HOB

"Ethnic Cleansing in Progress: War in Nagorno Karabakh" by Caroline Cox and John Eibner

True. We can't expect more from a cynical baboon.

this guy must be sick

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Andrei ARESHEV The Political Culture of the People of Nagorno-Karabakh: On the Road to International Recognition The July 19 presidential elections in Nagorno Karabakh met with quite a wide international response. It should be mentioned that the holding of referendums and elections at different levels have long become part of the political culture of the small state of Karabakh. 2 nation-wide referendums were held here in the past 16 years (December 10, 1991 – on the issue of proclaiming independence, held in the hardest conditions of the war with Azerbaijan, and on December 10,2006 – on the adoption of the Constitution) as well as 4 election cycles of the presidential and parliamentary elections and the elections to local bodies of authority. The latest elections were unusual in their turn-up. People began to queue up long before the polling stations were opened. Each station had complete polling lists presented well in advance; transparent ballot boxes were used. There were no special polling stations for servicemen who now voted according to the additional polling lists at regular polling stations. Nothing suggestive of any falsification or discrepancies between the results of the voting and the genuine expression of the people’s will was registered. Observers from Russia (including State Duma delegates and the Auditing Chamber officials as well as a number of people from other states and NGOs were unanimous in their assessment of the good preparation of the elections and their unconditional correspondence to democratic standards. Nevertheless, statements made by people from a number of international organisations were of a somewhat different character. Representatives of the EU Parliamentary Assembly and some other bodies emphasised the lack of the international recognition of the status of the Nagorno Karabakh republic, stressing that the events during and after the election could allegedly negatively affect the negotiation process over the problem of Nagorno Karabakh.. However, formulation of the terms of recognition of an individual state in many respects has a conditional character. As for the negotiations process, the main obstacle to its progress is the irreconcilable stance taken by the official Baku. It appears that officials in the Azerbaijani capital are not too eager to see the settlement of the conflict, probably in belief that nothing should be sacrificed at present if everything can be gained at once later. Unfortunately, the recent visit of Armenian and Azeri cultural workers to Stepanakert, Shusha,Yerevan and Baku was not an exception to the rule. The trip ended in a long speech delivered by Ilham Aliev on the theme of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity (even though it was strange how the Azeri president failed to speak on the restoration of the Soviet Union, of which the Azerbaijanian Soviet Republic and the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous region in its administrative jurisdiction once was). No matter what, all this did not significantly affect the organisation and the course of voting. Neither it could affect those. An entire new generation has grown up in the Nagorno Karabakh, and it does not occur to it them that a return to the past is ever possible. The plaques carrying the portraits of their deceased relations and neighbours can be found in every city or village; they are a tangible reminder of what the “cultural autonomy” within the borders of the Azerbaihanian Soviet Socialist Republic meant for them. The traces of war are still seen not only in Shusha (whose restoration only began a short while ago) but also in remote settlements in the Mardakert and Gadrut districts, where there still are houses with the walls peppered by bullets and submachine guns fire. So it is not accidental that the programmes of the candidates for the presidency at the polls of July 19,2007 chiefly focused on the socio-economic issues. The residents of Nagorno Karabakh are primarily concerned over the solution of the unemployment problem and creation of new jobs, building new enterprises and attraction of investments, increasing pensions and wages. The programmes of the presidential candidates were oriented precisely on this. For example, the social programme of the winner of the elections Bako Saakian suggests increasing pensions in the coming three years two and a half times and ensure the growth of the average wages in the coming five years by 200 per cent. A serious attention will also be given to the development of the agricultural sector, and raising the degree of authority of local bodies of power, among other things. * * * Traces of a certain intrigue were seen through the entire election campaign in Nagorno Karabakh. The pre-election struggle meant many things. At the same time, there exists in the republic the concord on key issues it faces, so the emergence of an alternative “government” of say, the like of the one in South Ossetia, that would declare its consent to be dependent on Baku, is out of the question. The foreign policies positions shared by the two principal co-runners for presidency (including former head of the republic’s National Security Service Bako Saakian and Deputy Foreign Minister Masis Mailian) had no significant differences. Outside observers might view this as an inalienable attribute of the “fortress state” or the “garrison state” as some liberal columnists like to refer to Nagorno Karabakh. But the issues of security are of supreme importance to the local residents as their future depends on their selection of this or that version of their solution. The most acute problem is that of the so-called “occupied” territories (to use the terms employed by the Azeri side). Stepanakert views the situation unlike people in Brussels and Strasburg. The districts that in the early 1990s were under the control of Azeri armed units are at astone’s throw from the windows of even not the highest buildings in the Nagorno Karabakh capital. Not only Shusha, from which Stepanakert was shelled in deadly attacks. They include the present-day suburb of the capital of Nagorno Karabakh, Kirkijan, and settlements Djamillu, Djangasan and Hodjalu where intensive construction was going on during the period of the government of the Organisational Committee for the republic of Nagorno Karabakh headed by V.Polyanichko, that was later turned into a major military base (presently the settlement of Ivanian). Other districts that are now known as “the safety belt” (along with their entrance infrastructure) also have strategic significance. Not only the Goris-Lachin-Stepanakert main road, but also the Mardakert-Kelbadjar road that was heavily used in the early 1990s to boost the Azeri military units in the Kelbadjar district that borders on Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.(where there are now refugees from the Shaumian district of the Nagorno Karabakh republic that was captured in the summer of 1992). Other asphalt roads (as was typical of the Soviet times) interconnected Armenian settlements almost exclusively via the adjacent Azeri districts. That means that the return to the political, and consequently, the military control over the territories within the administrative borders of the former Republic of Nagorno Karabakh by Azerbaijan, or in the adjacent territories without some sort of firm guarantees would inevitably mean the return to the situation of 1991-1992, when the residents of Nagorno Karabakh found themselves in a virtually all-round siege and faced the prospects of total expulsion or even a physical destruction. The best guarantee to prevent the tragic events of the past in the conditions of the present-day erosion of international law from returning is to have modern armed forces. The Nagorno Karabakh Army of Defence has a firm control of the line of contact with Azernaijan. * * * The elections held in Nagorno Karabakh will provide a significant impetus for the continuation of the negotiations process that is now in the state of half-consciousness. But to render the negotiations constructive would only become possible after Stepanakert begins to participate. There are signs of another stage of restoration of the activities of the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group. Braiza visited Yerevan on July 30th, 2007. The plans of the tireless American include a visit to Moscow on August 2, for a regular round of consultations with the c-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk group (Russia, France and the United States). A visit to Azerbaijan is slated as a follow-up to that. But by and large Braiza does not believe that any shifts in the process of the Karabbakh settlement could be expected in the near future. True, it is hard to expect any progress, given the continued attempts to solve the Karabakh problem without taking into account the ideas its residents have on that score. Russia’s stance on the non-recognised states on the post-Soviet space is also very important.. Observers have long registered the absence of the response of the Russian Foreign Ministry concerning the elections in Karabakh. This can be assessed as a move in a right direction. Nevertheless, Russia’s ties with Nagorno Kaarabakh need to be intensified regardless of the present-day objective and subjective limitations. The objective factors (clearly understood by Stepanakert) include, primarily, the absence of a common frontier, whereas the subjective ones include Moscow’s wariness over causing new complications in its relations with Azerbaijan. Political problems continue to make the life of ordinary people seriously harder. Telephone and mail connections between Moscow and Karabakh have been hard to establish for many years. There is no aviation links despite the availability of an airport, so transportation costs are outrageous. This situation can hardly be called normal, as there are quite comfortable conditions for doing business, and a high degree of social safety. Despite being almost totally sealed by the siege, the republic builds modern new enterprises, cattle breeding farms and agricultural processing companies along with state-of-the-art hotels and recreation zones; natural gas pipelines are connecting remote settlements and villages with the centre. Still Nagorno Karabakh remains chiefly an untapped area. Its significant resources (the power sector in particular) are enormous in terms of the regional scope, while its transport and tourist infrastructures are in need of serious investments. Hesitation of politicians should not be in the way of developing the Russian-Karabakh cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian areas, as well as at the level of parliaments and NGOs. The problem of establishing in Stepanakert of the Russian cultural centre, new schools and classes for the speakers of Russian, etc, has not been settled yet. It should be recalled that people born in Nagorno Karabakh whose total number is about 1 million (with only 14% now living in Nagorno Karabakh) are in their preponderance people of both Armenian and Russian cultures. Many have long been living in Russia; they could significantly contribute to the strengthening of Russia’s political, economic and cultural positions in both Karabakh and Armenia, and in the whole of the Caucasian region. Source (Click for more photos)

Against the Ethnozid in Nakhichevan On Friday, 20th of January, 2006, 13.00 - 15.00 AGA (Working Group Recognition - Against Genocide) initiates a picket-action "Against the Ethnozid in Nakhichevan" in front of the Republic of Azerbaijan embassy in Berlin. Address: Kommandantenstr. 80, 10117 Berlin-Mitte, near U-Bahnhof Spittelmarkt. Please pass on to your friends in Berlin.

Исторические фальсификации с политической подоплекой Авторы: Михаил МЕЛЬТЮХОВ, кандидат исторических наук, Алла ТЕР-САРКИСЯНЦ, доктор исторических наук, Георгий ТРАПЕЗНИКОВ, доктор исторических наук, профессор, академик МАИ ООН Москва, 1999, ISBN 5-7820-0060-0 Сокращеный вариант данного материала был опубликован 22 июля 1998 года в приложении “Содружество” (N 7) к “Независимой газете”. Текст брошюры сопровожден приложениями – таблицами динамики численности населения АОНК/НКАО, АзССР, АрмССР и Нахичеванской АССР. Также содержится обзор истории Нагорного Карабаха, текст письма руководства НКР Генеральному Секретарю ООН (17.08.1997) с приложением данных о беженцах, перемещенных лицах и занятых в ходе боевых действий территориях в Нагорном Карабахе и Азербайджане. Приводится полный список использованной литературы. Предоставлено Сумгаит.инфо представительством НКР в Москве. Содержание: 1. Введение. Исторический обзор. Фальсификация истории Закавказья 2. Динамика численности населения АОНК/НКАО в 1923-1989 гг. 3. Динамика численности и национального состава населения Азербайджанской ССР, Нахичеванской АССР, Нагорно-Карабахской АО и Армянской ССР в 1959-1979 гг. 4. Письмо Генеральному Секретарю ООН, Кофи Аннану, от и.о. президента НКР Леонарда Петросяна 17 августа 1997 года, с приложением "Данных о беженцах, перемещенных лицах и занятых в ходе боевых действий территориях в Нагорном Карабахе и Азербайджане" 5. Список использованной литературы

Now it's published by PanArmenian.net and Regnum.ru.

I just received information from Baroness Caroline Cox and Mr. John Marks saying that issue of Khachkars desecration in Nakhichevan was put down the following Question for Written Answer in the House of Lords (UK) on December 20. The Baroness Cox—To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to UNESCO concerning the destruction and desecration by Azerbaijan of ancient Armenian churches and artefacts. (HL3178)

December 22, 2005 The Honorable Hafiz M. *****yev Ambassador Embassy of Azerbaijan 2741 34th Street, NW Washington, DC 20008 Dear Ambassador *****yev, As Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, we are writing to express our grave concern and indignation regarding the reported destruction of the historically and architecturally significant Armenian monuments in the medieval cemetery of Julfa, Nakhichevan of the Azerbaijan Republic. The eyewitness reports and documents brought to our attention indicate that on December 15, 2005 some 100 Azerbaijani soldiers, armed with heavy equipment, broke into the Old Jugha (Julfa) Cemetery, and engaged in barbaric destruction of its centuries-old Armenian khachkars (headstones). The old Cemetery of Julfa is known to specialists to have housed as many as 10,000 of these intricately carved khachkar headstones, up to 2,000 of which were still intact after an earlier outbreak of vandalism on the same site in 2002. Eyewitness accounts of the ongoing demolition indicate at the organized nature of the operation, qualifying it as cleansing. Azerbaijan, as a member of the international community, has national responsibilities within the United Nations, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and other relevant international frameworks to preserve the cultural and historical heritage in its custody. Persistent vandalism in Azerbaijan against monuments representing our common cultural heritage advises us and the international community concerned on your Government’s deliberate ignorance of its responsibilities in that regard. Such practice runs against the basic norms of civilized conduct of nations, and undermines the US and international efforts toward achieving greater stability and security in the region. We therefore urge your Government to halt the ongoing vandalism in Julfa’s Old Cemetery immediately. We further urge the preparation and presentation of a documented report on the damage caused to the architectural ensemble as a result of the latest violence, to lead to measures in remedy of the situation. We also call upon your Government to cooperate with the international and expert community toward developing a program of action that would enhance the protection and preservation of this endangered treasure of world cultural heritage, and prevent the occurrence of any further violence. We look forward to reviewing progress in this regard on a periodic basis. Sincerely, Joe Knollenberg Frank Pallone, Jr. ### NR# 2005-123

Da parz e, indz parzapes tvac konkret inchvor mi andzi masin e khosqe gnum.

MosJan, vor shan tsnundi masin e khosqe gnum?

Video made from Iranian side http://clips1.vimeo.com/video_files/2005/1...vimeo.37011.wmv

VIENNA - ''Allegations of Armenian genocide are part of a new operation of the United States and the other western states against Turkey,'' affirmed Turkish researcher Sefa Yurukel on Thursday. ''Under the UN convention, what Israel is currently doing in Palestine is a genocide. What the United States is doing in Iraq is a genocide. France committed genocide during the war in Algeria. Also, France and Belgium committed genocide in Rwanda and Burundi. But no one can accuse those countries of genocide since they are permanent members of the UN Security Council,'' he said. http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=90047

2005-12-15 BUDAPEST MURDER CASE: HEARINGS RESUMED, THEN POSTPONED AGAIN Hayk Demoyan—the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia at the trial of Ramil Safarov—reports from Budapest. The fifth hearings on the case of the murder of Gurgen Margaryan—Armenian officer hacked to death almost two years ago by his Azerbaijani classmate Ramil Safarov during the NATO-sponsored English language courses—were resumed today in Budapest, Hungary. The results of the third psychiatric examination of the defendant which was set to clear the contradictions between the first examination and the second one were scheduled to be announced today. However the third examination was carried out so unprofessionally that the judge Andrash Vashkuti expressed his indignation and threatened to impose sanctions against the expert. According to the results of the latest examination, the defendant was in “a condition close to the state of irresponsibility”. The judge discarded the results of the third examination and scheduled another one. Also, as per request by the prosecution two more witnesses are to be summoned for the next hearings: an employee of the military school where the murder was committed, and another student of the language courses. The defense again pledged to conduct an interrogation of the Azerbaijani witness (the second Azerbaijani officer who had participated in the courses) in Baku claiming that he was incapable of visiting Budapest. But this pledge was also refused by the judge. The preliminary eye witness account of the Azerbaijani eye witness that he provided immediately after the murder was read instead. The hearings are scheduled to be resumed on March 7th, 2006. - - - - - http://budapest.sumgait.info/news/index.htm