abroad face obstacles in fully realizing their right to education. They are deprived of seeing their family members and spending the holidays with their families, even during summer vacations.
During the blockade, the disruptions in the electricity supply from Armenia to Artsakh and the Internet also affected technological education, causing their suspension.
Exams Under Fire
Chankatagh village of Martakert region is located 67 kilometers from Stepanakert. Two weeks ago, two servicemen were killed by the weapons used by the Azerbaijanis on the military unit near the village, and two more were killed in the positions of Martuny region.
Chankatagh residents live under daily fire. Varsenik Arushanyan, the school’s deputy headmaster, says that they spent the class under fire. Several classrooms are directly under the enemy’senemy’s sights, 500 meters away. Often during the school year, when shootings start, teachers are forced to move children to a safer part of the school.
On June 22, during the final exam in the school, when the students took assignments to start for the exam, another round of fire was opened from the Azerbaijani positions.
“We seem to have adapted to lessons undershooting, but is it possible to adapt to it?” the teacher asks herself.
To the question of whether they are not afraid to have classes and exams in such conditions, Arushanyan answered that, of course, there is fear, but they see no other acceptable way. “Sometimes the senior school children themselves reassure us not to be afraid. I am a native language teacher, my first job is to instill a sense of belonging in my students, and I think they learned that lesson well.”
Arushanyan, looking at the commemorative plaque of the graduates who fell victim to the war, added that perhaps the hardest thing for a teacher is when a student you teach dies at a young age.
While negotiations on the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh are being held on various international platforms and resolutions are being made to unblock the Lachin Corridor, Mila from Stepanakert, Margarita from Shushi, and students from Chankatagh are facing real challenges not only to realize their right to education. They and the entire Christian population of Nagorno-Karabakh face ethnic cleansing and the danger of losing their homeland.
https://www.persecution.org/2023/07/13/education-under-siege/