Nagorno Karabakh -=- ARTSAKH

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Azerbaijan has obligation in facilitating return of Karabakh Armenians, says EU special representative

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YEREVAN, AUGUST 5, ARMENPRESS. The EU has been very clear that the Karabakh Armenians will be part of the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalisation process and that there will be direct talks between Baku and them about their safe and dignified return to their home region, Toivo Klaar, the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia has said.

In an interview with JAMnews, Klaar said that Azerbaijan has an obligation in the facilitation of the return of the Karabakh Armenians to their ancestral homes.

“Once again, I do hope that the page of enmity and violence can finally be turned once and for all, for the benefit of all populations in the region, including the Karabakh Armenians. The EU has been very clear on the matter – and it is also my expectation – that the Karabakh Armenians will be part of the normalisation process and that there will be direct talks between Baku and them about their safe and dignified return to their home region. Azerbaijan does have an obligation in this regard, which – as it seems to me – it does not deny. The parameters and conditions for such a future need to be found and agreed through an inclusive and mutually respectful dialogue. Normalisation to me means no open wounds, and therefore this issue has to be part of the broader peace process. Sometimes other issues are brought up in this context, such as the question of so-called “Western Azerbaijan”. For me, these are completely distinct questions that cannot be mixed. The first is the facilitation of the return of the Karabakh Armenians to their ancestral homes, which is an obligation that Azerbaijan has. The second is the question of Armenians who used to live in other parts of Azerbaijan, including in Baku, or of Azerbaijanis who used to live in Armenia. Naturally they should also be able to visit the places where they or their families have lived, or even to return there, if they so wish, and this should likewise be a consequence of normalisation, but that is a wholly different issue from the specific question of the Karabakh Armenians,” he said.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1197077?fbclid=IwY2xjawEeovlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHc5WFGPaYaVSbB_Jf6NfGwYGuV86M_C6xgfXYnVRmfuyMOL19_jayQLIkA_aem_WvnHua6MXB0ZdQfle2n_1A

[MosJan]

 

[Yervant1]

panorama

Armenia - Aug 6 2024

 

 

Ex-minister: Artsakh Armenians have real chance for repatriation

 

Former Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian claims that there is a real chance for the Artsakh Armenians to return to their homes under international guarantees.

His comments come following meetings with officials in Moscow, Europe and the US.

Oskanian claims the Artsakh people’s right to collective repatriation will gain international support if it is put on the agenda of peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“It’s the Armenian government’s responsibility. Currently, there is a real chance for the exercise of the Artsakh Armenians’ right to return to their homes,” he said in a social media video on Tuesday.

"The Armenian authorities must bring the issue to the agenda as it will help achieve a more durable peace," the ex-minister added.

 

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2024/08/06/ex-minister/3037638

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Ca' Foscari University of Venice Professor warns of Azeri destruction of Armenian heritage in NK

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YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. The Italian Avvenire newspaper has published an article by Ca' Foscari University of Venice Professor Aldo Ferrari on the Azerbaijani policy of destroying Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Ferrari, in the article titled Nagorno-Karabakh: How Azerbaijan is Erasing Armenian Culture, is citing the facts by Caucasus Heritage Watch and is warning about the ongoing destruction of Armenian heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh. The article notes that since the Azeri takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, over 50 Armenian cultural sites were either destroyed or damaged.

Ferrari, citing historical facts, stresses that the Azeri authorities are distorting history and misrepresenting the Armenian heritage as Caucasian Albanian. The professor warns of a cultural genocide committed against the Armenians.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1197275?fbclid=IwY2xjawEihZ1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHbah67HU_1wydrZTuVsRRawnPdW9d7kDH1jv3qHdqiPCmfoz4Wuev53teA_aem_gTZsnHLCtDSbPYu_mePOCg

[MosJan]

 

[Yervant1]

Aug 13 2024

 

Azerbaijan destroyed Ashot Ghulyan's (Bekor) statue

Baku continues to destroy the monuments in Artsakh that were built during the independence period. The latest act of vandalism took place in Stepanakert, in the park named after Ashot Ghulyan. Several months ago, Azerbaijani channels on Telegram reported the destruction of the bust of Ashot Ghulyan, a Hero of Artsakh.

 

https://geghard-saf.am/en/310/Azerbaijan-destroyed-Ashot-Ghulyan's-(Bekor)-statue/

 

 

Edited August 15, 2024 by Yervant1

[Yervant1]

Politics 17:00 14/08/2024 NKR

Ombudsman: Azerbaijan continues cultural genocide in Artsakh amid international silence

Recent satellite images show that Azerbaijan destroyed the village of Mokhrenes in the Hadrut region of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan said on Wednesday.

The village fell under the Azerbaijani control as a result of the 44-day war in October 2020.

"The satellite imagery shows that the majority of the village houses, the school, the kindergarten, and other buildings have been pulled down. In total, over 40 homes and  buildings have been demolished, while the St. Sargis Church of Mokhrenes was completely destroyed by October 2022," Stepanyan said on X, sharing photos. 

"The cultural genocide of Artsakh by Azerbaijan continues with the complicit silence of the international community," he added.

 

Source Panorama.am

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[Yervant1]

Los Angeles Times

Aug 18 2024

 

 

Opinion: How lies on paper enabled Azerbaijan’s destruction of an Armenian community

By Taleen Mardirossian

Aug. 18, 2024 3 AM PT

• Share

My mother has two birth dates: the one on her passport, and then the real one. She was born in January in the late ’60s in Beirut, Lebanon. But because her birth was not registered for another 10 weeks, official documents give a date in March. With every phone call she places to the bank or prescription she picks up at the pharmacy, when she is asked for a date of birth to confirm her identity, she is forced to confirm a falsehood.

Immigrant families like mine understand that what’s on paper is not always the truth. Sometimes paper tells little fibs, like my mother’s birth date, and sometimes paper tells monstrous lies that affect millions of people.

For the last century, Turkey has employed the power of paper to deny the Armenian genocide. Turkish history textbooks teach young students that there was no genocide; rather, the Turks were victims of Armenian aggression, leaving them with no choice but to target the traitors conspiring against them. One Turkish textbook estimates a death toll of 57,000 Armenians. Although the real number will never be known, historians put it at around 1.5 million.

This history of violence is being repeated today. Yet many people know nothing about Azerbaijan’s recent attacks against Armenians in the Caucasus because, for the last four years, the limited coverage has often misrepresented the truth.

In 2020, with Turkey’s support, Azerbaijan began the latest genocidal campaign against the Armenians, this time in the territory of Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh. Although this autonomous region was inhabited and controlled by Armenians, who the land belonged to was contested on paper.

Claiming this land as theirs, Azerbaijan beheaded civilians. It blasted residential areas with cluster munitions. Even after a cease-fire was called in November 2020, attacks continued and tensions escalated. Then, starting in December 2022, Azerbaijan trapped and starved the men, women and children of Artsakh in an illegal blockade, cutting off access to food, medicine and humanitarian aid. In September, after nine months of psychological and physical torment, Azerbaijan launched a final attack that would force the region to surrender and its Armenian population to flee, in effect ethnically cleansing Artsakh of its people.

While the Armenians of Artsakh documented and shared the horrors of their mass exodus on social media, Armenians in the diaspora witnessed their suffering and watched — in real time — a modern reiteration of death marches our ancestors had trekked. Meanwhile, the international community failed to see beyond what they were told on paper.

Much of the little concurrent reporting done on this conflict — reporting that has largely vanished in the past year — would include some version of the misleading statement that Artsakh is internationally recognized as Azerbaijan. In other words, among the first facts often established by the media on Artsakh is that the land belongs to Azerbaijan on paper, establishing a sense of justification for their violence.

The statement is deceptive; it is true but it is not the truth. In the 1920s, although the population of Artsakh was 90% Armenian, the USSR debated which Soviet republic the region would be officially aligned with. Armenia was poor and faced a refugee crisis following the Armenian genocide, while Azerbaijan sat on vast reserves of oil. So the Soviets prioritized economy rather than autonomy.

For decades, Armenians petitioned to change the demarcation of these borders. More than 100,000 protested, demanding recognition of Artsakh as Armenia. They were denied changes due to fear of inciting other border adjustment demands by nations throughout the Soviet Union. When the USSR collapsed in 1991, war erupted in Artsakh between the majority ethnic Armenian population and Azerbaijan. The war went on for years, killing more than 30,000 people on both sides, until ultimately, Armenia won. Yet still, the borders did not change on paper. Despite being inhabited and controlled by Armenians, and operated as an unofficial extension of Armenia, Artsakh remained “internationally recognized as Azerbaijan.”

Since its military loss in the ‘90s, Azerbaijan has employed a state-sponsored campaign of cultural erasure resembling the tactics of Turkey. In Azerbaijani literature, positive references to Armenia or Armenians have been removed. It’s as if we cannot exist in Azerbaijan, not even as fictional characters.

And now, we can no longer exist in Artsakh. In September, a decree was signed stating that the region would dissolve itself and cease to exist starting Jan. 1, 2024. Today, the Armenian territory of Artsakh no longer exists on paper.

With Artsakh in its possession, Azerbaijan has come closer to achieving shared goals with Turkey. If you look at a map, you’ll see that the only thing standing between Azerbaijan and Turkey, on paper and land, is Armenia and, so, Armenians. Officials in these countries have described Turks and Azeris as “one nation, two states,” which explains their long-standing intention to connect their noncontiguous borders by constructing a transport corridor through Armenia. This would clearly violate Armenia’s territorial sovereignty; however, because of the media’s negligent reporting and the international community’s failure to condemn Azerbaijan’s violence, these allies have been emboldened to disregard the integrity of the Armenian people and nation.

But there’s something more concrete than paper. Armenians have lived, and died, on this land for millennia. The rocks and stones of thousand-year-old Armenian churches and monasteries are engraved with Armenian inscriptions. The tombstones of centuries-old cemeteries are etched with Armenian names. Why are these carved facts not presented alongside what we are told by a source as thin, transparent and fragile as paper?

Because we’ve failed to ask this question, this evidence — Armenians’ cultural heritage — is being actively destroyed by Azerbaijan, just like our presence is being erased from its books.

And we are all to blame. We are not taught to question paper. We don’t understand its limitations. If we don’t want our ignorance to be weaponized by those in power, we must be aware of whose interest paper serves. It is our responsibility to ask questions seeking the longer, deeper story that should be told.

Taleen Mardirossian is working on a collection of essays that document the violence of erasure committed against her ancestors. She teaches writing at Harvard University.

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-08-18/armenia-azerbaijan-war-nagorno-karabakh

 

[MosJan]

 

[Yervant1]

Newsweek

Aug 26 2024

 

 

Protecting Armenian Churches in Nagorno-Karabakh Should Be a Condition for Peace | Opinion

 

By Stephan Pechdimaldji

Public Relations Professional

 

In recent weeks, there have been reports claiming that Armenia and Azerbaijan are on the cusp of inking a peace deal that would finally bring an end to their decades-old conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). While peace in the South Caucasus should be welcomed, Armenia must demand Azerbaijan end its ongoing campaign of cultural erasure of Armenian churches, monasteries, khachkars (cross-stone monuments), and other religious sites that have stood in the region for thousands of years as a condition for any peace agreement. In the wake of Azerbaijan's ethnic cleansing of more than 120,000 Armenians from their ancestral homeland of Artsakh, the threat of wiping out their entire existence from this area remains today. According to a recent report from Reuters and The Museum of the Bible, an estimated 400 Armenian churches and other religious sites have been under attack and are in danger of being defaced or outright destroyed.

 

As the first nation to adopt Christianity in 301 AD, Armenia's identity and culture has been closely defined by its Christian faith, which makes these historical symbols so important to their survival as a people. Christianity has sustained Armenians throughout their painful history, which has been marked by widespread persecution and mass suffering over hundreds of years. That history includes the first genocide of the 20th century, when more than 1.5 million Armenians were systematically exterminated by the Ottoman Turks, an event that both Turkey and Azerbaijan deny to this day.

That is why preserving these religious sites should be a precondition for any lasting peace between the two countries. By respecting and honoring that history, Azerbaijan would send a message that they truly want peace with Armenia. However, all signs show Azerbaijan heading in the opposite direction.

Taking a page of out the authoritarian playbook, Azerbaijan's petro-dictator Ilham Aliyev used the pretext of historical revisionism to launch his unprovoked war against Armenians living in Artsakh in 2020. Claiming that large parts of Armenia's territory were Azerbaijan's "historical lands," he embarked on a controversial campaign to restore Armenian churches and religious sites to their "original" form. What that form means was not initially clear, but we now know that the complete destruction and evisceration of these sites was Azerbaijan's original intent.

Under the guise of restoration, Azerbaijan dismantled the iconic Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi soon after taking over the city. The cathedral was a symbol of Armenian existence in the region. Later, more images from the city surfaced—occupying Azeri forced razed an Armenian genocide memorial. And recent satellite imagery shows Azerbaijan's destruction of Armenian religious and cultural sites continues unabated, including the destruction of the 177-year-old St. John the Baptist church in Sushi, and the demolition of the St. Ascencion Church in Berdzor and the entire village of Karintak, where a mosque is currently under construction where the town once stood.

Despite the overwhelming evidence of a cultural genocide taking place, Azerbaijan continues to deny any culpability in the desecration of these religious sites. They have even ignored the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) November order calling Azerbaijan to "take all necessary measures to prevent and punish acts of vandalism and desecration affecting Armenian cultural heritage, including but not limited to churches and other places of worship, monuments, landmarks, cemeteries and artefacts."

In the summer of 2019, Armenians had the foresight to think ahead a year before the war in Artsakh broke out. Students from the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies produced a 3D scanning project of the Dadivank Armenian monastery, which was built between the 9th and 13th centuries. The students wanted to leverage the power of technology to bring one of the most important sites in Armenian history to life for people around the world to see, while educating them about Armenia's rich culture and presence in the region. Little did they realize that their efforts would soon turn into a preservation campaign. With the region and monastery now in the hands of Azerbaijan, the students' scan of Dadivank might be the only sign keeping Armenia's legacy alive as Azerbaijan continues to rewrite history.

Still, there is a significant difference between a digital record and a physical place of worship. That is why it is so important that these Armenian religious and cultural institutions that have weathered earthquakes and wars stay intact. In many ways, Azerbaijan's belligerence and aggression goes beyond a piece of land or sovereignty. It is a form of religious persecution that spreads across borders and needs to stop immediately.

It is hard to take Azerbaijan at face value when it says it wants peace with Armenia, while simultaneously trying to erase Armenia's religious and cultural identity. For a country that claims to tolerate various religious backgrounds and coexistence, Azerbaijan has a long way to go. They can start by making the preservation of Armenian religious and cultural sites in Artsakh a priority. Anything short of that should be a dealbreaker for any lasting peace.

Stephan Pechdimaldji is a communications strategist living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is a first-generation Armenian American and grandson of survivors of the Armenian genocide. You can follow him on X at @spechdimaldji.

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.

https://www.newsweek.com/protecting-armenian-churches-nagorno-karabakh-should-condition-peace-opinion-1944429

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Red Cross visits Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan

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YEREVAN, AUGUST 26, ARMENPRESS. Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visited Armenian detainees in Azerbaijan in August, ICRC Armenia Communications and Prevention Manager Zara Amatuni told Armenpress.

Amatuni said ICRC representatives visited those whom Azerbaijan acknowledges as detainees. 

“All detained Armenians who are in Azerbaijan and whose names are confirmed by that country’s authorities were included in that visit,” Amatuni said.

She said the detainees contacted their families.

Azerbaijan has officially acknowledged that it is holding 23 Armenian captives. However, a senior Armenian law enforcement official said that the number of Armenian captives in Baku is 55. The captives include former presidents of Nagorno-Karabakh Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan and Arayik Harutyunyan, as well as former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan and other officials.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1198317?fbclid=IwY2xjawE510lleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHc8AwHLOVKK4ZfIU_feu65h6gRra-_d2SMHr9ZHDXECLnPO-cfgu1SyWbA_aem_MD_AV2ndZNS4zds_JROD-w

[MosJan]

 

[Yervant1]

Who's going to enforce this?

 

 

Quote

 

Armenpress.am

 

International Association of Genocide Scholars adopts resolution on genocidal actions in Nagorno-Karabakh

Read the article in: العربيةFrançaisՀայերենРусский简体中文

 

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) has adopted a resolution regarding Nagorno Karabakh, Suren Manukyan, a genocide scholar, said on Facebook.

He emphasized that the IAGS is the largest and most prestigious organization dedicated to the study of genocides, with approximately 700 scholars as members.

According to the resolution, the Organization declares:

1.The blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh from December 2022 to September 2023, including the closure of the Lachin Corridor, was characteristic of actions considered imposing conditions of life designed to bring about the physical destruction of the ethnic Armenians in the territory and caused serious mental and bodily harm to the Armenians in the territory, which are recognized as genocidal crimes under the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. 

2. The forced removal of ethnic Armenians in September and October 2023 through siege and bombing is ethnic cleansing and the crime against humanity of deportation or forcible transfer of population (forced displacement). 

3. The bombing of civilian areas is a violation of international humanitarian law; 

4. The torture and killing of ethnic Armenian prisoners of war and civilians is a violation of international humanitarian law.

The Organization calls upon Azerbaijan

5. To free all ethnic Armenians in Azerbaijani detention in unlawful circumstances;

6. To comply with orders and judgments of the International Court of Justice, and other obligations of international law including international human rights law and international humanitarian law;

7. To prevent future violations of human rights of the Armenians;

8. To prevent further displacement of Armenians from their homeland by respecting the  Republic of Armenia’s territorial sovereignty;

9. To respect, protect and prevent the destruction of any Armenian cultural property in Nagorno-Karabakh;

To the international community

10. To protect Nagorno-Karabakh’s right to self determination;

11. To take appropriate measures to guarantee the right to return and security of Armenians forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh;

12.Calls upon the international community, including national governments and international organisations, to recognise the atrocities perpetrated against the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh as constituting gross violations of human rights, war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, as applicable, and to take appropriate measures in response to prevent further violations and crimes;

13. Recommends the application of transitional justice measures, including sanctions, investigation of the case by the International Criminal Court;

14. Calls on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to investigate the crimes;

15. Calls upon Azerbaijan to remove its soldiers from the territory of the Armenian Republic and to respect the right of self-determination of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1199263?fbclid=IwY2xjawFJxDtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHTzbRumQgGESdEejQHTHAjRfaQ0NxzKDkZs6XalBBPJM0qslGIZ9gC14EQ_aem_CsGCBNTGRStL1UohDmG6KQ

 

 

[MosJan]

empty words talks nothing

[Yervant1]

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Armenpress.am

 

US Congress Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission to hold hearing on ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh

Read the article in: العربيةՀայերենРусский

 

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the U.S. Congress will hold a hearing on the ethnic cleansing perpetrated by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh, the commission said in a press release.

“Since the government conducted a military operation to gain full control over Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, the situation for ethnic Armenians in the enclave has changed dramatically. By the end of 2023 virtually all of them fled to Armenia. The hearing will examine this apparent ethnic cleansing and a number of related issues, including the situation of prisoners of war and political prisoners, the status of Armenian cultural sites in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the right of return of ethnic Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh,” the commission said in its press release.

It cited the report by Freedom House which shows Azerbaijan’s notoriously poor human rights record.

According to Freedom House, “Power in Azerbaijan’s authoritarian regime remains heavily concentrated in the hands of Ilham Aliyev, who has served as president since 2003, and his extended family. Corruption is rampant, and the formal political opposition has been weakened by years of persecution. The authorities have carried out an extensive crackdown on civil liberties in recent years...”

The hearing will also examine the Azeri government’s treatment of members of the ethnic Azerbaijani majority who have been victims of domestic and transnational repression due to their opposition to the government and its policies, and the relation between corruption and human rights abuses. Witnesses will offer recommendations for Congress.

The hearing will be held in person and is open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the interested public, and the media.

The hearing will be hosted by Members of Congress, Co-Chairs of the commission Chris Smith and James McGovern.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1199856?fbclid=IwY2xjawFTSoBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHWl9Y7n15ER6rdLbOX740HR2ztfN7gTSuIvVDYVMzU0jxVx82FfsLQcM3g_aem_2BgjUiKKkHrEJoQfCwjQqQ

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Melbourne Anglican, Australia

Sept 15 2024

 

 

‘For us it’s like a second genocide’: Christian Armenians forced to flee

 

Hannah Felsbourg

15 September 2024

Armenians are mourning the loss of historically Christian region Nagorno-Karabakh as the conflict with Azerbaijan destroys their cultural heritage. 

More than 120,000 mostly Christian Armenians have been displaced from the Nagorno-Karabakh region leaving only a few dozen remaining under Azerbaijani rule. 

Those displaced are finding it difficult to start a new life with limited support available. 

St Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church Melbourne parish priest the Reverend Father Khacher Harutyunyan said for the Armenian community it was like a second genocide. 

He said to see a scenario like the genocide of 1915, in which up to 1.5 million Armenians died, brought back emotional trauma for their nation. 

Even for Armenians living in Melbourne it brought back cultural memories of losing their families, heritage and churches.  

13th-century Armenian Apostolic cathedral Gandzasar monastery in Artsakh. Picture: Emma YSU (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Father Harutyunyan said Azerbaijan was destroying Armenian heritage in the region, especially Churches, crosses, graves, and anything with the Armenian language on it. 

He said the Armenian Apostolic Church had been raising the attention of overseas organisations to advocate for the preservation of Armenian heritage in the region.

He said it was important for Christians to raise their voice to oppose the aggression.   

Read more: Calls to save 120,000 Armenian Christians facing persecution

Nagorno-Karabakh, known in Armenian as the Artsakh region, is a historically Armenian-majority region located within the borders of Azerbaijan whose ownership has long been disputed. 

Exodus of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh occurred in late 2023, after Azerbaijan launched a renewed offensive in September, leading to the complete takeover of the region. 

Now there are only dozens of Armenians remaining in the region. As of 1 January 2024, all state institutions of the Republic of Artsakh were dissolved. 

Many of those who left Artsakh now live in temporary housing in Armenia, a country struggling economically, or have travelled elsewhere to start over. 

Father Harutyunyan said the hope was for Armenians to be able to return to Artsakh someday to preserve their cultural identity and Christian traditions. 

https://tma.melbourneanglican.org.au/2024/09/for-us-its-like-a-second-genocide-christian-armenians-forced-to-flee/

[MosJan]

For the first time ever, victims of war crimes and atrocities committed by Azerbaijan will share their testimonies in Washington, D.C. this week.

The Center for Truth and Justice has facilitated the visit of a delegation from Armenia to Washington D.C. to testify at the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing.

The delegation, which consists of CFTJ staff, relatives of hostages held in Azerbaijan, the victims group, which includes victims from Nagorno-Karabakh and from Armenia, will also hold meetings with lawmakers, organizations, and congressional committees.

From left to right: Goharine Hovoyan, Sharmagh Mardi, Marina Simonyan, Anahit Harutyunyan, Father Hrant Hovhannisyan, Lala Abgaryan.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DACgkjBoUUp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Center for Truth and Justice (@cftjustice)

[Yervant1]

Sept 18 2024

 

 

One year since the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno Karabakh

News Provided By

Christian Solidarity International

September 18, 2024, 13:22 GMT

 

    

 

The Holy Savior Cathedral in Shushi, before and after. Image: Diocese of Artsakh

An appeal to the Swiss government

ZURICH, BERN, GENEVA, YEREVAN, SWITZERLAND, September 18, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On the eve of the anniversary of Azerbaijan’s final assault on the de facto Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), on September 19, 2023, an alliance of human rights organizations and NGOs is calling on the Swiss Federal Council to hold Azerbaijan - the host country of the UN Climate Change Conference COP29 - to account for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against Armenians.

One year ago, more than 100,000 Armenians were expelled from their homeland of Nagorno Karabakh after a blockade lasting almost ten months. Currently, 23 Armenians from Nagorno Karabakh, including eight former political and military leaders, are illegally detained in Azerbaijani prisons. Meanwhile, the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno Karabakh is already underway. It is unacceptable that Azerbaijan’s crimes are being whitewashed by the COP29, which this year is taking place in Baku, from November 11 to 22. A number of cantonal and federal parliamentary initiatives are calling on the Federal Council delegation in Baku, alongside other government delegations, to address the ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh and demand the release of the 23 Armenian hostages.

At the same time, human rights defenders are warning of further attacks. On numerous occasions, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has publicly claimed the territory of the Republic of Armenia or referred to it as “Western Azerbaijan.” In 2016, 2020 and 2022, Azerbaijan used military attacks to test the international community's acceptance of such invasions and failed to provoke a reaction. There are therefore grounds to fear that Azerbaijan will continue its attacks on the Republic of Armenia after COP29.

In the region of Nakhichevan, where Armenians lived for centuries, Azerbaijan has destroyed almost all Armenian cultural heritage. It is to be feared that the Armenian cultural heritage of Nagorno Karabakh will suffer the same fate. Azerbaijan has also announced that it will destroy all the Armenian buildings constructed in Nagorno Karabakh over the last 32 years.

Finally, there is an urgent need to promote contacts and exchanges within civil society, above all to reduce the existing prejudices against Armenia in Azerbaijan. As the Council of Europe and the International Court of Justice have emphasized, these are systematically fomented by the Aliyev regime and the media which it controls.

We call on the Federal Council to demand the release of all Armenian hostages, and to affirm its support for the right of Nagorno Karabakh's Armenians to return to their homeland. We also call for Switzerland's delegation at COP29 to address these issues.

Council of the Armenian and Armenophile Associations of Switzerland (CAAS) | Christian Solidarity International (CSI) | Armenian Constitutional Right-Protective Centre (ACRPC) | Armenian Bar Association | Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) | American Friends of Kurdistan | Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human Rights (ALC) | Armenian Relief Society | Anglican Office for Government & International Affairs (AOGIA) | | | European Centre for Law and Justice | HART-UK | Hellenic-American Leadership Council (HALC) | In Defense of Christians (IDC)

Joel Veldkamp
Christian Solidarity International
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https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/744439531/19-9-2024-one-year-since-the-ethnic-cleansing-of-nagorno-karabakh

 

 

 

 

 

[Yervant1]

UK - Sept 19 2024

 

 

David Lammy sparks diplomatic row after ‘ignorant’ blog post on Armenia crisis

By Charlie Peters

 

David Lammy has been slammed as “callous and ignorant” after writing in a recent blog post that Azerbaijan has been able to “liberate” territory in a conflict described as an ethnic cleansing.

The Foreign Secretary’s view that the Nagorno-Karabakh region has been “liberated” stands in contrast to the official stance of the British Government.

Last September, a senior British ambassador slammed Azerbaijan’s use of force after violence restarted in its ethnic and territorial conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Neil Holland said that Azerbaijan’s use of force is unacceptable and reaffirmed that Britain has urged a ceasefire in the long-running conflict.

Holland, the Head of the United Kingdom's Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), slammed Azerbaijan’s decision to commence a military operation in the region after a lull in violence.

Holland’s statements came after Azerbaijan launched a significant military offensive against the self-declared breakaway state of Artsakh.

This was widely condemned as a violation of the ceasefire agreement penned after the 2020 ethnic conflict.

The 2020 invasion saw several war crimes, including the beheadings of two elderly men who were murdered by Azerbaijani forces, captured in videos that were spread online.

The bloody conflict saw several ethnic Armenian civilians murdered by Azerbaijani forces.

The beheadings were captured on mobile phone footage, revealing some of the worst events from a harrowing war.

Dozens of incidents of extrajudicial executions and the desecration of dead bodies were authenticated by NGOs operating in the region.

The Azerbaijani invasion has been described as an ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians and a second Armenian genocide by a former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

Lammy has been urged to retract his comments by an influential professor who covers the conflict.

 

David Lammy's blog post on Substack

Substack/David Lammy

 

Mark Movsesion, the Frederick A. Whitney Professor and Director of the Mattone Center for Law and Religion at St. John's University Law School, said he was shocked by Lammy’s statement.

“The Foreign Secretary's reference to Azerbaijan's ‘liberation’ of Nagorno-Karabakh is shockingly callous and ignorant.

“In fact, exactly a year ago, Baku ethnically cleansed the region of its 120,000 Christian Armenian inhabitants in violation of an order from the International Court of Justice.”

Movsesion, who is based in New York, said: “Additionally, Lammy seems to think Azerbaijan, like Ukraine, is trying to free itself from Russian domination. In fact, Azerbaijan and Russia are strategic partners, and Azerbaijan carried out the ethnic cleansing of Karabakh with Russian acquiescence.”

Lammy made his controversial remarks in a blog post after he returned from a recent trip to Ukraine alongside US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

Discussing how Ukrainians take pride in their closer links with Europe, Lammy discussed how other states near Russia are rejecting Moscow for other powers.

“The same effect is notable across Russia’s neighbours. The states of Central Asia look increasingly east and south.

“Azerbaijan has been able to liberate territory it lost in the early 1990s.”

GB News understands that the remark sparked widespread diplomatic concerns in Yerevan, with Armenian officials engaging with the British Foreign Office for clarification.

Varuzhan Nersesyan, the Armenian ambassador to the UK, is understood to be urgently seeking a response from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London.

Anush Ghavalyan, a Yerevan-based journalist formerly posted to the Nagoro-Karabakh region, told GB News that she was stunned by Lammy's “liberation narrative”.

“One year ago Azerbaijan completed the ethnic and religious cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. After months of blockade and a final armed attack on the civilian population, Baku forced them to leave their homes. Ethnic cleansing was followed by mass destruction of the cultural heritage, thus erasing the Armenian traces from the land.”

Shadow FCDO Minister Alicia Kearns has urged Lammy to clarify his stance from his ‘vanity blog’. ‬

‪Alicia Kearns MP said: “Words matter as Foreign Secretary, especially when opining on conflict.‬

‪“Contradicting long standing UK policy in a vanity blog is totally inappropriate and throws into question the Foreign Secretary’s judgement.”‬

‪“David Lammy needs to urgently clarify the Government’s policy on Nagorno-Karabakh. This is a serious matter - over 100,000 people have been displaced from their homes.‬

‪“The Conservative Party believes encouraging Azerbaijan and Armenia to agree a historic peace treaty is a diplomatic priority, with provisions made for displaced ethnic Armenians to resettle safely in Nagorno-Karabakh.”‬

The Foreign Office said in a statement: “The UK supports the territorial integrity of both Armenia and Azerbaijan and is encouraged by both sides to engage in meaningful dialogue.

“We will continue to support their commitment to lasting peace in the region.”

https://www.gbnews.com/politics/david-lammy-diplomatic-row-ignorant-blog-post-armenia-azerbaijan

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Canada supports negotiated political solution to Nagorno-Karabakh issue and promotes respect of territorial integrity, right for self-determination, says FM Joly

Read the article in: FrançaisՀայերենРусский简体中文

 

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly released a statement on the first anniversary of the Azerbaijani attack in Nagorno-Karabakh that led to the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Armenian population.

In the statement, FM Joly said “Canada supports a negotiated political solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and promotes the principles of non-use of force, the respect of the territorial integrity and the right for self-determination in the negotiation of a just and durable peace for the people of this region.”

Below is the full statement released by Mélanie Joly:

“Last week marked one year since Azerbaijan launched its military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region populated by ethnic Armenians for centuries.

“The consequences of this operation were significant: More than 100,000 civilians, including 30,000 children, were forcibly displaced to Armenia as a result of this military operation, causing a rapid increase in humanitarian need in the country.

“The unjustified military operation by Azerbaijan followed a nine-month blockade of humanitarian goods to the Lachin corridor, in violation of the International Court of Justice provisional measures orders.  

“Canada stands in solidarity with the people affected by this crisis and is grateful to Armenia for opening its doors. That is why, in 2023, we dedicated more than $3.9 million in humanitarian assistance to address urgent needs stemming from the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Canada continues to call for, and support, meaningful negotiations toward a comprehensive peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the continuation of dialogue and confidence-building measures between the parties for a just and durable peace for the people of this region.

“Canada has repeatedly called for the unconditional release of all Armenian prisoners of war from the 2020 Karabakh war. We also continue to call for the release of all arbitrarily detained ethnic Armenians from Azerbaijan.  

“Canada supports a negotiated political solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and promotes the principles of non-use of force, the respect of the territorial integrity and the right for self-determination in the negotiation of a just and durable peace for the people of this region. This should entail a safe and dignified right of return of Armenian civilians, guarantees for the protection of human rights and civic livelihoods, and the preservation of Armenian cultural and historical sites in the territory.”

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1200484?fbclid=IwY2xjawFe4SJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHV0OwsBQ3xA9DmoOqp4gwCdbNNcejEwApT3ZHNA6-ODbDtsTHwWMEDeHCA_aem_77FywJn_tRKgND3n9CjMDw

[Yervant1]

Asbarez.com

 

Baku Condemns Canada for ‘Pro-Armenia Bias’

by Asbarez Staff

 

 September 23, 2024

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Main, Latest, News, Top Stories

 

Canada's Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly at a news conference in Yerevan on Oct. 25, 2023

 

Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry on Monday blasted the Canadian government, condemning Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, who, in a statement issued on Sunday, called on Baku to guarantee the return of forcibly displaced Artsakh Armenian back to their ancestral lands.

Azerbaijani foreign ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada, condemned the statement, accusing the Canadian foreign minister of “manipulation” and “distortion of facts.”
“Canada has no moral right to preach about how peace and security should be established in our region,” Hajizada said.

“Such provocative and biased statements are nothing but an obstacle to the further development and progress of the region on the basis of respect for the principles of international law,” the Azerbaijani spokesperson added.

In her statement, which was issued on the one-year anniversary of Azerbaijan’s attack on Artsakh, Joly, Canada’s foreign minister, noted that the consequences of this Azerbaijani operation were significant, adding that more than 100,000 civilians, including 30,000 children, were forcibly displaced to Armenia, causing a rapid increase in humanitarian need in the country.

“The unjustified military operation by Azerbaijan followed a nine-month blockade of humanitarian goods to the Lachin corridor, in violation of the International Court of Justice provisional measures orders,” Joly said in her statement.

“Canada stands in solidarity with the people affected by this crisis and is grateful to Armenia for opening its doors. That is why, in 2023, we dedicated more than $3.9 million in humanitarian assistance to address urgent needs stemming from the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh,” the foreign minister added.

“Canada continues to call for, and support, meaningful negotiations toward a comprehensive peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the continuation of dialogue and confidence-building measures between the parties for a just and durable peace for the people of this region,” she added.

“Canada has repeatedly called for the unconditional release of all Armenian prisoners of war from the 2020 Karabakh war. We also continue to call for the release of all arbitrarily detained ethnic Armenians from Azerbaijan,” Joly emphasized.

“Canada supports a negotiated political solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and promotes the principles of non-use of force, the respect of the territorial integrity and the right for self-determination in the negotiation of a just and durable peace for the people of this region. This should entail a safe and dignified right of return of Armenian civilians, guarantees for the protection of human rights and civic livelihoods, and the preservation of Armenian cultural and historical sites in the territory,” Joly concluded.

 

 

https://asbarez.com/baku-condemns-canada-for-pro-armenia-bias/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFe8S5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZZAhSqHA1EpfKePscPy8jLgFErMThh_mlWVq5oMm3v-WLS2e3O6kb0C-Q_aem_whIKe1u3DIpZNvW7XXJHeQ

[Yervant1]

France 24

Sept 27 2024

 

 

One year on, Baku seeks to erase Armenian past of Nagorno-Karabakh

 

By:FRANCE 2|Charli James|Lauren BAIN

One year after Azerbaijan conquered the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, the authorities in Baku are busy erasing all traces of the region's Armenian and Christian past. No journalists are allowed in, but our France 2 colleagues have analysed videos posted online that reveal the changing face of Nagorno-Karabakh. They brought us this report, with FRANCE 24's Lauren Bain and Charli James.

view video at https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/focus/20240927-one-year-on-baku-seeks-to-erase-armenian-past-of-nagorno-karabakh