Nagorno Karabakh -=- ARTSAKH

[MosJan]

[MosJan]

Մտա տուն, տեսա՝ տանեցիները Եռաբլուրում ինձ թաղել, նկարս պատին կախել ու սգում են. հերոսի պատմությունը

 

[Yervant1]

Azatutyun.am

 

Ruben Vardanyan’s Lawyer Chides Armenian Government

Հունվար 24, 2025

• Ruzanna Stepanian

 

U.S. - Jared Genser, the American lawyer for Ruben Vardanian, is interviewed by The Armenian Report, January 23, 2025.

 

A U.S. human rights lawyer representing Ruben Vardanyan has said that the Armenian government is doing little to try to secure the release of his client and seven other former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh standing trial in Azerbaijan.

In an interview with The Armenian Report published on Thursday, Jared Genser pointed to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s public statements on these and other Armenian prisoners whom he described as “hostages.”

“It doesn’t seem from what I’ve heard that bringing Ruben or others home is an especially high priority [for Pashinian’s government,]” he said. “That’s obviously frustrating and disappointing … because Ruben and the others are simply Armenian citizens. It’s the job of a government to help their citizens abroad when they are in harm’s way. In this particular case … there is no one but the government of Armenia to actually stand up for them and assist them.”

“It should be the Armenian government that’s asking governments around the world to secure the release of the political prisoners and POWs, and it doesn’t seem to be an especially high priority for them,” added Genser.

An Azerbaijani military court began the separate trials of Vardanyan and 15 other Karabakh Armenians on January 17. The defendants facing a long list of accusations include three former Karabakh presidents -- Arayik Harutiunian, Bako Sahakian and Arkadi Ghukasian. They all were captured by Azerbaijan during or shortly after its September 2023 military offensive that forced Karabakh’s entire population to flee to Armenia and restored Azerbaijani control over the region.

In contrast with an outpouring of support for the captives voiced by prominent public figures in Armenia and its worldwide Diaspora, the Armenian government has pointedly declined to condemn the trials. Nor has it officially reacted to them otherwise through the prime minister’s office or the Foreign Ministry. Armenian government critics have denounced its silence.

Pashinian described the trials as “concerning” when he answered a question from an opposition member of the parliament on Wednesday. He claimed that a stronger statement “satisfying your patriotic emotions” would only harm the Armenian prisoners. Opposition leaders continued to insist that Pashinian is simply afraid of angering Baku.

Armenia - People demonstrate in Yerevan in support of Ruben Vardanyan and other Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan, September 30, 2023.

Pashinian was already accused by his domestic critics last fall of helping Baku legitimize Vardanyan’s continuing imprisonment with his scathing comments about the Armenian-born billionaire and philanthropist. Speaking during a news conference last August, the Armenian premier wondered who had told Vardanyan to renounce Russian citizenship and move to Karabakh in 2022 and “for what purpose.”

Pashinian seemed to echo Azerbaijani leaders’ earlier claims that Vardanyan, who briefly served as Karabakh premier in 2022-2023, was dispatched to Karabakh by Moscow to serve Russian interests there. Vardanyan hit back at him in a September statement issued via his family.

In another statement circulated by the family on the eve of his trial, the tycoon rejected 42 charges levelled against him as politically motivated and accused Azerbaijani authorities of attributing false testimony to him.

Genser, who has not been allowed to visit Azerbaijan to see his client, denounced the trials as a travesty of justice, saying that guilty verdicts in them are already “predetermined.” He claimed that the new U.S. administration of President Donald Trump will put strong pressure on the Azerbaijani government to free the Armenian captives.

“I do think that if [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev thinks he is going to just do whatever he wants with no consequence, he is going to find something quite different happening in Washington,” the lawyer told The Armenian Report. “We’ve already begun talking to new administration officials about the current situation not just with respect to political prisoners and Ruben’s case but a broader situation of ethnic cleansing, the dismantling of the government institutions of Artsakh.”

 

 

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33287897.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawIBe3hleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQnV-hPDzk1OguF0kznzBusuKcjUHlhG-tisLtI2ObVkN2oHB6Rn--l0sw_aem_exhw80XKiUXwjTD7CcxyyQ

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Politics18:00, 1 February 2025

New Belgian federal government's program emphasizes safe return of Artsakh Armenians

Read the article in: ՀայերենРусский

The new federal government of Belgium has called on Azerbaijan to ensure the safe return of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. This is stated in the government program.

According to an Armenpress correspondent in Brussels, after 236 days of negotiations, an agreement was reached on the formation of a new federal government, headed by future Prime Minister Bart De Wever.

The program of the new right-wing government of Belgium is a 200-page document that covers all federal areas. It also addresses the South Caucasus. According to the new government, the region deserves greater attention from Europe.

"Not only do we have deep cultural ties with this strategically important region, but it also plays a crucial role in our future energy supply and as a transport corridor to Asia. The strained relations and ongoing conflicts, especially between Armenia and Azerbaijan, require a targeted approach from Europe and Belgium.

"We firmly demand respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the parties involved and call on Azerbaijan to ensure the safe return of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. By continuing economic, political, and humanitarian cooperation, we will contribute to the stability of the region," the political program of the new Belgian government states.

Belgium's new government will govern the country until 2029, unless there is a new crisis and the government collapses.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1210963?fbclid=IwY2xjawIMArxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHc6LHcbOV4Rk6p6ZC04j_Q-pU7cUODxwrzwpJGnElX5MMfnuTcCGO2Nrxg_aem_CZqP4AH62GMjh_IfvfSIQA

 

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[Yervant1]

Panorama, Armenia

Feb 7 2026

 

Azerbaijan continues to destroy residential areas in Artsakh

Azerbaijan continues to target Armenian residential areas, settlements and cultural monuments in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), warns Hovik Avanesov, Cultural Ombudsman of the Armenian Highlands.

“The destruction of Armenian monuments and settlements persists at an alarming rate, with entire residential districts and settlements now being destroyed at an even greater pace,” he told Panorama.am in an interview on Friday.

The latest target is the village of Mariamadzor in Artsakh’s Hadrut region. Its destruction was confirmed by a photo posted on a Telegram channel on February 4.

“All these facts once again indicate that the invaluable cultural heritage of Artsakh is under the threat of complete destruction and appropriation, which constitutes an act of genocide,” Avanesov emphasized.

He also pointed out that Azerbaijan remained unpunished after the state-sponsored destruction of the ancient khachkars (cross-stones) in Julfa.

“It is not surprising that the same actions are being carried out in occupied Artsakh, where Azerbaijan is allowed to act with impunity. The ongoing vandalism against Armenian cultural heritage in Artsakh is being documented by international scientific institutions, providing a critical basis for bringing the genocidal and terrorist state of Azerbaijan before an international court," Avanesov wrote on Facebook.

 

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2025/02/07/Artsakh-destruction/3111437

[Yervant1]

Panorama, Armenia

Feb 8 2026

 

 

Azerbaijanis desecrated Armenian church altar in Artsakh

 

In February 2025, photos circulating online revealed that Azerbaijani forces damaged the altar of Tsitsernavank in Artsakh's Kashatagh region.

The images show that the holy table and the cross holder were shattered, the Monument Watch reported.

Back in 2023, representatives of Aghvan-Udi community of Azerbaijan desecrated and damaged the church.

Since December 2020, when the Kashatagh region fell under Azerbaijani control, Tsitsernavank has become a target of the Aghvan-Udi community propaganda. The church continues to face repeated desecration.

 

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2025/02/08/desecration-church-Artsakh/3111922

[MosJan]

Sero Khandzatsyan
 

 

[Yervant1]

News.am, Armenia

Feb 14 2025

 

Azerbaijan consistently destroying Armenian historical, cultural heritage in Karabakh

10:15, 14.02.2025

 

 

Azerbaijan has consistently destroyed Armenian cultural monuments, churches, and monuments in the territories under its jurisdiction. And after the 44-day war in 2020, this criminal practice became more massive.

Separate pieces of Armenian historical and cultural heritage in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) have also been destroyed by Azerbaijani vandals in recent times, Armenpress reports.

There are destroyed and desecrated Armenian churches and monuments in all territories. Among them are the St. Ghazanchetsots Church and the Green Church in Shushi city, the St. Sargis Church—which was completely destroyed—in Mokhrenis village of Hadrut region, while the St. Harutyun Church in Berdzor town was turned into a mosque.

These atrocities of the Azerbaijanis are conditioned by the fact that there is a clear instruction from the Azerbaijani leadership to destroy, pulverize everything that is Armenian. And if it is not possible to destroy the most important Armenian monuments in broad daylight, in front of the eyes of the whole world, they present them as non-Armenian.

In fact, this is a continuation of the Azerbaijanis’ same policy, the goal of which is to clear the Armenian traces in the territories under their control, just as they once did in Nakhichevan, where today there is not a single Armenian church, historical and cultural monument, or Armenian inscription left.

One of the most striking cases of Azerbaijani vandalism is in the Martakert region’s Vankasar church, which is located on the road from Nagorno-Karabakh capital Stepanakert to Martakert. The Experience Azerbaijan account posted a video on X, which shows how the cross on the dome is removed from this church.

https://news.am/eng/news/866672.html#google_vignette

[Yervant1]

Azatutyun.am

 

Armenian Opposition Hits Back At French Envoy’s Claim On Karabakh

Փետրվար 24, 2025

• Ruzanna Stepanian

 

 

French Ambassador to Armenia Olivier Decottignies.

 

Armenian opposition leaders on Monday rejected as untrue French Ambassador Olivier Decottignies’s claim that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian was not the first leader of Armenia to recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Some of them also accused Decottignies of trying to absolve Pashinian as well as French President Emmanuel Macron of blame for the fall of Karabakh.

The Armenian opposition maintains that Pashinian paved the way for Azerbaijan’s recapture of the Armenian-populated region with a statement issued as a result of his 2022 talks in Prague with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev mediated by Macron and then European Council President Charles Michel. The statement cited the December 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration in which Armenia and other newly independent Soviet republics recognized each other’s Soviet-era borders.

Decottignies branded Pashinian’s detractors as liars in an interview with Armenia’s Public Radio publicized over the weekend.

“Armenia has accepted, recognized that Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan ever since the adoption of the Alma-Ata Declaration because Nagorno-Karabakh was a region of Soviet Azerbaijan,” he said. “Therefore, those who claim that Nagorno-Karabakh was recognized as part of Azerbaijan in 2022 in Prague are lying.”

“With all due respect for France and its representatives, I must say that the ambassador is wrong in this case,” said Levon Zurabian, the deputy chairman of former President Levon Ter-Petrosian’s Armenian National Congress party.

Yerevan signed the 1991 declaration during Ter-Petrosian’s rule. Zurabian stressed that the Armenian parliament ratified it in February 1992 with serious reservations relating to Karabakh.

Czech Republic - Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Charles Michel meet in Prague, October 6, 2022.

Zurabian also pointed out that later in 1992 the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe set up the Minsk Group tasked with brokering a peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

“The basis of that conflict was that Azerbaijan, Karabakh and Armenia had differing views about what Karabakh’s final status should be,” he said. “As soon as Nikol Pashinian stated in Prague that Armenia recognizes Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan it meant an end to negotiations held under the auspices of the Minsk Group because the subject of the conflict was eliminated.”

The group was for decades co-headed by France, Russia and the United States. Eduard Sharmazanov, a leading member of the opposition Republican Party of Armenia led by another ex-president, Serzh Sarkisian, argued that the three mediating powers drafted peace plans upholding the Karabakh Armenians’ right to self-determination.

Speaking to journalists, Sharmazanov said that Decottignies is trying to whitewash Pashinian’s Karabakh policy as well as Macron’s personal involvement in the Armenian premier’s 2022 talks with Aliyev.

“Macron knows very well that he has personal participation and guilt in the ethnic cleansing of the Armenians of Artsakh and is trying to clear himself by declaring through his ambassador that Nagorno-Karabakh was recognized as part of Azerbaijan 34 years ago,” charged another opposition leader, Andranik Tevanian.

The opposition claims were echoed by Hakob Badalian, an independent political analyst. “With his statement, the French ambassador is simply trying to absolve France of responsibility,” he said.

Badalian too cited the Armenian parliament’s conditional ratification of the Alma-Ata Declaration. Pashinian claimed last year that its reservations are not valid under international law.

 

 

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33326318.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawIqUOpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHW2p8lYMj3Ju7xtMXf9Bz4C6ZinEY8CCDV3tal76RAcH3Lxyjys9GbLVRg_aem_uI_rR6liNFsPcQ0kKURb8w

[Yervant1]

March 6 2025

 

 

 

Freedom House betrays freedom by erasing Armenian victims

By Michael Rubin

 

In 1941, first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie, President Franklin Roosevelt‘s Republican challenger the previous year, founded Freedom House “to rally policymakers and a broadly isolationist American public around the fight against Nazi Germany and to raise awareness of the fascist threat to American security and values.” With the defeat of the Axis powers in World War II, Freedom House shifted its mission to defend democracy more explicitly. In recent decades, the group has sought to quantify this. Both in-house and with the contribution of outside scholars, Freedom House seeks to quantify the quality of democracy and freedom by measuring the political freedoms of every country in the world, including those that lack international recognition and self-governing territories.

For years, Freedom House ranked not only Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan but also Nagorno-Karabakh, whose people had governed themselves since the fall of the Soviet Union, and Abkhazia, a proxy state Russia established after invading Georgia. While Freedom House ranks Azerbaijan as even more dictatorial than Iran, Russia, and China, it labels Armenia and Georgia as “partly free,” basically flawed democracies in the same category as Mexico and India. Both Nagorno-Karabakh and Abkhazia have received “party-free” ratings as well. Abkhazia’s superior ranking to Russia suggests that more than 15 years after Russian forces established it to punish democracy in Georgia, it may no longer be as much of a Kremlin proxy as many Americans believe.

Azerbaijan can depict itself as secular, free, and tolerant, but facts do not lie. While Azerbaijanis, their lobbyists, and their unregistered proxies in Washington think tanks repeat as a mantra that Nagorno-Karabakh was Azerbaijan, the reality is it was always separate. Historically, Armenian princes ruled Nagorno-Karabakh as vassals, first to Persia and then to Russian conquerors. During the Armenian genocide, Ottoman forces sought to conquer Nagorno-Karabakh but failed. During the Soviet era, Nagorno-Karabakh existed as an autonomous oblast, constitutionally a separate entity. The first time Azerbaijan claimed direct control over Nagorno-Karabakh was in September 2023, when Azerbaijani forces expelled the region’s population. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s storm troopers then dynamited the Nagorno-Karabakh Parliament to reinforce the end of any pretense of democracy.

Last year, Freedom House did the world a service by allowing its Nagorno-Karabakh rankings to reflect the reality of life under Azerbaijani control. In its 2022 report, Freedom House ranked the Armenian statelet as “partly free” with a score of 36. Its ranking increased slightly the following year, only to plummet to negative three — the worst in the world — in 2024. Put another way, Armenians face more repression under Azerbaijani rule than those struggling under the world’s worst dictatorships: North Korea, Myanmar, Eritrea, and South Sudan.

HAS TRUMP GREENLIT AGGRESSION ON ARMENIA?

The situation in the occupied Armenian region has not improved, but alas, in its newly released 2025 report, Freedom House simply erased Nagorno-Karabakh entirely; it has disappeared from the report, rankings, and map. This is a bizarre move on Freedom House’s part: Rather than stand up for democracy in the face of dictatorship, it accepted Azerbaijan’s erasure of Nagorno-Karabakh’s identity and population. Even for Freedom House, this is an exception rather than the rule: 75 years after Chinese communists conquered Tibet, the organization rightly continues to assess its lack of freedom separately. Tibet rightly ranks at zero, even worse than the rest of communist China.

Such a betrayal has ramifications. Dictators hate when Democrats shine a light on their reality. If Freedom House shows total eradication of democracies can relieve them of attention and criticism, then they will not even turn their conquests into tourist museums like China does in Tibet and east Turkestan (Xinjiang). It will simply seek to complete genocide as Azerbaijan now does in Nagorno-Karabakh. Whether purposely or not, Freedom House has become complicit.

Michael Rubin is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. He is director of analysis at the Middle East Forum and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/3336002/freedom-house-erases-armenian-victims-rankings-global-democracy/

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Politics14:55, 10 March 2025

Swedish members of parliament condemn Azerbaijan’s unlawful imprisonment, torture of Armenian prisoners

Read the article in: EspañolՀայերենქართულიРусский简体中文

A group of Swedish members of parliament has called for immediate and resolute actions to secure the unconditional release of all Armenian prisoners unlawfully held in Azerbaijan.

In a statement, Members of Parliament of Sweden and members of the Sweden-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group Björn Söder, Arin Karapet, Markus Wiechel, Yusuf Aydin, Nima Gholam Ali Pour and Erik Hellsborn condemned the Azerbaijani government’s unlawful imprisonment, physical and psychological torture, and political persecution of Armenian prisoners, including political figures and civilians, amid the ongoing mock trial.

Below is the full statement. 

“We, the undersigned members of the Sweden-Armenia Friendship Group in the Swedish Riksdag, firmly condemn the grave and systematic human rights violations committed by the Azerbaijani government. The unlawful imprisonment, physical and psychological torture, and political persecution of Armenian prisoners, including political figures and civilians, represent not only a humanitarian crisis but also a clear violation of international law.

“The arbitrary detention of individuals on unfounded charges, used as instruments of political repression, is a direct attack on fundamental human rights. The ongoing imprisonment of Armenian civilians and prisoners of war (POWs) constitutes a blatant breach of the Geneva Conventions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These actions - carried out with impunity—amount to state-sanctioned torture and enforced disappearances, intended to silence political dissent and instill fear.

“Independent human rights organizations and legal experts have documented the inhumane and degrading treatment of these detainees. Subjected to severe torture, denied access to legal counsel, and forced to endure sham trials, they are victims of atrocities that damage Azerbaijan’s international reputation and set a dangerous precedent for authoritarian regimes worldwide. These violations are not isolated incidents but deliberate crimes that undermine the very foundations of human rights and international law.

“Azerbaijan’s ongoing use of political prisoners as leverage, along with its systematic mistreatment of Armenian detainees, is a calculated strategy to destabilize regional peace and justice. The lack of a strong international response only emboldens further abuses and normalizes repression. Failing to act against these egregious violations equates to complicity, enabling authoritarianism to flourish and deepening the crisis.

“This is not just a matter of diplomacy - it is a moral and legal obligation. The international community cannot stand idly by while such severe injustices persist. These actions are not only an assault on human dignity but also a direct challenge to the principles that uphold global stability, justice, and fundamental rights.

“Immediate and resolute action is necessary to secure the unconditional release of all Armenian prisoners. The world is watching, and the response to this crisis will define the commitment to justice and human rights,” reads the statement issued by the members of the Sweden-Armenia Friendship Group in the Swedish Riksdag.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1213969?fbclid=IwY2xjawI72QVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHTFWydfgvQie3q6FcZceERAVhvyiKFkkCh0JR778W0UbUT-xHRtLoFXPTQ_aem_fOIL3dXCqTgOufls0tQvMA

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Politics11:08, 11 March 2025

Swiss parliament’s upper house to debate resolution on return of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians

Read the article in: العربيةEspañolفارسیՀայերենРусскийTürkçe

The upper house of the Swiss parliament, the Council of States, will hold a debate on March 18 on the motion calling for an international peace forum to be organized by the Federal Council of Switzerland to discuss the safe return of Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh. 

The motion is included in the agenda published on the website of the Swiss parliament.

Back in 2024, the lower house of the Swiss parliament adopted the resolution calling on the Swiss government to organize an international peace forum on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

 “The aim is to facilitate an open dialogue between Azerbaijan and representatives of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, conducted under international supervision or in the presence of internationally relevant actors, in order to negotiate the safe and collective return of the historically resident Armenian population,” reads the motion.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1214045?fbclid=IwY2xjawI9iOFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHV9q3ufWfpqseYl6o3iw2Eh-ZgfWq6Sa-Y-uOLG7hcEvwBUdmYUqoptHpA_aem_AHnsgmzdZ8z_lLm7ljZTjA

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Politics12:18, 12 March 2025

Christian leaders’ letter to US President Trump calls for urgent action to release Armenian hostages in Azerbaijan

Read the article in: فارسیՀայերենРусский

A coalition of American Christian leaders has sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging decisive action to free 24 Christian hostages—23 Armenian Christians and one Azerbaijani Christian convert—held by Azerbaijani authorities, Christian News Wire reported citing a press release by Save Armenia. 

Among them is Ruben Vardanyan, who remains in extremely critical condition as his hunger strike extends into its 21st day, leaving his health rapidly deteriorating in Azerbaijani detention. In their appeal, the signatories cite credible reports of torture and ongoing abuse, emphasizing their belief that President Trump’s leadership is uniquely positioned to resolve this crisis, and that swift action is needed to save Christian lives.

In the letter, the Christian leaders wrote:

“We believe you are the only one who can rescue these Christian hostages. Almost two years ago, Azerbaijan ethnically cleansed more than 120,000 Christian Armenians from their ancestral homes, while the Biden administration refused to take action. Since then, 23 Christian Armenian hostages and one Azeri Christian convert have been subjected to routine torture. The International Committee of the Red Cross—the only organization permitted to check on their well-being—was ordered to leave the country in recent days.”

They further praise President Trump’s previous support of Armenia and persecuted Christians, stating:

“Thank you for your support for Armenia and persecuted Christians during your campaign. Your statement was powerful and sent a clear message to those who would undermine Armenia’s security and their rich Christian heritage as the first country in the history of the world to embrace the gospel of Christ.”

The statement that the signatories referred to is a Trump Truth Social post from Oct. 23, 2024 which read:

“Kamala Harris did NOTHING as 120,000 Armenian Christians were horrifically persecuted and forcibly displaced in Artsakh. Christians around the World will not be safe if Kamala Harris is President of the United States. When I am President, I will protect persecuted Christians, I will work to stop the violence and ethnic cleansing, and we will restore PEACE between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

The full list of signatories to the letter includes:

 
Dr. Alveda King, Chair, Center for the American Dream
­
Hon. Michele Bachmann, Dean, Robertson School of Government
­
Sohrab Ahmari, US Editor, UnHerd
­
Rod Dreher, Journalist and Author
­
Troy Miller, President & CEO, National Religious Broadcasters
­
Ambassador Sam Brownback, Co-Chair, IRF Summit
­
Sean Feucht, Missionary, Musician, Activist, Author, and Speaker
­
William Wolfe, Executive Director, Center for Baptist Leadership
­
Bob Vander Plaats, President and CEO, The FAMiLY Leader
­
Dede Laugesen, Executive Director, Save the Persecuted Christians
­
Suzanne Bock Grishman, Executive Director, Mercury One, Inc. & The Nazarene Fund
­
Ambassador Alberto Fernandez, Vice President, Middle East Media Research Institute
­
Dr. Jim Garlow, CEO, Well Versed
­
Rev. Rosemary Schindler Garlow, CEO, Schindler’s Ark
­
Dr. David Curry, USCIRF Commissioner
­
Nadine Maenza, President, IRF Secretariat
­
Denise Bubeck, Board Member, Save Armenia
­
Dr. Paul Murray, International VP, Global Peace Foundation

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1214152?fbclid=IwY2xjawI-sCdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHdY5uhLaJUKJudDAHnJZSGwiz0IALjBFc2jklJVIL3ltx5Nrq71XnQWyqA_aem_gSUcr9qoBVkN6banL2Dpjg

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Politics13:14, 13 March 2025

MEP Vytenis Andriukaitis calls for sanctions against Azerbaijan for war crimes in Nagorno-Karabakh

Read the article in: EspañolՀայերենРусский

Member of the European Parliament Vytenis Andriukaitis from Lithuania has called for sanctions against Azerbaijan for its ethnic cleansing and war crimes in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Nagorno-Karabakh has been subjected to ethnic cleansing as a result of Azerbaijan’s war crimes,” he said at European Parliament debates of the motion for a resolution on “Unlawful detention and sham trials of Armenian hostages, including high-ranking political representatives from Nagorno-Karabakh, by Azerbaijan.”

The resolution, which will be put up to vote on March 13, calls for the unconditional release and safe return of all the prisoners of war, hostages and other detained individuals unlawfully detained in Azerbaijan, strongly condemns the shams trials brought against them in violations of due process, and calls for a ban on entry to the EU institutions for Azerbaijani officials responsible for unlawful detentions and human rights violations, among others.

“Azerbaijan has perpetrated ethnic cleansing, and it is a war crime,” Vytenis Andriukaitis said.

The MEP said Azerbaijan must be subjected to sanctions for its failure to comply with its international obligations.

“There is the universal declaration of human rights and other international legal obligations, thus Azerbaijan must be subjected to sanctions for failure to fulfill them,” the MEP said.

Vytenis Andriukaitis said that the Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan are held in appalling conditions threatening their health. 

“We must make all possible efforts to find a solution. The political prisoners must be released as soon as possible. Azerbaijan doesn’t want to end this conflict and doesn’t want to respond to the international community’s demands,” he added.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1214284?fbclid=IwY2xjawJAJAVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHbyYJJdr7xNRREvWXCTtJMaAJskoNS-_a79EzVa6nNwkTKAzugfQddF1YQ_aem_iag1_gZBHQNAlKA08W1XJg

 

 

[MosJan]

somethings are changing 

[MosJan]

 

[MosJan]

https://www.1in.am/3542887.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawJGhhRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRPEAWtA6ZqRUqUTZdLXwOAs2KacTP41L-xnWygbO8v-F9pxsEJfI7JryQ_aem__HswW2bbXGEC_LbTCFl4rw

 

The Swiss Parliament voted in favor of the project titled "Peace Forum for Nagorno-Karabakh: Ensuring the Possibility of Return of Armenians"

 

 

The upper house of the Swiss Federal Assembly, the Council of Cantons, adopted draft law No. 24.4259 on March 18, entitled “Peace Forum for Nagorno-Karabakh: Ensuring the Possibility of Return of Armenians.”

 

29 out of 46 members voted in favor of the initiative, which calls on the Swiss authorities to establish a separate platform for dialogue between representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

The initiative aims to "facilitate dialogue between representatives of Armenians in Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh on the safe and collective return of the Armenian population, under the supervision or presence of international actors."

[Yervant1]

RegTech Times

March 24 2025

 

 

Belgian Lawmakers Push for Harsh Sanctions Against Azerbaijan Over Armenian Captives

 

Belgian lawmakers are taking a strong stance against Azerbaijan over its treatment of Armenians. Next week, the Belgian Chamber of Representatives will debate a resolution calling for strict sanctions against Azerbaijan’s leadership. The resolution also urges the immediate release of Armenian prisoners who are being held unlawfully.

 

 

The resolution was introduced by Els Van Hoof, Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, and Michel De Maegd, Deputy Chair. They believe that Belgium and Armenia share important values like democracy, respect for laws, and human rights. They are pushing for the Belgian government to take a firm position against Azerbaijan’s actions.

Els Van Hoof expressed deep shock over Azerbaijan’s blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, which lasted for nine months. This blockade led to extreme suffering and eventually forced the entire Armenian population of over 100,000 to leave their homes. The resolution warns that if Azerbaijan continues to break international laws, strict penalties must be placed on the country. It also suggests that the European Union should reconsider its ties with Azerbaijan.

 

Urgent Call to Free Armenian Prisoners

Another major focus of the resolution is the fate of Armenian prisoners who are still being held in Azerbaijan. Even though Azerbaijan was supposed to release all prisoners after the war, it has admitted that it is still holding 23 Armenians. Many of them are former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh, including past presidents Bako Sahakyan, Arkady Ghukasyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan, as well as former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and human rights experts have strongly criticized the way Azerbaijan is treating these captives. They say the trials against them are completely unfair and are only being held to punish them for their political positions. These so-called “sham trials” have been condemned as a violation of international law.

Michel De Maegd has been actively working on this issue, discussing it with Belgian Foreign Minister and Prime Minister. He emphasized the urgency of the matter and stressed that pressure against Azerbaijan must be maximized.

Belgian legislators are urging their government to use all available diplomatic and political tools to pressure Azerbaijan into releasing these prisoners.

Protection of Armenian Culture and Rights

In addition to calling for sanctions and the release of prisoners, the resolution highlights the need to protect Armenian cultural heritage. Since the forced displacement of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, there have been growing concerns about the destruction of historical and religious sites. Many fear that Azerbaijan might erase traces of Armenian history in the region.

The resolution insists that Belgium must stand up for human rights and historical preservation. It calls on the Belgian government to make sure that Armenian cultural sites are safeguarded and that those who have been displaced have the right to return to their homes safely.

This move by Belgian lawmakers signals a strong warning to Azerbaijan. If the resolution passes, it could lead to serious diplomatic and economic consequences for the country. The debate on this matter is scheduled to take place on April 2 in Belgium’s federal parliament.

https://regtechtimes.com/belgian-lawmakers-push-for-sanctions-against/

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Azerbaijan19:34, 31 March 2025

Deutsche Welle releases documentary on Armenia’s history and Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Read the article in: FrançaisՀայերենРусский

Deutsche Welle has released a documentary titled Armenia’s Struggle for Land and Identity in the Caucasus, exploring Armenia’s history and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The film presents the perspectives of various experts and officials on the topic.

 

Among those featured in the documentary are Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani, French Ambassador to Armenia Olivier Decottignies, Member of the European Parliament Nathalie Loiseau, former French Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Jacques Faure, Rabbi Avidan Friedman, Richard Giragosian, Founding Director of the Regional Studies Center, historian Clare Muradyan, journalist Tigran Yeghavian, and political scientist Kaits Minasyan.

 “Armenia, a mountainous region in the heart of the Caucasus. Armenia was the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD,” the author starts the film with these lines.

The documentary also examines the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and how the region became part of Azerbaijan. It details how, between 2020 and 2023, Azerbaijan used military operations, ethnic cleansing, and threats of force to the indigenous Armenian population, who had lived in Nagorno-Karabakh for millennia to leave their homeland.

The experts featured in the film discuss Armenia’s history, its rich cultural heritage in the region, and its centuries-old struggle in the South Caucasus.

The filmmaker notes: “Armenia has lost the war, and there is no peace in sight with Azerbaijan, so it will have to reconsider its defense. The Russians have betrayed them. America relies on Turkey, and Europe uses Baku’s gas.”

 In this context, the film also mentions Armenia’s purchase of weapons from France.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1215932?fbclid=IwY2xjawJYOdpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHbz0xYyjqlaM7vY4FzA0VN3rpI8jvMERbiUVvpI9UyBz8DVlyf47K1uSzg_aem_bNVzXPONjAyierhMMPFAbQ

[Yervant1]

Asbarez.com

 

Probe into Azerbaijan’s Genocide of Artsakh Armenians Ongoing, Investigative Committee Insists

by Asbarez Staff

 

 April 2, 2025

 

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

 

A caravan of cars carrying Artsakh Armenians is forcibly leaving their ancestral homeland in Sept. 2023

 

The probe into the case of genocide committed by Azerbaijan against the Armenian population of Artsakh continues, the Investigative Committee of Armenia said in response to a written request from Sputnik Armenia.

The respective criminal proceedings were initiated at the Investigative Committee of Armenia on September 20, 2023, after the Azerbaijani aggression.

The criminal proceedings were conducted in connection with information publicized in the mass media about the complete or partial physical destruction of the peaceful Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, held under the blockade, on the grounds of their national, ethnic, racial, or religious affiliation, causing serious harm to their health, and creating conditions of life aimed at this. Criminal proceedings were initiated at the Investigative Committee of Armenia under Section 1 of Article 133 of the Criminal Code of Armenia: genocide.

In particular, this concerns Azerbaijan’s closure of the Lachin corridor, the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, the resulting impossibility of humanitarian and passenger transportation, the cessation of natural gas and electricity supplies, as well as the latest aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan on September 19, 2024 which has the goal of Armenian ethnic cleansing and genocide.

 

 

https://asbarez.com/probe-into-azerbaijans-genocide-of-artsakh-armenians-ongoing-investigative-committee-insists/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJbDsNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHaGJm-m0AXwWFLFDdhl_hm98YX4Fz17MwlcJpVkECPY8_Oc42ZxCMO2i4A_aem_5p6e_moXnI2UO3g_jtmb1A

[MosJan]

 

[MosJan]

 

[MosJan]

 

[MosJan]

https://anca.org/press-release/markey-whitehouse-lead-27-senate-democrats-demanding-release-of-armenian-hostages/

Markey, Whitehouse Lead 27 Senate Democrats Demanding Release of Armenian Hostages

Senate Democratic Leader Schumer Supports Letter Representing 18 States and 160 Million Americans Calling for Magnitsky Sanctions on Azerbaijani Officials

November 21, 2025

WASHINGTON, DC – Twenty-seven U.S. Senators – led by Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and supported by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) – have sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling on the Trump Administration to demand the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian prisoners of war and political prisoners held by Azerbaijan. The letter calls on the Trump Administration to press for international monitors to access sham trials in Baku and impose Global Magnitsky sanctions on Azerbaijani officials responsible for gross human rights violations, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“The fact that twenty-seven Senate Democrats — more than half the caucus, including Leader Chuck Schumer — signed the Markey-Whitehouse letter demanding Azerbaijan’s immediate release of Armenian hostages elevates Armenian issues on the U.S. foreign policy agenda – meaningfully raising the bar for Congressional Republicans and the Trump-Vance Administration,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “Just as importantly, it underscores the growing electoral influence of Armenian American voters – reflecting our standing as a well-organized, highly motivated constituency whose support must be earned. The road to victory in 2026 and 2028 — for both parties — runs directly through our communities in key battleground House districts, Senate races, and presidential swing states.”

Azerbaijan Holds Armenian Leaders Hostage in Defiance of International Law

The Senators’ letter details Azerbaijan’s ongoing detention of at least 23 Armenian prisoners of war captured during and after the 2020 Artsakh War and the 2023 blockade and genocidal ethnic cleansing of Artsakh. Among those detained are former presidents, foreign ministers, and parliamentary leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh, including Ruben Vardanyan, Davit Manukyan, Davit Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, and Davit Ishkhanyan.

“Reports indicate these political hostages…have suffered abuse and degrading treatment in custody, while secrecy and irregularities surrounding proceedings in Baku’s military court cast significant doubt on the fairness and legitimacy of these proceedings,” the Senators wrote. “The Azerbaijani government’s recent expulsion of the International Committee of the Red Cross — the only organization authorized to visit Armenian detainees — further endangers the safety and security of these Armenian political prisoners.”

The letter emphasizes that “it is now two years since Azerbaijan’s blockade and military assault on Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) forcibly displaced the region’s 120,000 Christian Armenians in what international legal experts have characterized as ethnic cleansing.”

Letter Calls for Prisoner Release and Magnitsky Sanctions

The Senators urged Secretary Rubio to take three specific actions in engagements with the government of Azerbaijan: demand the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian political prisoners and prisoners of war; press Azerbaijani authorities to allow international observers and independent media outlets to monitor proceedings against Armenian political figures; and impose sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act on Azerbaijan officials responsible for gross human rights violations against Armenian prisoners.

“Although we are cautiously hopeful that the recent negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan may usher in a more peaceful future for the region, Azerbaijan’s ongoing hostage diplomacy and unreasonable preconditions jeopardize that progress,” the Senators wrote. “The draft agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan omits any provision for releasing Armenian prisoners. Magnitsky Sanctions remain a critical tool to secure the release of POWs and deter further aggression against Armenia.”

The letter warns that “continued U.S. inaction in the face of Azerbaijan’s authoritarian aggression is unacceptable and will have grave ramifications for U.S. credibility throughout the region, particularly as Armenia seeks to strengthen its ties with the West.”

Strong Senate Support Includes Key Defense and Foreign Policy Voices

The September 15, 2025 letter, led by Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

Signatories include Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and several key Senate committee leaders: Senator Jack Reed, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; Senator Gary Peters, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee; Senator Ed Markey, Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee; Senator Bernie Sanders, Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee; and Senator Alex Padilla, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.

The letter also includes Senators with national security and foreign policy roles: Senator Chris Coons, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense; Senator Tammy Duckworth, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Multilateral International Development, Multilateral Institutions and International Economic, Energy and Environmental Policy; Senator Cory Booker, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy; and Senator Jacky Rosen, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity.

ANCA Mobilizes Nationwide Support for Senate Letter

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has been mobilizing nationwide to secure support for the Markey-Whitehouse letter through direct advocacy on Capitol Hill and in Congressional districts across America. Armenian Americans contacted their Senators through anca.org/prisoners, urging them to cosign the letter before the deadline.

As a follow up to this Senate Democratic effort, the ANCA is working on a parallel Republican-led initiative to build bipartisan support for accountability on Azerbaijan’s human rights abuses and to secure the release of Armenian hostages.

The Senators concluded their letter by stating: “It is both a moral and strategic imperative for the United States to take bold action to compel Azerbaijan to release unjustly detained Armenian prisoners and ensure regional peace is predicated on accountability, justice, and the fundamental right of return for Nagorno-Karabakh’s displaced Armenian population.”

[MosJan]