cease-fire violations by azeris

[Yervant1]

Public Radio of Armenia

Armenia - Oct 3 2022

US “deeply disturbed” by execution of Armenian prisoners, calls for full investigation

The United States is deeply disturbed by recent reports of Azerbaijani soldiers executing unarmed Armenian prisoners, Spokesperson for the US Department of State Ned Price said in a Twitter post.

“We call for a full and impartial investigation. Those responsible for any atrocities must be held to account,” the Spokesperson said.

The United States is deeply disturbed by recent reports of Azerbaijani soldiers executing unarmed Armenian prisoners. We call for a full and impartial investigation. Those responsible for any atrocities must be held to account.

— Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) October 3, 2022

Footage showing the extrajudicial execution of a group of unarmed Armenian prisoners of war emerged on social media on Sunday.

After a thorough analysis it was confirmed that the video had been filmed on September 13, when Azerbaijan unleashed a large-scale attack on the sovereign territory of Armenia.

https://en.armradio.am/2022/10/03/us-deeply-disturbed-by-execution-of-armenian-prisoners-calls-for-full-investigation/

[Yervant1]

Public Radio of Armenia

Armenia - Oct 3 2022

Does the gas of your Azerbaijani friends count more than the lives of Armenians? French Senator calls on European leaders to take action

October 3, 2022, 13:54

French Senator Valerie Boyer calls on European leaders to break the silence and take action after a video of execution of Armenian prisoners of war emerged on social media.

“Atrocious authenticated video of Armenian prisoners executed on September 13 by Azeris. Still no reaction from President Emmanuel Macron and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Does the gas of your Azeri friends count more than the lives of Armenians?’ she said in a Twitter post.

“Shocked by these images that I discover with horror and anger. The more Turkish-Azerbaijani abuses continue, the less I understand and support the shameful silence and French and European inaction.Why such indifference?” Mrs Boyer continued.

“What are you waiting for to act for small and democratic Armenia? Waiting for the Azeris and their Turkish allies to finish the genocide of 1915? Is the blood of Armenians worth less than that of Ukrainians?” the Senator said.

https://en.armradio.am/2022/10/03/does-the-gas-of-your-azerbaijani-friends-count-more-than-the-lives-of-armenians-french-senator-calls-on-european-leaders-to-take-action/

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Greece strongly condemns execution of Armenian POWs by Azerbaijani forces

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14:22, 4 October 2022

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. Greece strongly condemns the execution of unarmed Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijani forces and calls for a thorough investigation to ensure perpetrators are held to account, the Greek Foreign Ministry said on Twitter.

“Utterly appalled by the horrific reports of the execution of unarmed Armenian prisoners by Azerbaijani forces. Greece strongly condemns such acts of violence and calls for a thorough investigation to ensure perpetrators are held to account”, the Foreign Ministry said.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1094054.html?fbclid=IwAR2po86VWICbkRRB2qlr1MS55BmSb7HkWz49xsw8inKZw0LBWvIkNne41EU

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Cyprus strongly condemns executions of Armenian POWs by Azeri troops

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15:29, 4 October 2022

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus has strongly condemned the executions of Armenian prisoners of war by the Azerbaijani forces.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemns the executions of unarmed Armenian prisoners by the forces of Azerbaijan.

We call once again for the immediate release of all Armenian prisoners as well as for a thorough investigation of the executions to ensure perpetrators are held to account”, the statement says.

In turn Cypriot Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Demetris Demetriou said on Twitter that he is “shocked and appalled by the reports of the execution of unarmed Armenian prisoners by Azerbaijani forces”. “Cyprus strongly condemns such acts of violence and calls for a thorough investigation to ensure perpetrators are held to account”, he said.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1094063.html?fbclid=IwAR3JfPBDSyakjl8eaLK0rKVopf16LQmLNvyBgXTplnszPTeUGWW46ekXSB0

[MosJan]

[MosJan]

[Yervant1]

Sept 19 2022

Azerbaijan's Ultimate Goal was Never Karabakh, it was Armenia's Capitulation

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  Alex Avaneszadeh, Fletcher Russia and Eurasia Program, Tufts University
  
  
  
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Peace on Azerbaijan’s terms was never a possibility. As part of a family clan that has ruled Azerbaijan since 1993, the regime of President Ilham Aliyev is Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijan is Aliyev.

For the past two decades, Aliyev’s approach to staying in power (besides severe repression) has been the galvanization of racial hatred toward Armenians – inciting ethnic hate speech and glorifying hate crimes.

In an escalation of regional tensions, Aliyev has now expanded his aggression into Armenia proper, setting a new precedent by transforming the Karabakh conflict into an interstate war. With Armenia’s so-called security guarantor – Russia – having its hands tied with Ukraine, the growing power vacuum in the South Caucasus effectively ripened the conditions for an Azerbaijani military offensive against Armenia.

“The Committee is deeply concerned about…incitement to racial hatred and the propagation of racist stereotypes against persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin, including on the Internet and social media, as well as by public figures and governmental officials.” – United Nations Human Rights Committee, CERD Observation Report on Azerbaijan, August 30, 2022

On the night of September 12, Azerbaijani forces began shelling more than half the length of Armenia’s eastern border and interior, throwing Armenia’s teenage soldiers back into the trenches only two years after Aliyev’s war on the Artsakh Republic (Nagorno-Karabakh). 105 Armenian servicemen have since been killed, while civilians are being evacuated from their towns and villages. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan indicated that Azerbaijani troops have advanced into Armenia, occupying 4 square miles. On September 14, a fragile ceasefire was negotiated after France brought the issue to the UN Security Council at the request of Armenia. In a novel shift of U.S. strategic engagement in the region, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, visited Yerevan on September 18 in a show of support for the country, condemning Azerbaijan’s attacks against Armenia. However, with the conflict reaching a new level of aggression, Armenians are preparing to defend themselves from the worst-case scenario: genocide.

An Azerbaijani postage stamp depicting the chemical fumigation of the Armenian population of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) after the 2020 Karabakh war. [AP Photo]

As an Armenian, it is an understatement to say that what I am feeling is pain, frustration and anger. Many other Armenians have entered a state of numbness, as the feeling of helplessness has kicked in. Our homeland is being mercilessly attacked and annexed, for which our people – time and time again – are unable to escape the wrath of genocidal states and unrelenting dictators.

Our goal is the complete elimination of Armenians. You, Nazis, already eliminated the Jews in the 1930s and 1940s, right? You should be able to understand us.” – Hajibala Abutalybov, Mayor of Baku, to a German delegation visiting Baku, 2005

Since Azerbaijan’s invasion on September 12, videos posted by Azerbaijani soldiers have been circulating on social media, showing Azerbaijani servicemen raping and then mutilating an Armenian servicewoman – one of multiple similar cases documented since Azerbaijan’s offensive.

As this nightmare continues, we ask ourselves and the world: When can the Armenian people experience an era where their existence is not under constant threat and persecution? When will the bombing of our churches cease? When will the desecration of our cemeteries and the violation of our dead come to an end? All of this is still occurring 107 years later after the start of the Armenian Genocide.

Within the next 25 years there will be no state of Armenia in the South Caucasus. These people have no right to live in this region. Modern Armenia was built on historical Azerbaijani lands. I think that in 25-30 years its territory will again come under Azerbaijan’s jurisdiction.” – Safar Abiyev, Azerbaijani Defense Minister, 2004

What the 2020 Karabakh war and the assault on Armenia have demonstrated is that the annihilation of the Armenian people has always been the end goal, and will remain the goal of the modern Turkish state via its Turkic ally, Azerbaijan. International impunity for their campaign of genocide by attrition must end. That means no more European Union energy security deals with Azerbaijan, no more U.S. annual military aid to Azerbaijan, and finally, holding Turkey accountable for enabling and directly contributing to the utter devastation and suffering experienced in the greater region.

If the West is so opposed to Armenia’s dependence on Russia, then it should stop placating and providing fiscal-military aid to Turkey and Azerbaijan – leaving Armenia virtually no choice but to go running back to Russia’s embrace. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy that the West fails to realize; not to mention the blatant hypocrisy behind reducing energy dependence on Putin’s Russia, to then bankrolling the Armenophobic petro-dictatorship of Azerbaijan.

Armenia is not even a colony, it is not even worthy of being a servant.” – Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, 2015

The West has proven that it is capable of calling out atrocities, invasion, and even genocide in the context of Russia’s war in Ukraine. However, when the factors surrounding Armenia’s existential crisis do not conveniently align with Euro-American political-economic interests (such as funding the Aliyev state with petro-dollars), then the NATO-EU narrative of solidarity against authoritarianism holds no water. This type of double standard undermines the very principles of democracy and sovereignty that the West claims to uphold during these times. Like Ukraine, the existential crisis facing Armenia is not “controversial,” it is just that Armenia’s security crisis is politically inconvenient for the current Euro-American narrative of anti-authoritarianism. That said, labeling this conflict as “controversial” only continues to greenlight the oppressor and gaslight the victim, ignoring the legacy of power asymmetry that exists between Armenia and the Turkey-Azerbaijan military alliance.

On September 15, Turkish parliamentarian Mustafa Destici stated at a press conference in Turkey that “we say to the Armenian administration; Make up your mind: I remind you once again that the Turkish Nation has the power to erase Armenia from history and geography, and that they stand at the limit of our patience.”

Such rhetoric should indicate that it is time to stop minimizing Armenia’s existential crisis to the level of controversy, as if to avoid offending the aggressor. In the Russia-Ukraine war, there are no “both-sideisms” being employed by the media; and political-military support for Ukraine has been decisive in its self-defense. Yet, for Armenia, the neutrality of the international community has been just as fatal as the bombs being dropped on Armenian soil.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen standing next to Ilham Aliyev in July 2022 after signing a deal to increase Azeri natural gas exports to Europe. [AP Photo]

Eerily, I write this after having just returned from Armenia on September 2. As part of my capstone thesis, I was at the Armenian National Archives conducting research on the political history of the Soviet Autonomous Oblast of Nagorno-Karabakh – an administrative region that was under the jurisdiction of Soviet Azerbaijan. I was digging through Soviet-era political documents and testimonies from Karabakh Armenians regarding their rights under Soviet Azerbaijan. The sources I uncovered demonstrated that the Azerbaijani SSR deliberately neglected the political, cultural, and socio-economic rights of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh for the sole purpose of depopulating Armenians from the territory. During the USSR’s collapse, Azerbaijani authorities organized large-scale pogroms in retaliation against the Armenian population and their demands for external self-determination.

“We must kill all Armenians – children, women and the elderly. We need to kill them without making a distinction. No regrets. No compassion. – Nurlan Ibrahimov, Qarabag FK Soccer Club Official of Azerbaijan, 2020

In my thesis, I argue that Artsakh’s independence is an existential necessity. Armenian self-determination within Azerbaijan is impossible, and certainly illogical considering that Artsakh’s own system of government is far more democratic than what Armenians would be subject to as citizens of Azerbaijan. Independence is the only remedy to an otherwise catastrophic human rights situation – doctrinally referred to as ‘remedial secession’.

For decades, Azerbaijan has been justifying its aggression on the basis of preserving its territorial integrity under international law. However, the latest offensive against the Republic of Armenia has demonstrated that the Artsakh conflict’s resolution was never strictly about Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, nor international law. It was about Artsakh’s capitulation as a means to a more harrowing end: Armenia’s obliteration.

Monte Melkonian, a California-born Armenian who was martyred in 1993 during the first Karabakh war, hauntingly foreshadowed what is happening now: “If we lose Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh], we will turn the last page of the Armenian peoples’ history.”

In the face of state-sponsored racism and persecution, independence is the last bastion of defense that we have. Turkey and Azerbaijan’s denial of the Armenian Genocide is not simply a stance on history, but is the final stage of genocide. It is playing out in front of our eyes while the media stamps the conflict with false equivalencies and reductionist headlines that read “clashes” and “exchanges of fire” between Armenia and Azerbaijan. By placating Azerbaijan due to their role as a natural gas supplier, the West is effectively sacrificing the Armenian people at the altar of European energy security.

© 2022, The Fletcher School Tufts University

https://sites.tufts.edu/fletcherrussia/azerbaijans-ultimate-goal-was-never-karabakh-it-was-armenias-capitulation/

https://www.lemkininstitute.com/single-post/azerbaijan-s-ultimate-goal-was-never-karabakh-it-was-armenia-s-capitulation

[Yervant1]

Oct 5 2022

“Baku will be punished for war crimes” – Armenian human rights activist

• JAMnews

• Yerevan

Slaying of captured Armenians

Armenia continues to discuss the video of the murder of Armenian prisoners. Armenian Ombudsman Kristine Grigoryan stated that its authenticity has been verified by experts in several ways. The Armenian soldiers were killed during the last invasion of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces into the territory of Armenia, on September 13 near Ishkhanasar.

According to a representative at the European Court of Human Rights, Siranuysh Sahakyan, two of the slain prisoners have been identified. Although four Armenian soldiers are visible in the frame, according to the human rights activist, “we are dealing with the killing of more prisoners.” She says that among the bodies handed over to Armenia are slain prisoners, whom Baku presented as having perished in the hostilities on September 13-14.

Sahakyan said “a sword of punishment for war crimes hangs over the head of the Azerbaijani authorities.”

A video of the execution of Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijani soldiers appeared on social networks prior to a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The meeting took place despite ongoing tension at the border and the video. Both before and after the talks, official statements from Yerevan said that what had happened was a war crime requiring a “proper international investigation.” It is reported from Baku that the country’s military prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the matter.

Details about the murder of Armenian prisoners from human rights activist Siranuysh Sahakyan.

• “What does Azerbaijan want?” – publication of a list of demands: Reliable source or Pashinyan?

• Negotiations between Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan: mediators remain behind the scenes

• “Karabakh may not be mentioned in the peace agreement with Azerbaijan” – Pashinyan

The murder was committed by the military unit “Commando”

Sahakyan provided details about the video. The war crime was committed by members of the newly created Azerbaijani military unit Commando stationed in Hadrut [a settlement in the unrecognized NKR which came under Azerbaijani control after the 2020 war]:

“The Commando military unit was formed in 2021 from Azerbaijani soldiers who were trained in Turkey. There are publicly available documents that state the task of the “Commando” is to detect and destroy “illegal armed formations of the NK”, as Azerbaijan calls the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army. But in this case, they have already acted on the territory of Armenia.”

“The bodies of the victims were abused”

The human rights activist said that among the bodies of soldiers who died in the hostilities, there were mutilated corpses of those killed in captivity:

“Azerbaijani soldiers tortured the bodies of the dead prisoners, cut off their heads, ears, and inflicted stab wounds. It is also a violation of humanitarian law because the law protects the bodies of dead soldiers.”

The consequences of the "new war" in Ombudsman of Armenia's report

The Office of the Human Rights Defender published an extraordinary report on the consequences of hostilities on the Armenian border. The report presents cases of torture of Armenian prisoners of war, abuse of the bodies of the dead, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and shelling of hospitals, schools and kindergartens.

“Baku can mislead the international community”

Sahakyan believes that an effective investigation cannot be carried out in Azerbaijan and there will be no punishment:

“The law enforcement agencies of this country are not independent, they cannot provide an objective and comprehensive investigation, but they can use the investigation to mislead the international community.”

Instead criminal cases, according to Sahakyan, can be initiated in countries that have condemned the actions of the Azerbaijani military, which would be more effective:

“In the case of war crimes the issue can be discussed in the UN Security Council, and based on a consensus vote the case can be referred to the International Criminal Court.”

“Azerbaijan is trying to create the illusion of good intentions”

Sahakyan says that the goal of Armenian human rights activists now is to prepare the evidence for trial:

“There is already a lot of evidence of the involvement of Azerbaijani soldiers in large-scale torture and killings. The Azerbaijani authorities will be punished for war crimes. But now, with the help of international legal advisers, they are trying to create a positive face for themselves.”

According to Sahakyan, it is for this reason that Azerbaijan is now working with the Red Cross.

"Everything depends on Moscow and Baku" – the opinion of an Armenian political scientist on the future of Nagorno-Karabakh

The reaction in Nagorno-Karabakh to Pashinyan’s statement about his readiness to sign some kind of document with Azerbaijan, as well as the opinion of an expert

“International law prohibits any status of Artsakh within Azerbaijan”

Siranush Sahakyan emphasizes that the European Court of Human Rights, the Anti-Discrimination Committee, as well as the decision of the UN International Court of Justice on the application of interim measures on the claim of Armenia, confirmed that in Azerbaijan “a policy of racial discrimination against Armenians is being pursued at the state level.”

Sahakyan believes that the international community should refrain from proposing solutions which may imply the status of Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan:

“Whether it is Russia, the United States or any other country that is trying to take the lead in finding a political solution to the conflict, it must be borne in mind that international law prohibits any status within Azerbaijan, because Azerbaijan’s racist policy towards Armenians has been confirmed.”

Slaying of captured Armenians

https://jam-news.net/baku-will-be-punished-for-war-crimes-armenian-human-rights-activist/

[Yervant1]

CALIFORNIA 18

Oct 4 2022

Nagorno-Karabakh: France calls for a "impartial investigation" after allegations of executions of Armenian prisoners

October 4, 2022 by

A video posted on social networks shows the execution of at least seven men, presented as Armenian prisoners, riddled with bullets by soldiers presented as Azerbaijani.

The head of French diplomacy Catherine Colonna asked Tuesday, October 4 the launch of a “impartial and independent investigation” after the broadcast on social networks of a video presented as the execution of Armenian prisoners by Azerbaijani soldiers.

“The execution of prisoners of war constitutes a war crime. There can be no impunity”launched Catherine Colonna during the session of questions to the government at the National Assembly. “France stands in solidarity with the Armenian people and has called for the launch of an impartial and independent investigation”did she say.

This video, massively broadcast online in recent days, shows the execution of at least seven men, presented as Armenian prisoners, riddled with bullets by soldiers presented as Azerbaijani. “The international community must condemn these war crimes and take steps to stop Azerbaijani aggression”Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian tweeted on Sunday.

In mid-September, at least 286 people were killed in clashes on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, two former Soviet republics in conflict since 1991. Yerevan (capital of Armenia) accused Baku (capital of Azerbaijan) of to be at the origin of the aggression and to have carried the fights in Armenia. “Azerbaijan’s recent armed incursions are extremely serious”denounced Catherine Colonna, believing that these events had also “revealed Russia’s inability to play the role of arbiter” in this conflict between the two Caucasian countries.

https://california18.com/nagorno-karabakh-france-calls-for-a-impartial-investigation-after-allegations-of-executions-of-armenian-prisoners/7206902022/

[Yervant1]

Newsweek

Oct 7 2022

OPINION

Azerbaijan's War Crimes—Why the World Can No Longer Stay Silent | Opinion

STEPHAN PECHDIMALDJI , PUBLIC RELATIONS PROFESSIONAL

For a president who entered office claiming human rights would be the central tenet of his foreign policy, President Joe Biden has had a mixed record halfway through his presidency. There's no question that his leadership on the world stage in defending and supporting countries like Ukraine has sent a strong message to autocrats like Russian President Vladimir Putin that their nefarious actions will not be tolerated.

President Biden's willingness to stand up to bullies both here and abroad has the potential to be a key hallmark of his presidency. But his administration's handling of Azerbaijan's illegal war and unprovoked attacks on Armenia promises to derail any of those accomplishments.

Put simply, Azerbaijan is committing war crimes and atrocities. Despite overwhelming evidence, the Biden administration has done next to nothing in holding Azerbaijan accountable and keeping them in check.

Taking a page out of Vladmir Putin's playbook, Azerbaijan's petro-dictator Ilham Aliyev used the pretext of historical revisionism to start an unlawful war in 2020 against Armenians living in their ancestral homeland of Nagorno-Karabakh, known as Artsakh to Armenians.

And while a tenuous ceasefire remains in place, Azerbaijan continues to violate the terms of the peace agreement by attacking the territorial integrity of Armenia. Last month, Azerbaijan fired artillery and drone strikes against Armenian border towns including Vardenis, Goris, Sotk, and Jermuk while killing hundreds of Armenian soldiers and forcing Armenian civilians to evacuate.

It was during those recent clashes where Azerbaijan troops mutilated a female Armenian soldier who was subsequently stripped naked with text written across her breasts and stomach. A stone was placed in her eye socket and a severed finger in her mouth. And video evidence recently emerged showing Azerbaijani troops executing a small group of captured Armenian soldiers.

This patten of illicit behavior led Genocide Watch to issue a genocide warning against Azerbaijan with a recommendation that Western countries stop all military sales to Baku, and a warning that sanctions be placed on Azeri oil and gas exports if attacks continue.

In recent days, we have also seen a chorus of bipartisan support from members of Congress condemning these latest Azerbaijani crimes including new legislation from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and senior member Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) that calls for an end to military aid to Azerbaijan and potential sanctions on the Aliyev regime. These efforts come on the heels of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's historic visit to Armenia, where she highlighted the United States' "firm commitment to a peaceful and democratic Armenia, and a stable and secure Caucus region" and strongly rebuked Azerbaijan for their "illegal and deadly attacks" on Armenia.

While this type of congressional support is welcoming, the silence coming from the White House is deafening.

Armenians see these latest acts of aggression by Azerbaijan as a continuation of the 1915 Armenian genocide and an existential threat to their very existence. In many ways, history is repeating itself.

But what is happening to Armenians is no different to what is happening to Ukrainians. These events are not mutually exclusive, yet the Biden administration is approaching them differently.

No more is this evident than in the disparity in foreign aid. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. has committed more than $16.9 billion in security assistance to Kyiv while unleashing a raft of economic sanctions against Moscow. In contrast, the Biden administration's 2023 budget proposal includes a 47 percent cut in U.S. aid to Armenia ($24 million) and no specific dollar amount for Artsakh, while calling for $164 million in U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan.

In fact, days after officially recognizing the Armenian genocide, Biden waived Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act that bans foreign aid to Azerbaijan. While Armenian Americans welcomed this historic and long overdue recognition, the spirit of its intent was short-lived. In essence, Biden recognized a genocide, only to allow another one to continue.

There was a false narrative being floated that Azerbaijan's attacks last month were over the territorial dispute in Nagorno-Karabakh. Nothing could be further from the truth. Aliyev has been on record claiming that parts of Armenia's territory are Azerbaijan's historic lands. He has defended this belief in speeches and has gone as far as to say that Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, belongs to Azerbaijan.

In other words, Azerbaijan wants Armenia while Armenia wants peace.

This should not be a zero-sum game. The people of Ukraine deserve all the help and support that the world can give them. But so do the people of Armenia. The parallels between Ukraine and Armenia could not be starker. Both are fledgling democracies who are under threat from countries who are led by autocrats. And by focusing on just one group only undermines another while giving depots cover to commit wanton acts of violence with no consequences.

There's still time for the Biden administration to get things right. The State Department's recent statement that the U.S. is "deeply disturbed" by reports of Azerbaijani soldiers executing unarmed Armenian POWs and calling for a full and impartial investigation is certainly a positive sign. But it does not go far enough. Actions speak louder than words. It is time for the Biden administration to treat all human rights equally and hold Azerbaijan accountable.

Stephan Pechdimaldji is a communications strategist who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He's a first-generation Armenian American and grandson to survivors of the Armenian genocide.

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

https://www.newsweek.com/azerbaijans-war-crimeswhy-world-can-no-longer-stay-silent-opinion-1750013

[Yervant1]

OPINION: Azerbaijan’s invasion of Armenia and the media’s inaccurate reporting

Brandon Balayan, Reporter
October 8, 2022

Azerbaijan has invaded Armenia.

That is the headline — one of the few appropriate headlines — that should be written right now. However, many media outlets are playing both sides for the sake of remaining “objective” in the latest reports of Azerbaijan’s attacks on Armenia on Sept. 13.

There are times to remain objective. As flawed a concept as objectivity may be, it is needed for accurate reporting. Nonetheless, to paint the current attacks as a conflict that both sides have instigated, and have continued, is the undertaking that most journalists try to avoid — lying.

The most recent attacks started on Sept. 13, around midnight, when Azerbaijani armed forces fired artillery and large-caliber firearms in the direction of Goris, Sotk, and Jermuk, according to Armenia’s Ministry of Defense. It was later reported that the villages of Artanish, Martuni, Ishkhanasar, Tegh and Akner were also fired upon.

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense denied Armenian reports of Azerbaijan invading Armenia and blamed the attacks on Armenian armed forces for firing at Azerbaijan’s armed forces from “the directions of Basarkechar, Istisu, Garakilsa and Gorus” — the Azerbaijani toponyms of cities and towns currently located in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. There have been many local reports of Azerbaijan shelling in civilian areas in Armenia, the mutilation of a female Armenian soldier and Azerbaijani troops executing a group of Armenian soldiers. A cease-fire is in place and there have been no significant incidents since Sept. 15.

There are two inaccuracies in the news organizations’ and governments’ reports of Azerbaijan’s latest attacks. First, it is presented as an ordinary skirmish on the border between two former Soviet states. Second, many outlets explain the skirmishes as being over Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, when in reality Azerbaijan attacked Armenia proper.

For example, The New York Times published an article on Twitter with the headline “Clashes Erupt in Nagorno-Karabakh, Raising Fears of Another War,” then changed it to the equally passive headline of “Armenia and Azerbaijan Clash Raises Fears of Broader Conflict.” It is not until the seventh paragraph that we see, “On Tuesday, for the first time in 30 years of a largely frozen conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts, Azerbaijan attacked Armenian air defense and artillery systems based inside Armenia,” which is another half-truth because there are local reports of Azerbaijan striking civilian infrastructure.

Another negligent article was published by The Associated Press. The article starts with a background on the first Nagorno-Karabakh war that started in 1988 and does not mention that attacks are taking place within Armenia — leading readers to assume that the two countries are fighting over the so-called disputed territory again.

Among the other forms of media to critique are press releases by the U.S. Department of State.

Here is the press release about Antony Blinken’s call with Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan:

“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke overnight with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to convey our deep concern over the military actions along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, including reports of shelling in Armenia. The Secretary stressed the need for disengagement of military forces and assured Prime Minister Pashinyan that the United States would push for an immediate halt to fighting and a peace settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

Here is the press release about his call with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev:

“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke overnight with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to express deep concern over military action along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, including shelling in Armenia. Secretary Blinken urged President Aliyev to cease hostilities and stressed that the United States would push for an immediate halt to fighting and a peace settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

There are a couple of parts to decode. First, after conveying their usual deep concerns, the U.S. Department of State recognized that there is shelling in Armenia, not Nagorno-Karabakh. Second, Blinken “urged Aliyev to cease hostilities” while he “stressed the need for disengagement of military forces” to Pashinyan.

If one party is being hostile, how can the other who is bearing the brunt of the hostilities afford to disengage militarily? Although the U.S. Department of State labeled Azerbaijan as the aggressor, it quickly sat back on the fence it hopped off of by telling Armenia to disengage. More vague and passive statements have been made before, and the lack of action from international monitors emboldens Aliyev to do as he pleases with the Armenians.

With Armenia’s statehood at risk, it cannot afford to disengage. A peace settlement is contingent on the actions of the oppressor, not the oppressed.

https://sundial.csun.edu/171120/opinions/opinion-azerbaijans-invasion-of-armenia-and-the-medias-inaccurate-reporting/edu)

[Yervant1]

Public Radio of Armenia

Armenia - Oct 9 2022

Fear for Armenians: Cher calls for action against Azerbaijan

October 9, 2022, 12:07

Less than a minute

No one protects the Armenians from Azerbaijan, Armenian American pop star Cher (Cherilyn Sarkisian) said in a Twitter post.

“I fear for Armenians. No one protects them from Azerbaijan. Armenia has no oil, and the Azerbaijani are already killing them,” Cher said.

“When I visited Yerevan, I went to orphanages, where Armenian children had no parents, because they were massacred by Azerbaijanis. The world said nothing, they had oil,” she contonied.

https://en.armradio.am/2022/10/09/fear-for-armenians-cher-calls-for-action-against-azerbaijan/

[Yervant1]

NEWS.am

Armenia - Oct 9 2022

Press TV: U.S., Israel seek to provoke Azerbaijan's occupation and annexation of Armenia's regions

14:18, 09.10.2022

The US, Israel and NATO are constantly trying to ignite conflicts in the South Caucasus region to destabilize Iran and Russia. This is the subject of an Insight analytical program on Iran's Press TV channel.

After the recent Azerbaijani military incursions into Armenia, we have witnessed a series of visits by the Israeli Minister of Military Affairs and the Saudi Foreign Minister to Azerbaijan and the U.S. House Speaker to Armenia.

It is obvious that the U.S. and Israel are trying to provoke Azerbaijan into occupying and annexing the southern regions of Armenia in order to expand and link NATO territory through Turkey eastward to the Caspian Sea, Central Asia and China within the so-called Panturan Corridor.

This is an attempt to create a West-East corridor through Turkey to China's western borders, a new version of the British Empire's old grand strategy of dividing Eurasia in the late 19th century to maintain an Anglo-American military presence in Eurasia in order to destabilize the geostrategic rivals of Iran, Russia and China. This time they are using Turkey and Azerbaijan as a tip and weapon to implement this grand strategy. Of course, unlike in the 19th century, in the 21st century Iran, Russia and China are powerful powers that will not allow this scheme to be implemented.

The US, Israel and NATO are betting on the corrupt regime of the Aliyev clan, who has ruled Azerbaijan as a dictator since the collapse of the USSR, urging him to escalate the conflict and start another war that will not affect his family, which is safely ensconced in London, the report said.

https://news.am/eng/news/724211.html

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Oct 10 2022

Armenia: “A New War Of Conquest Is Looming At The Gates Of Europe, If The International Community Does Not React With The Necessary Firmness”

EUROPE

By David Sadler

Ln September 13, Azerbaijan launched a multidirectional offensive on the territory of the Republic of Armenia. This event went almost unnoticed by the general public in France, which was precisely what the power in place in Azerbaijan was counting on.

However, it is indeed a new war of conquest announced at the gates of Europe, if the international community does not react with all the necessary firmness immediately.

While Armenia and Azerbaijan have been divided over the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region since the end of the Soviet Union – a territory whose majority Armenians live under the constant threat of ethnic cleansing – what is happening today is neither more nor less than the military aggression of an over-armed despot against a small and fragile democracy, in order to extort from it a total submission to the geostrategic ambitions of his country.

Strengthened by its strategic partnership with Russia – which is close to the level, better known, linking Armenia to it – as well as its close alliance with Erdogan’s Turkey, and galvanized by its desire to enslave Armenia, Ilham Aliyev is trampling on the too fragile prospects for peace and justice in the South Caucasus. In forty-eight hours, his recent operation left nearly three hundred dead on both sides, and thousands of Armenian civilians displaced.

War crimes

It already brings its first batch of war crimes proudly exhibited on the Web by Azerbaijani soldiers filming themselves in their works of rape, torture and dismemberment. The ultra-violence encouraged by the regime raises fears of the worst, according to the very serious Lemkin Institute for the Prevention of Genocidewhich is issuing a third alert in less than a year.

This makes all the more grotesque and odious the pretext of “Armenian provocations” invoked by Aliev to justify military operations and mobilize an Azerbaijani society nourished by “Armenophobia” for decades, and where dissent is brutally suppressed.

The objectives of the aggression against Armenia are twofold.

First, to obtain by force an extraterritorial “corridor” which would connect Azerbaijan to its enclave of Nakhitchevan located on the other side of the border, adjoining Turkey and Iran – a “corridor” of which Russia would be the mistress. The point of contention between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not about the opening of transport routes, which would in principle benefit the whole region, but of course the demand that Armenia be excluded from right of inspection over this “corridor” and, as a result, amputated its vital border with Iran.

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Armenpress.am

Footage showing killings of Armenian POWs by Azeri forces is evidence of war crime – Paul Gavan at PACE

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14:05, 11 October 2022

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, ARMENPRESS. Irish lawmaker Paul Gavan, speaking at the plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, raised the issue of the Azerbaijani military invasion into Armenian sovereign territory and the war crimes committed by Azerbaijani troops.

During the debates on the military actions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Gavan noted that the clashes have taken place in Armenian sovereign territory in September. “It is important that all hostilities took place in the territory of Armenia. None of them took place in the disputed region of Nagorno Karabakh,” he said.

Gavan emphasized that the Azerbaijani troops targeted civilian settlements, civilian infrastructure, and that these facts are documented. 36 towns and villages were hit, including Goris, Sisian, Kapan, Vardenis, Tegh and Geghamasar, resulting in the deaths of 4 civilians and 7 more wounded civilians. Another civilian is missing.

Gavan highlighted the fact that Azerbaijani side doesn’t deny attacking the Armenian towns.

“First of all we must all clearly realize that a country’s invasion into another country’s sovereign territory can never be acceptable. It’s also important to note that as a result of this invasion Azerbaijan continues to occupy a part of Armenian territory. And this is unacceptable. We’ve received also concerning reports on possible war crimes committed by the Azerbaijani military,” he said.

The lawmaker also talked about the video showing the extrajudicial killing of 7 Armenian prisoners of war and the mutilation of the bodies of women troops committed by Azeri forces. “I’ve seen the footage, it is really horrifying, and it can really be evidence of war crime,” Gavan said, adding that both sides should resume peace talks without delay. “We must see greater efforts by the international community for that to happen,” he added.

Gavan added that Turkey, who actively supported Azerbaijan during the 2020 war, must display a more balanced approach.

The lawmaker also welcomed the planned deployment of a civilian EU mission along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

 

 

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Armenpress.am

Azerbaijan must withdraw from territory of Armenia: PACE lawmaker calls for negotiating peace agreement

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16:08, 11 October 2022

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, ARMENPRESS. French delegate at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Jacques Le Nay delivered remarks at the PACE plenary session, stating that the territorial integrity of Armenia must be preserved and Azerbaijan must withdraw from the territory of Armenia.

“In the face of this situation, which could very quickly lead to a new war, it is necessary to recall a number of fundamental points. First of all, the territorial integrity of Armenia must be preserved and Azerbaijan must withdraw from the territory of Armenia in accordance with the ceasefire agreement of 10 November 2020”, he said during the PACE current affairs debate on military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including strikes against settlements and civilian infrastructures.

He added that as member states of the Council of Europe, both sides must respect the rights of prisoners of war and commit themselves not to organize abductions. “However, the press reports videos circulating on social networks showing Armenians being abducted and tortured by Azeri soldiers. Azerbaijan must investigate these incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Finally, I call on both states to quickly negotiate a peace agreement that must be respected. To this end, the Council of Europe must fully play its role as a pan-European platform for discussion and contribute through political dialogue to an easing of tensions and respect for the fundamental rights of the citizens of both States.

The international community cannot remain indifferent to the situation in this region. The European Union and the United States, but also Russia and Turkey, must work together to resolve this conflict. However, it will not be easy to mobilize the international community on this issue given the war in Ukraine”, Jacques Le Nay stated.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1094612.html?fbclid=IwAR09AwSr0ac20dNFExp9XqfSrlgAb_z0ERPOZw668yxwbPDV7zT69hwvOiw

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Armenpress.am

New video on social media depicts another case of torture of Armenian POWs by Azeri military

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17:16, 12 October 2022

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The new video disseminated on the Azerbaijani social network depicts another case of torture of unarmed Armenian Prisoners of War, which in its turn proves the following killing of those Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani military, the Human Rights Defender of Armenia Kristinne Grigoryan’s Office said in a statement.

“Yesterday, on October 11 the video disseminated on the Azerbaijani social network depicts another case of torture of unarmed Armenian Prisoners of War, which in its turn proves the following killing of those Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani military. Yet again, the Azerbaijani armed forces record the facts of its war crimes. The Human Rights Defender’s Office has located the place, and we confirm that the incident took place during the Azerbaijani military attack on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia on September 13, 2022. The Armenian Prisoners of War shown in the video have been identified.

These facts, in addition to other evidence, are confirmed by the testimonies of Armenian Prisoners of War who had been repatriated on October 4, 2022.

The mentioned facts with respective details have been documented, and will be sent to specialized international organizations and actors.

The Defender underlines that the grave crimes committed by Azerbaijani servicemen remain unaddressed, and this impunity encourages and inspires new and graver crimes. These acts should be clearly condemned by competent international actors. The international community should more consistently demand from the Azerbaijani authorities to conduct proper investigation, and to punish the criminals and the organizers instead of decorating them with medals,” the Human Rights Defender’s Office said.

 

 

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Armenpress.am

Azerbaijani forces open fire at Armenian positions

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09:36, 14 October 2022

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 14, ARMENPRESS. On October 14, at around 01:30, the units of Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire from various caliber firearms at Armenian military positions in the eastern section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the Defense Ministry of Armenia said.

The Azerbaijani fire was suppressed with countermeasures.

“At the same time, the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan spread disinformation, claiming that the units of the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire.

At this moment, the situation is relatively stable”, the ministry added.

 

 

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