Category: 2022

Stepanakert, September 27, 2020.
A view from the author’s window.

Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh, once again celebrated its eponymous day without festivities. Two years ago, the city woke up to strong explosions the morning after these annual celebrations. Still sleepy, residents did not understand what was going on. The screams of women and children running down the stairs to the basement in panic could be heard from the entrance to our five-story Soviet-era building. A cluster bomb had exploded in our yard. Cars were on fire. It was around seven in the morning on September 27, 2020. It is terrible to imagine if the shelling had started two hours later, and the children were already in the yard. A black cat had been lying near the burning cars. Its intestines were laid bare, the fragments crushed and its dark blood spilled on the ground. It was the only living creature outside out at that hour. 

A living, bustling city became desolate in one day. For 44 days, the silence was periodically interrupted by air raid sirens, which still blare in our ears.

The wave of the blast shattered windows. The men stood stunned, and one of them uttered, “The war has begun.” The women, for some reason, started sweeping broken glass.

A Stepanakert classroom destroyed during the Artsakh War, October 1, 2020

The man was right. The war lasted 44 days. Thousands were killed, tens of thousands of Artsakh citizens were displaced, and hundreds of villages and cities came under the control of Azerbaijan. The reality in Artsakh changed in one morning. Two years later, the city is an open wound. The war has yet to end in Artsakh. Today, we see that it has even been transferred to the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia (RA).

Azeri shelling in Stepanakert (Photo: Marut Vanyan)

It seemed that the entry of Russian peacekeepers would bring peace to the region, at least temporarily for five years, but many concerning events have taken place, which continue to worry all Armenians, especially Armenians living in Artsakh.

December 14, 2020: Azerbaijan occupies the still remaining villages of Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd of the Hadrut region of Artsakh and captures Armenian servicemen.

May 12, 2021: Azerbaijan launches attacks in Gegharkunik (Upper Shorzha) and Syunik (Black Lake, Khoznavar), capturing more than 40 kilometers of RA territory.

August 26, 2021: Azerbaijan demands and receives from Armenia sections of the Goris-Kapan road, paralyzing the Armenia-Iran interstate land connection. 

November 16, 2021: Azerbaijan launches an attack in the direction of Ishkhanasar mountain in the Syunik region. The Armenian side had seven victims, ten captured.

March 2022: Azerbaijan attacks in the direction of Parukh village in the Askeran region of Artsakh and captures the nearby strategic Karaglukh heights. Three Armenian soldiers are killed in the battles. The populations of Parukh and Khramort villages are evacuated.

March 2022: Azerbaijan interrupts the gas supply from Armenia to Artsakh twice during an unprecedented, unbearably cold month, creating a humanitarian crisis.

August 1-3, 2022: Azerbaijan launches attacks in the direction of Armenian positions in the western parts of the Martakert region in Artsakh and the Berdzor corridor. Armenia has at least two victims and 19 wounded. Azerbaijan demands the town of Berdzor and the villages of  Aghavno and Nerkin Sus and receives them as of September 1.

September 13-14, 2022: Azerbaijan launches the largest offensive since the 2020 war, from Gegharkunik to the Armenian-Iranian border. Azerbaijani forces shell RA cities and villages, occupying at least 10 square kilometers of RA territory. As of September 19, the Armenian side has at least 207 dead and missing.

During this entire period, Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces have regularly shot at the border villages of Artsakh, particularly in the direction of the villages of Taghavard and Karmir Shuka.

Along with non-stop fighting, the socio-psychological situation in Artsakh remains very difficult. The government of Artsakh has only been able to provide housing for 1,200 displaced persons. To this day, people live in hotels, garages and shops, hoping that one day they will receive housing from the government. This issue is considered one of the most urgent in Artsakh. Every day, people are looking for a house for rent in Stepanakert, but there are none.

Gurgen papik and his granddaughter (Photo: Marut Vanyan)

Grandpa Gurgen lives in a former shop with his 12 family members. “I worked as a builder for 40 years,” he says. “I built two houses in Stepanakert, but during the first Artsakh war, when they were shelled from Shushi, my house was razed to the ground. The product of my whole life’s work became zero in just a minute. We moved to Shushi after it was liberated. Now we have been evacuated and live in this shop with 12 people. The owner of this area says that we have to vacate it on the first of October. We don’t know what we will do. We will end up on the street like dogs. I can’t fight anymore. I can’t build another house. I am too old now. My grandson is a participant in the war. His friend, who is also from Shushi, lost his leg as a result of war and still hasn’t received a house from the government. If an injured person didn’t get a home, we just should stay silent and wait. But for how long? We have relatives in Russia, but we didn’t want to go to them. We want to live here, on our land. It’s hard. I don’t know.”

A shop where Gurgen papik lives

There are many stories like this in Artsakh. In addition to social problems, there is always fear of war. 

“The Republic of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia both face short-term and long-term security issues, which are the pivotal challenges of the present day,” Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan said in his address on September 19, 2022. “We must honestly admit that the Armenian state is standing on the threshold of a new and catastrophic war, which could have no less serious consequences than the 44-day war.” 

[RELATED | Remembering and Honoring the Heroes of the 2020 Artsakh War]

Despite this imminent danger, the people of Artsakh continue to be optimistic. We have lived here for one-thousand years, and we will live here for another thousand, people say. There is no better place in the world than here. We just want peace.

A cemetery in Stepanakert (Photo: Marut Vanyan)

The last time,
I will ever go there.
The streets vibrant with people,
Children, parents, soldiers, tourists.
This was the last time I would go.
The family whose father was disabled after the 1994 war,
The suitcases full of clothes that we had given them,
The crisp 100 dollar bill that was a shock to them,
The tears of joy,
This was the last time we would go,
This was the last time we would see them.
The sky filled with lights,
Fireworks?
No—bombs! drones! missiles!
These are what the people of Artsakh, native Armenians on their native land, saw, endured.
These were their last sights,
This was the last time I saw them,
Dead or alive—
They were gone.

The land we all loved—gone! The people we all loved—gone! The restaurants we went to—gone! Everything I had seen was gone. How could a place change so drastically within a year? I wonder now, even years later, if that dear family I met in Shushi was able to escape with their lives, died defending their land or lived as subjugated citizens of a hostile neighboring country.

A year before the calamity, our plane landed in Yerevan, and we were greeted by a family friend, a well-known physician. “Parev! Parev!” After exchanging hellos in Armenian, we began a 30 minute journey from the small airport to our hotel. The sky was dark, but the streets were lit by shop signs and street lights. There was a positive and exciting vibe that I don’t recall the last time I was in Armenia. I wonder if it was because I was much younger then?

Arriving at the hotel was a relief. The hotel looked small from the outside, but it was massive on the inside. We had ambitious plans ahead of us, so a good night’s rest was crucial. But we were so anxious that we could barely sleep, given that we had heard and read so much about Artsakh, a disputed region which has been inhabited by Armenians for centuries and our destination the following day. The multi-hour car ride in the back of a black Mercedes sprinter was lengthy, but enjoyable. Oblivious to any danger, as an uneasy peace had persisted in the region for the last 25 years, we drove into what seemed like a giant divot. It actually was a normal road with sandbags built up high so that Azeri snipers would be unable to get a clean shot off, a danger we didn’t really consider as Armenia maintained control of the region and surrounding areas. 

After driving through mountain after mountain and past military post after military post, we finally arrived in Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh. The excitement on the streets was something I had never seen before. It was shocking considering the city was being rebuilt after Azeri forces damaged it during a terrible six year conflict that ended in 1994, with the Armenian population winning control over the land they had inhabited for so long. 

The next day, we visited the heart of Artsakh—Shushi. After traveling up the mountain on a winding gravel road, we met a family who lived on top of the mountain. They had owned a vineyard for many years. “Tsavut danem” (Let me take your pain), they greeted us. It’s a common Armenian phrase of humbleness, affection and warmth. After talking to the family, we were saddened to hear that the father had experienced extreme physical and mental damage during the first Nagorno-Karabakh war. They were poor and couldn’t make much money as the head of the household was unable to get a job. My father asked if they needed anything. The mother explained in Armenian that they needed clothes for their daughter who was starting school. We took our two suitcases full of clothes that we had brought to give away and handed them to the family. They thanked us with tears rolling down their eyes. Knowing that they were struggling, my father had handed them a pair of crisp 100 dollar bills, something they’d never seen before. Tears streamed down their cheeks as they repeatedly expressed their gratitude, “Shnorhakalutyun.” We spent some time talking with them, and then we went on to tour the rest of the area. We hoped we could take their pain away in some small way. 

The author pictured third from the left with members of his family and Armenians from Shushi

I will never forget these moments. They opened my eyes to the struggles of people living in developing countries. These Armenian families have endured so much in a region where oppression has been constant since the time of the Ottoman Empire and before. Armenians have had to deal with corrupt political leaders influenced by historical Soviet policies. A country where 18 year old boys (some even younger) defend a border to protect their families from death or, in luckier circumstances, deportation. 

I also won’t forget the fate of those people, for it all changed only a year after our visit in August 2019. In September 2020, Azerbaijan attacked Artsakh, gaining control of Shushi (Artsakh’s strategically high location) and possibly planning to destroy it for good. Much of the capital and surrounding villages were bombed, children were killed in the shelling and families died not only by Azeri attacks but also from COVID-19, which raged through the community. Within six weeks, a generation of 18 to 20 year old boys, only a few years older than me, died on the battlefield, as Turkish suicide drones targeted them. And the world was silent.

The people I met and the sites we visited during my trip are now gone. The beauty and the villages are all gone. They have fallen into the hands of Azerbaijan—a country where killing Armenians is glorified and considered nothing more than a sport. A country where murdering an Armenian is celebrated and rewarded with national fame. A country where joining hands with Turkey to wipe out the Armenian race has been fantasized for ages. 

That one family in the mountains is gone—likely dead. My time on the mountain in Shushi is one of many moments that I should cherish more, for life is not guaranteed to anyone. I appreciate the life I enjoy in the US, where fear of invasion, deportation, loss of life, property and land is almost unimaginable. I have realized I live a life of luxury, where I don’t need to worry about death, losing my house or my next meal, and take so much for granted, such as my family, home, school, and even church (our ancient Armenian churches have been desecrated and, in many cases, destroyed by Azeris and Turks). That family in Shushi, on the other hand, appreciated every moment, as they knew that their happiness could be fleeting and their lives could be taken momentarily. In many ways, their example is one that I should embrace, as we all need to cherish moments, for you never know if you will ever get to experience them again.

Armenian flag raising at Brockton City Hall (Photo: Kenneth Martin)

BROCKTON, Mass.—The City of Champions raised the Armenian flag at Brockton City Hall on September 21, the 31st anniversary of Armenia’s independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Mayor Robert Sullivan addressed the gathering of close to 50 people, many of whom had traveled from places like Whitinsville, the Metro West and Rhode Island.

Local businessman John Merian (Photo: Kenneth Martin)

Local businessman John Merian helped organize the event with local members of the Armenian Youth Federation, which marked the first time the Armenian flag has flown at the city hall. Merian spoke emotionally about how much this meant to him and all of those gathered. He said his grandparents, along with everyone else’s, were so pleased to see Armenia become free and independent after 70 years of Soviet rule.

Mer Hairenik was sung as the flag was raised.

Armenian Americans celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Republic of Armenia’s Independence (Photo: Kenneth Martin)

Mayor Sullivan pledged that the Armenian flag would fly on an annual basis from this point on.

John Merian with Mayor Sullivan (Photo: Kenneth Martin)

WASHINGTON, DC – Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and senior member Marco Rubio (R-FL) have introduced bipartisan legislation condemning Azerbaijan’s recent unprovoked attack on Armenia, calling for the immediate end to US security assistance to Azerbaijan, urging the release of Armenian POWs, and exploring sanctions against Azerbaijan for war crimes, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). The resolution also urges Azerbaijan to respect the territorial integrity of Armenia and send robust US assistance Artsakh and Armenia.

“Azerbaijan’s renewed assault on Armenian territory and callous targeting of civilian infrastructure is a horrifying show of disregard for human life,” Chairman Menendez said. “As communities across the region, including in Kapan, Goris, Jermuk, Vardenis and Tchakaten suffer at the hands of the Aliyev regime, the United States must match our words of support with robust action for the people of Armenia. With this resolution, we are making it clear that it is a national security imperative for the US government to do the right thing and once and for all halt security assistance to Azerbaijan.”

“We welcome Chairman Menendez and Sen. Rubio’s decisive leadership to enforce Section 907, stopping US military aid to Azerbaijan, in the face of Azerbaijan’s ongoing occupation of sovereign Armenian and Artsakh territory,” said ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian. “The US policy of artificial even-handedness has only emboldened President Aliyev to expand his attacks against Armenia and Artsakh.  It’s long past time to end security assistance to Azerbaijan and sanction Aliyev and his corrupt government.”

The Senate resolution comes in the wake of two measures introduced in the US House – led by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Jackie Speier (D-CA) respectively, and supported by the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues – which condemn Azerbaijan’s latest attacks against Armenia and Artsakh, urge an end to military aid to Azerbaijan, and urge US and international investigations into Azerbaijani war crimes. The Schiff Resolution (H.Res.1351) currently has 48 cosponsors.

On September 13, Azerbaijani forces launched a heavy artillery attack using mortars and drones on Armenian military and civilian infrastructure in Sotk, Vardenis, Goris, Kapan, Jermuk, Artanish and Iskhanasar, located on Armenia’s eastern border with Azerbaijan. Over 200 Armenians have been confirmed killed, 293 injured, and 20 taken captive with Azerbaijani troops still stationed on sovereign Armenian territory. The attack is the largest since the 2020 Turkey and Azerbaijan-led 44-day war against Artsakh and Armenia, which claimed over 5000 Armenian lives.

Less than a week after the attacks, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) led a Congressional delegation visit to Armenia in a show of US solidarity for the Armenian people in the face of Azerbaijani aggression.  “America is committed to Armenia’s security, democracy and we stand with Armenia in a difficult time,” stated Speaker Pelosi, who went on to “strongly condemn Azerbaijan’s recent attacks on Armenia.”  The delegation included Congressional Armenian Caucus co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA).

The ANCA’s online advocacy platform has been updated to urge support for the Senate Resolution submitted by Chairman Menendez and Sen. Rubio.

The full text of the resolution is provided below.

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IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself and Mr. RUBIO) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on ___________

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate condemning Azerbaijani forces’ illegal and unprovoked assault on Armenian territory and insisting upon the cessation of security assistance to Azerbaijan in accordance with Federal law.

Whereas on September 13, 2022, Azerbaijani forces mounted an illegal and unprovoked assault on Armenian territory, including the cities of Vardenis, Sotk, Artanish, Ishkhanasar, Goris, and Kapan;

Whereas by September 14, 2022, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced a preliminary death toll of more than 100 Armenians;

Whereas the Azerbaijani military fired artillery at Armenian villages along the border, forcing more than 2,750 civilians, including 370 children and 55 people with disabilities, to evacuate their homes and take shelter;

Whereas, according to Armenia’s Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, the Azerbaijani attack damaged 192 residential buildings in Gegharkunik, Syunik, and Vayots Dzor Provinces; Whereas, according to the Armenian Ombudsman, Azerbaijani shelling set fire to a forest in Jermuk, with artillery fire preventing Armenian firefighters from immediate access to the blaze;

Whereas according to Prime Minister Pashinyan, Azerbaijani forces illegally advanced into at least 10 square kilometers of Armenian territory;

Whereas on the evening of September 14, 2022, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan, announced that a ceasefire took hold;

Whereas Azerbaijan’s latest attack on Armenian territory and the Armenian people follows a long pattern of aggression, including during the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh War, when an attack by Azerbaijani forces ignited a conflict that killed more than 6,500 people and displaced almost 100,000 ethnic Armenians;

Whereas Azerbaijan continues to hold at least 35 prisoners of war and 3 civilian prisoners from the Nagorno Karabakh War and Azerbaijan’s recent attack on Armenia;

Whereas Azerbaijan’s attack on Armenia, which was launched on September 13, 2022, is a flagrant violation of Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a violation of international law;

Whereas section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act (22 U.S.C. 5812 note) prohibits United States assistance to Azerbaijan ‘‘until the President determines, and so reports to Congress, that the Government of Azerbaijan is taking demonstrable steps to cease all blockades and other offensive uses of force against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh’’;

Whereas title II of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–115) allows the President to waive section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act under certain statutorily defined conditions, including if doing so ‘‘will not undermine or hamper ongoing efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement between Armenia or Azerbaijan or be used for any offensive purposes against Armenia’’;

Whereas upon exercising such waiver, the President must submit a report to appropriate congressional committees outlining—

(1) ‘‘the nature and quantity of all training and assistance provided to the Government of Azerbaijan pursuant to [the waiver],’’;

(2) ‘‘the status of the military balance between Azerbaijan and Armenia and the impact of United States assistance on that balance’’; and

(3) ‘‘the status of negotiations for a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the impact of United States assistance on those negotiations’’; Whereas on March 2, 2022 the Government Accountability Office released a report, which found that the Department of State and the Department of Defense failed to meet certain statutory reporting requirements to Congress, including the impact of proposed assistance on the military balance between Azerbaijan and Armenia;

Whereas the Government Accountability Office found that the Department of State and the Department of Defense did not document their consideration of waiver requirements from fiscal year 2014 through fiscal year 2020, including how the departments determined that assistance would not be used for offensive purposes against Armenia; and

Whereas despite agreeing with the Government Accountability Office’s recommendations, the Department of State has not demonstrated how it will adequately report to Congress on statutorily required considerations for aid to Azerbaijan: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) condemns Azerbaijan’s illegal and unprovoked attack on Armenian territory;

(2) urges Azerbaijan to fully adhere to the ceasefire agreed to on September 14, 2022;

(3) demands that Azerbaijan respect the territorial integrity of Armenia;

(4) calls for the release of all Armenian prisoners of war and civilian prisoners held in Azerbaijan;

(5) insists that the Department of State meet all statutorily required reporting requirements for consideration of United States assistance to Azerbaijan;

(6) urges the Secretary of State to immediately halt all security assistance to Azerbaijan;

(7) urges the President to evaluate whether officials of the Government of Azerbaijan should be subject to sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law 114–328) for human rights abuses against ethnic Armenians; and

(8) supports the robust provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh affected by Azerbaijan’s war of aggression.