Category: 2020

Around 40,000 people of Artsakh have been left homeless in the wake of the recent war, outgoing Artsakh Ombudsman Artak Beglaryan told a news conference on Wednesday, elaborating on the primary issues that require urgent solutions.

He first called attention to security issues. “First of all, the objective risks must be reduced. The Defense Army is working on it. Naturally, Russian peacekeepers also play a key role here. But the National Security Service and police must take all possible measures to reduce security risks and fill the gaps. Open communication with the public is also important here, as some problems are of a subjective nature, conditioned by psychological and information risks," he said.

According to Beglaryan, the second problem is that there are many people left homeless. Up to 40,000 people have been left homeless due to the Azerbaijani occupation of the Artsakh territories during the hostilities.

"Most of those people are already in Artsakh. They have very serious needs, first of all they need to be provided with housing and psychological support. The problem of temporary housing still needs to be resolved, and those people will be provided with apartments under the long-term program," he said.

Beglaryan, who tendered his resignation on Tuesday to assume a new position in the government system, said he can better contribute to overcoming the crisis in the country in the new role.

Separately, the ombudsman said that due to the efforts of the fact-finding mission of the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office, two more reports on the crimes committed by Azerbaijan during the war will be released today.

"In general, I consider the fact-finding activity to be nearing its end, although fact-finding activity in other areas is still needed. There is a need to summarize the collected data and present it in reports. But I am convinced that the Ombudsman's Office and the next ombudsman will proceed with this work, and the staff will continue to work on human rights issues in the country," he said.

Artak Beglaryan assured that although he is leaving the post of ombudsman, he will continue to defend human rights. He noted that he will deal with various tasks in the executive branch.

Although Artak Beglaryan did not reveal the position he is going to assume in the government, he said that he will deal with short-term crisis management issues.

“A task has been set to take urgent steps to resolve at least those problems that can be resolved in a short period of time. As for medium and long term programs, reforms need to be planned and implemented. And I am ready to embark on this reform process,” he added.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan can rely on own patience only in the struggle against opposition, the head of "Kassad" information-analytical center,  publicist Boris Rozhin tells an interview to Riafan media outlet. 

The political analyst reflects on the ongoing protests in Armenia and the opposition's tactics of blocking major streets and highways to urge Pashinyan to step down for signing what they call 'a disgraceful statement' which ended the war in Karabakh war. The opposition has suggested Vazgen Manukyan's candidacy as an alternative for the post of Armenia's prime minister for an interim period. 

"The nationwide strikes of Armenian enterprises started on December 16, the operation of some of those enterprises have fully stopped, while their employees participate in the opposition rallies in downtown Yerevan. We are witnessing a situation similar to the one which brought Pashinyan to power in 2018, when his predecessor Serzh Sargsyan resigned," Rozhin notes. 

"Reports about Pashinyan's upcoming resignation are not verified at the official level. Pashinyan is not going to transfer his power to any conditional Vazgen Manukyan. In general, the country needs snap elections to overcome the ongoing political crisis, however, I am sure the Armenian prime minister is far from the idea of holding snap elections either," Rozhin stresses, adding Pashinyan's tactic is to wait until the protests are weakened and the tense situation calms down itself. 

"This path is clear to all. Alexandr Lukashenko acted in a similar way and as it appears he had some success in his tactics. Emanuel Macron was another leader who overcame the crisis with the Yellow Jacket movement. Thus, the Armenian prime minister has several successful examples of fighting the opposition. Moreover, his opponents struggle to make the vast majority of the population take to the streets. Furthermore, there are serious demands toward the leader of opposition," says the political analyst, pointing to the 'unpleasant dilemma' the Armenian people face to choose between Pashinyan from one hand and the opposition from the other. 

"Nevertheless, a decision should be made, as the longer the ongoing crisis continues, the more serious consequences will arise for the country. The political structure of Armenia may not simply hold up under the strain and pressure," Rozhin concludes. 

Armenia's MFA Spokesperson has commented on the question regarding the statement of the UNESCO Secretariat. As the press department at the ministry reports, the UNESCO Secretariat publicly announced that only Azerbaijan has not responded on sending an expert mission of UNESCO to the Nagorno-Karabakh and the adjacent areas, in fact, clearly highlighting Azerbaijan’s destructive approach. This was followed by the statement of the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan accusing UNESCO of being biased; of course, Armenia was not forgotten as well. 

Asked for comment on that, MFA Spokeswoman Anna Naghdalyan has noted: "I would not like to comment on relations between UNESCO and Azerbaijan, however, the content of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s statement on the issue was nothing more than a clear demonstration of “whataboutism” propaganda attempt. It indeed is concerning and emphasizes the need to reflect on the roots of the problem and reaffirm the truths. All previous attempts of involving the UNESCO in preservation of cultural heritage within the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have been thwarted by Azerbaijan. Let me remind that upon the request of the Armenian side regarding the barbaric destruction of the cross-stones (khachkars) in Old Jugha, UNESCO expressed readiness to visit the region, but it was rejected by Azerbaijan."  

In Naghdalyan's words, Armenia and Artsakh have always emphasized the importance of preservation of cultural heritage and have always demonstrated a respective and careful approach towards the cultural values of other peoples and religions. "The restoration of the Gohar Agha Upper Mosque in Shushi, Artsakh, in 2019 is the latest case in point. Unfortunately, we have not witnessed a reciprocal approach from Azerbaijan, which for decades fought against the Armenian cultural presence in Artsakh and Azerbaijan, including through the mass destruction of monuments," stressed Naghdalyan, adding: "The issue of preservation of cultural heritage has played a key role in the current context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict – a fact that has been reflected in recent statements by both the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Co-Chair countries as well as the international community in general. Armenia welcomes and is ready to support the implementation of the UNESCO fact-finding mission in Artsakh and the adjacent areas as soon as possible, which will contribute to the efforts to preserve cultural heritage in the territories which fell under the Azerbaijani control and to prevent possible negative 

Armenia's Investigative Committee launched a criminal case on public calls for apparent violence made by the Chairman of “National Security” party Garnik Isagulyan. As the Committee said in a statement, the criminal case was instituted according to the Part 1 of the Article 226.2 of RA Criminal Code based on a video entitled “Nikol's shooter should be given the title of National Hero or a reward of a million dollar” uploaded on “Youtube”. Isagulyan who has been actively participating in the opposition rallies demanding Nikol Pashinyan's resignation, was arrested on Wednesday. 

Investigation is underway, the Committee said, reminding everyone charged with alleged crime offence shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, in the Russian resort city of Sochi on December 29 to discuss the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and bilateral relations, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said.

"On December 29, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will pay a working visit to our country, the city of Sochi, more precisely, at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He will take part in the eighth meeting of the joint [Russian-Turkish] group for strategic planning … The meeting will focus on a broad range of regional and international problems, according to Sputnik news agency. 

The ministers will compare stands on the situation in the middle East, North Africa, Transcaucasus, Central Asia, Ukraine and the Black Sea region. They will discuss ways to boost efficiency of cooperation within international organizations," Zakharova said at a briefing.

Lavrov and Cavusoglu will discuss implementation of the Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani agreement on peace in Nagorno-Karabakh, the spokeswoman added.

"They will focus on minimizing risks of possible armed clashes, on providing humanitarian assistance to the sides, and on setting straight operation of the joint Russian-Turkish center for controlling the ceasefire," Zakharova concluded.

Head of the Henaket Analytical Center Tigran Abrahamyan says police have “illegally” detained him during today’s opposition rally demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation outside the government building.

“The fools serving and justifying those who ceded Artsakh and Armenia [to the enemy] have illegally detained me,” he wrote on Facebook.

“You are selling the future of your and our descendants. I had no other expectations from you,” he added. 

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed issues concerning the borders in Syunik Province at a cabinet meeting on Thursday.

“At this stage, work is underway to locate the border checkpoints, which involve certain subtleties and difficulties. But we are convinced that this work should be carried out, since it is necessary from the point of view of ensuring the security of Syunik and Armenia in general,” he said.

“In fact, our position and the position of the Defense Ministry is that these measures reinforce the security guarantees of Syunik and form a new system of security guarantees for Armenia and Syunik,” Pashinyan added.

The premier said specific problems may arise concerning two settlements in Syunik – Vorotan and Shurnukh.

“We have two settlements, with which specific problems may arise. It refers to the villages of Vorotan and Shurnukh of Syunik Province, where there are certain border-related issues, with everyday work being carried out for their solution. These issues may cause certain painful situations, but I want to assure that in all cases in which problems arise from the point of view of the interests of our citizens, the government will provide full and adequate compensation to our citizens and their interests will be fully protected,” Pashinyan stated.

The premier highlighted the importance of providing reliable information on the matter, since, according to him, there can be hundreds of media reports on an incident creating a widespread impression.

He said that these processes should not be treated as demarcation or delimitation of borders, but location of border points with the purpose of ensuring security. Pashinyan also said that in the morning he held a discussion with the commander of the Armenian border troops and gave specific instructions on procedures.

Armenia has become a dangerous place for every man to live in, Artsvik Minasyan, a member of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF, Dashnaktsutyun) party, said at a protest in front of the government building demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's resignation on Thursday.

He underlined that the “traitor must stand trial” through a fair judiciary, which the opposition guarantees, urging each of the 14 government members to vote for ousting Pashinyan at today’s cabinet meeting.

"It is necessary to fulfill the people's demand, that is, to remove Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who failed to protect Armenia’s sovereignty and interests, from office,” the politician said.

“Every member of the government must accept this as a constitutional requirement. Afterwards, if each of you does not fulfill this demand, you will be considered the enemy of the nation, as the security of Armenia may collapse at any moment," he said.

Another ARF member Gegham Manukyan called on members of the government and police officers cordoning off the government building to join protesters, stating Nikol Pashinyan “poses a major threat to the security of Armenia and Artsakh.”

"Yesterday [Ilham] Aliyev was in Ishkhanadzor, standing near the borders of Armenia. Nikol brought the borders close to the villages of Syunik.

“The enemy [Azerbaijanis] barred the Armenian soldiers returning from a vacation from entering Artsakh to stand in their positions. They had to return to the Sisian military unit. Our positions are being emptied because the irresponsible man sitting in the government building cannot deal with any political issue," Manukyan said.

A court in Armenia on Thursday ruled against the arrest of Arush Arushanyan, the mayor of the town of Goris in Syunik Province.

The court denied the motion to arrest the mayor due to the lack of grounds.

Arush Arushanyan left the courthouse to a smattering of applause by his supporters gathered in the courtyard.

Video by PARA TV

His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has declared 2021 the Year of Artsakh, according to a statement posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday.

Since 2003, Catholicos Aram I has dedicated each year to an important event or a concern related to the church, culture and homeland through declarations. Due to the deep concerns of Armenians about Artsakh caused by the war, His Holiness has declared 2021 the Year of Artsakh.

The proclamation of Aram I will be read at St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral of Antelias, as well as in Western Prelacy churches on January 10, 2021.

In the statement, His Holiness also urges Armenians to stay away from the New Year celebrations and instead to give the funds and gifts to the needy children of Artsakh.