Category: 2021

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed by U.S. President Joe Biden into law includes important provisions aimed at holding Azerbaijan and Turkey accountable for the war crimes in Artsakh, Rep. Frank Pallone said in a tweet on Wednesday.

“The NDAA that President Biden signed yesterday includes important provisions aimed at holding Azerbaijan & Turkey accountable for the war crimes they committed in Artsakh,” he wrote.

“I will push to ensure the required reports are accurate in documenting these crimes,” Pallone said.

The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has approved the proposl of the country's foreign ministry to open a Consulate General in Armenia's Kapan town, in Syunik province. The news was reported by the Iranian Irna news agency.

"Path of Law” NGO will provide pro bono legal services to two Armenian prisoners who were repatriated from Azerbaijan early in December and were immediately arrested on charges for violation of combat duty regulations during war or military actions, the defense team of the NGO led by Siranush Sahakyan, Ruben Melikyan and Davit Avagyan said in a released statement. 

According to it, on December 29, at 16.00, the Yerevan court is set to consider the petition on extension of detention as a measure of restraint against one of the servicemen, Robert Nalbandyan, a father of three who had also suffered a rib fracture during captivity in Azerbaijan. 

To remind, the Investigative Committee brought against some of the Armenian captives returned from Azerbaijan. The servicemen were charged with violation of combat duty regulations during war or military actions, which is punishable by imprisonment for the term of 4 to 10 years under Armenia's Criminal Code provisions.

Earlier, Nikol Pashinyan suggested the investigative bodies to investigate every case of captivity to find out circumstance of capture and determine whether there are elements of crime in their actions. 

Through the mediation of the Government of Hungary, five Armenian prisoners of war were repatriated, Armenia's foreign ministry reported on Wednesday. The ministry has also published the names of the prisoners – Sarkis Abrahamyan, Arman Khachatryan, Vahe Aghajanyan, Suren Khachatryan, Aram Avetyan. 

Earlier, the Azerbaijani sources reported that the returned servicemen had been  captured during the November 16 border incident. 

A temporary exhibition, entitled "Archaeological Relics from Shushi" opened on Wednesday in Yerevan. As the press service at Yerevan municipality reports, the exhibition features unique archaeological items, including  pitchers, earthenware, metal items, pottery, dating back to the 20th-6th century BC. 

To note, the Shushi Carpet Museum was founded in 2011 on the initiative of Vardan Astsatryan.During the 44-day war of 2020, carpets and rugs, as well as archaeological and other items were evacuated from the museum. In the words of archeologists, the items on display belong to the ancient Armenian culture. 

The exhibition will be open till May 29.

The people and authorities of Artsakh will never accept any status within Azerbaijan, and the security of the country is and will be further ensured by the Defense Army and the Russian peacekeeping troops, Artsakh president Arayik Harutyunyan stated on Wednesday during a meeting with staff members of schools from Hadrut and Shushi.

The president's remarks came when answering the teachers' questions and concerns about the future and security, the press service at the President's office reported. 

Harutyunyan also spoke of the social problems of the displaced citizens, noting that today the state spares no effort to completely solve the housing problem, as well as to provide them with work and other social guarantees. Within this context, the Head of the State emphasized that, according to his instruction, giving priority to the displaced citizens will be among the most important principles of the recruitment policy in all structures of Artsakh.

Artsakh president voiced his gratitude to all the teachers of the schools and employees of the art institutions of the occupied communities, who despite the difficult social and living conditions continue to diligently carry out their job, in this difficult period ensuring uninterrupted educational process for the displaced pupils. Arayik Harutyunyan also noted that from September 1, 2022, schools and kindergartens of Hadrut and Shushi will have new separate buildings in capital Stepanakert.

Opposition lawmaker from "With Honour" faction Tigran Abrahamyan commented on the recent remarks  on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue made by Nikol Pashinyan. 

"In the context of recent developments concerning Artsakh, Pashinyan not only destroyed the pro-Armenian basis of the peace process but also conveyed unpleasant messages to Azerbaijan, the mediators and most regretfully –   to our compatriots living in Artsakh," Abrahamyan wrote on his Facebook. 

In his words, the message sent to Azerbaijan and mediators reveals that there is no Artsakh issue on his agenda, and all those concerned with the topic should talk to Russia, as to Artsakh population, Pashinyan's message is clear – solve your problem by yourself." 

"No matter how hardly Pashinyan's regime is trying to exclude the Artsakh issue from the foreign policy agenda of Armenia, the issue of keeping the struggle for existence of Artsakh and its population should stay in the focus of the pan-Armenian agenda, formed by Armenians living throughout the world, Armenian political and non-governmental organisations," Abrahamyan wrote, adding: "Anyone living in Artsakh must know clearly we would never leave them alone whatever happens and whatever authorities may come to power." 

"The most important thing is that though united efforts and mobilization of all-Armenian resources we should stick to the idea that Artsakh can never be part of Azerbaijan and move forward guided by this logic," concluded Abrahamyan.

The report of Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Gegham Stepanyan on “Malicious Prosecution by Azerbaijan of Captured Armenian Servicemen and Civilians” was disseminated as an official document in the United Nations, Stepanyan said on Facebook on Tuesday.

The report is available here. https://undocs.org/A/76/581?fbclid=IwAR2FhHGSDqx2NqFs-fmKVeRGcK2dnuPoniY5SZnFtzvIGQvcb_JAPtA2n3k

The Yerevan City Council adopted the draft budget of the city for 2022 by a vote of 36 for, no against and one abstention at a session on Tuesday.

The document envisages 94,560,201 drams in revenues and 98,821,222 in spending for the capital next year. The budget deficit is projected at 4,261,021 drams.

City councilor Arman Antonyan deplored the budget as "reckless" in his speech at the session.

"Does this draft budget have anything to do with the capital of a war-torn country?" he said.

Antonyan regretted that no joint debates were held and many proposals were not included in the reference summary sheet. He stated the figures in the budget are “ungrounded”.

Yerevan Mayor Hrachya Sargsyan disagreed with his claims, admitting, however, some changes may be made in the document.