Category: 2020

​Human rights activist: Campaign is actually against Armenian Church, not Catholicos of All Armenians

Andranik Taslakhchian
News.am, Armenia
Dec 27 2020
 
 
 
Human rights activist: Campaign is actually against Armenian Church, not Catholicos of All Armenians
13:56, 27.12.2020
 
There are strikes against the pillars of our national identity every day. This is what former Ombudsman of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), human rights activist Ruben Melikyan told reporters today.
 
“At this moment, the Armenian Church is probably one of the major pillars that has remained. Unfortunately, Armenia currently has major problems with state institutions, and I personally wasn’t surprised to see certain circles launch a campaign against the Church, presenting it as a campaign against the Catholicos of All Armenians, but in reality, this campaign is against the Church and every follower of the Armenian Holy Apostolic Church,” he said, adding that he and several citizens have come to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin because of calls for hatred towards the Church and that only a few people making calls against the Church had come to Etchmiadzin.
 
Melikyan stated that what is unprecedented is the fact that the two Catholicoses are demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister. “This is commendable since the Armenian Church must truly play a larger and more important role in Armenia. The Church must also play a major role in the solutions to the problems of a social state.”
 
 
 
 

​Armenia Prosecutor General’s Office sending publications about disclosed CSTO documents to Special Investigation Service

Emil Lazarian
News.am, Armenia
Dec 27 2020
 
 
 
Armenia Prosecutor General's Office sending publications about disclosed CSTO documents to Special Investigation Service
14:40, 27.12.2020
 
Advisor to the Prosecutor General of Armenia Gor Abrahamyan posted the following on his Facebook page:
 
“Since there are many questions, I have to inform that the Prosecutor General’s Office is sending the news and publications about the disclosed documents of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to the Special Investigation Service of Armenia so that the latter investigates the news and articles within the scope of the criminal case that the Service is investigating.”
 
 
 
 

​Advisor to Armenia Prosecutor General’s Office: Court rejects motion to arrest person who made call for military coup

Garnik Tadevosian
News.am, Armenia
Dec 27 2020
 
 
Advisor to Armenia Prosecutor General's Office: Court rejects motion to arrest person who made call for military coup
15:05, 27.12.2020
 
 
Advisor to the Prosecutor General of Armenia Gor Abrahamyan posted the following on his Facebook page:
 
“The Yerevan court of general jurisdiction yesterday rejected the motion that the preliminary investigation body had filed to choose arrest as a pre-trial measure against citizen S. K. who made a call for a military coup and bloodshed during the rally held at Republic Square a few days ago and who is involved in the criminal case as an accused.
 
In essence, the court rendered this decision in a situation where a statement has been made directly and openly and where there is a large number of illegal weapons and ammunition in the country after the war (this has been proved through the revelation of similar cases, the launched criminal cases and several accused).
 
So, the court believed that all this doesn’t contain a risk for crimes, including the overthrow of constitutional order and possible seizure of power.
 
It would be safe to say ‘no comment’, but perhaps there is something to comment on. What does this marked and overt approach to consistently reject such motions of preliminary investigation bodies and the Prosecutor General’s Office imply?
 
Of course, after becoming familiar with the court decision, the Prosecutor General’s Office will appeal it, proceeding from the need to disallow and prevent potential manifestations of crime and will decide on the issue of instituting disciplinary proceedings.
 
However, the important thing is that if, God forbid, there is a military coup or an attempt, we will start seeking and analyzing the reasons.”
 
 
 
 

Russian peacekeepers escort vehicles of Azerbaijani Armed Forces in Nagorno-Karabakh

Greg Madatian
News.am, Armenia
Dec 27 2020
 
 
19:11, 27.12.2020
 
 
Russian peacekeepers escorted vehicles of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, as reported the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
 
“The Russian peacekeepers ensured the safe movement of eight vehicles of Azerbaijanis through the Lachin mountain pass and the Shushi-Karmir Shuka-Kajar sector,” the press release reads.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Azerbaijan says one dead, one wounded in Armenian attack

Samvel Nahapetian
MIRAGE News
Dec 28 2020

Azerbaijan’s defence ministry says its army units were attacked by “a leftover Armenian armed group of six” in Nagorno Karabakh, killing one Azerbaijani serviceman and wounding another.

The ministry said the attack took place in the Khojavend region on Sunday afternoon and was thwarted, leaving all six armed attackers dead.

“At about 15:30, an illegal armed group or rather a leftover detachment of the Armenian armed forces consisting of six troops attacked the Azerbaijan Army units in the vicinity of the Aghdam village of the Khojavend region.

“As a result of the attack, a soldier of the Azerbaijan army… was killed and … another serviceman was wounded … who has been evacuated and is in a stable condition now,” said the ministry in a statement.

“All six members of the illegal armed group were destroyed”.

The defence ministry vowed to take strong “decisive measures” if repeat attacks by Armenian troops happen.

The term ‘leftover’ used by the ministry likely refers to the personnel of the Armenian armed forces who have failed to leave the Nagorno Karabakh area despite the Russian obligation on their withdrawal.

Under the November 10 midnight deal signed by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia to end the 44-day Nagorno Karabakh War, Russia would deploy a peacekeeping contingent of approximately 2,000 soldiers in parallel with the withdrawal of all Armenian armed forces.

“The peacekeeping forces of the Russian Federation shall be deployed concurrently with the withdrawal of the Armenian troops”, reads the original statement.

It is not clear if the delay in withdrawal is in coordination with Russia, or Armenia has refused to withdraw, or some of its troops have gone rogue. It appears there is a secrecy about it and no information is available on the open sources.

The 9-point agreement also called the tripartite statement essentially says Azerbaijan holds on to areas of Nagorno-Karabakh it regained during the war; Armenia agrees to withdraw by December 1 from the remaining 3 of the 7 adjacent districts (Azerbaijan took back 4 districts  during the war); Russia deploys 1,960-strong peacekeeping forces in the Nagorno Karabakh area in parallel with with the withdrawal of the Armenian military; civilian transport/communications/ infrastructure are restored; prisoners of war are exchanged; refugees/displaced people from the both sides are returned to their homes under the UN commissioner’s supervision.

The new clash comes after there was another incident mid December, raising questions over Russia’s role.

The recent incidents show that there still exists Armenian military presence in the Nagorno Karabakh although Russia completed the deployment of its peacekeeping contingent in mid November.


Nikol Pashinyan on Armenia and Azerbaijan using roads through Nakhchivan

Adrine Hakobian
News.am, Armenia
Dec 27 2020
 
 
22:55, 27.12.2020
 
Once again, I would like to draw everyone’s attention to a subtlety according to which there is no phrase about Syunik Province, Meghri or a corridor in the statement and there is a claim about de-blockage of transport routes. This is what Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with Armenian Public Television today, responding to the reporter’s question whether there is specification regarding the provision of the Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan corridor.
 
In response to the specifying question whether there are certain red lines for Armenia, Pashinyan said the red line is Armenia’s territorial integrity. “Yesterday, for instance, Upper Lars was closed for all types of trucks. For instance, if it becomes clear that Armenia can have railway communication with Russia and Iran, will that be good or bad news for Armenia? If Armenians can reach Iran through Nakhchivan, how can we say that Armenians can go to Russia through the territory of Nakhchivan, but Azerbaijanis can’t travel to Nakhchivan through Armenia’s territory?” Pashinyan said.
 
According to Pashinyan, the control over roads is a topic that will be discussed later, just like other issues that will be solved, and he is certain that they will be solved.
 
 
 
 

Armenian Ambassador, Iran’s National Security Council chief discuss regional developments

Edgar Tavakalian
Public Radio of Armenia
Dec 28 2020


Artashes Toumanian, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Islamic Republic of Iran had a meeting with Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran (SNSC).

The Ambassador briefed Mr. Shamkhani about the situation in Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh, as well as the regional developments.

Shamkhani expressed the readiness of the Iranian authorities to deepen cooperation between the two countries in the current difficult conditions for Armenia, reaffirmed Iran’s position on the establishment of a lasting peace.

​Nikol Pashinyan: There is currently a dispute over 20 plots of lands

Meline Chalian
News.am, Armenia
Dec 27 2020
 
 
Nikol Pashinyan: There is currently a dispute over 20 plots of lands
23:26, 27.12.2020
 
 
Today, there is a dispute over nearly 20 plots of lands. This is what Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with Armenian Public Television today.
 
Pashinyan stressed that the actions that took place these days have helped prevent a war in Syunik Province. “Moreover, today, the territory of Armenia is distributed in such a way that in case of an assault against Syunik Province, the Armed Forces of both Armenia and Russia will interfere. This doesn’t mean that there can’t be disputes over 1 or 2 or 12 homes. Today, there is a dispute over 20 plots of lands,” he said.
 
Pashinyan added that there is also a dispute over roads. “However, Armenia says there has to be a guarantee that the roads will operate. There are various options to stop the dispute. The fact remains that the territory of Armenia has been and remains intact.”
 
 
 

Four more Armenians return from Azerbaijani captivity

Emil Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia

Dec 28 2020
Four Armenian captives returned to Armenia through the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross of the Russian Federation today, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan reports.

“Relatives have already been informed of their return, the captives are now under medical supervision and will receive the necessary medical and moral and psychological support,” Avinyan said in a Facebook post.

The process of exchanging prisoners will continue, he added.


Armenian police start detaining protesters in Yerevan

Emil Lazarian
TASS, Russia
Dec 28 2020
Armenia has been rocked by protests for more than a month

YEREVAN, December 28. /TASS/. The Armenian police have started detaining protesters who gathered near the parliament building in central Yerevan, TASS reports.

Currently, the Armenian parliament is holding an urgent session. A clash broke out between the protesters demanding that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resign, and one of the ruling party lawmakers.

Armenia has been rocked by protests for more than a month now. The Armenian opposition believes that the trilateral statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire signed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on November 9 essentially came to be an act of capitulation. Opponents of the incumbent Armenian leader also pin responsibility on him for economic and social problems of the country.

Amid the turbulent developments in the country, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian called for snap parliamentary elections and for a transfer of power to the government of national accord ahead of the vote. Pashinyan himself says he won’t step down because any government change should be carried out through elections. At the same time, a few of his supporters have already conceded that snap elections are possible.