Statue of a Dictator (Aliyev Clan)

[Yervant1]

TASS

Russia - June 9 2023

Pashinyan tells Putin situation critical at Lachin corridor, in Nagorno-Karabakh

Earlier, Azerbaijan established a checkpoint in the Lachin corridor

SOCHI, June 9. /TASS/. The situation at the Lachin corridor and in Nagorno-Karabakh is critical after Azerbaijan set up a checkpoint in the Lachin corridor, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told Russian President Vladimir Putin at their meeting in Sochi.

"I think we will now discuss the situation in the zone of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh. Unfortunately, the humanitarian situation there remains tense, with no gas or electricity for several months. And the situation in the Lachin corridor remains tense. I will emphasize that Russian peacekeepers deliver food to Nagorno-Karabakh in limited quantities. In general, the humanitarian crisis there continues," he said.

Earlier, Azerbaijan established a checkpoint in the Lachin corridor. The Armenian Foreign Ministry criticized the move as a blatant violation of the trilateral agreement reached by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia, Nikol Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev, and Vladimir Putin in 2020, which put an end to hostilities around Nagorno-Karabakh that had been going on since the fall of that year. According to the terms of the agreement, Russian peacekeepers are deployed in the Lachin corridor. The Armenian prime minister has repeatedly expressed concern about the closure of the corridor and stated that Armenia will raise this issue in talks with Moscow.

https://tass.com/world/1630359

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Armenia - June 13 2023

MFA: Armenia has serious concerns that Azerbaijan is preparing a new aggression

Yerevan /Mediamax/. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia issued a statement which says that "the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan is preparing the ground for another aggressive actions and ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

The statement runs as follows:

“For a long time, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has been spreading daily fake news about ceasefire violations by the Defense Army of Nagorno-Karabakh in the zone of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh.

It is noteworthy that in the information materials published by the Russian peacekeepers, ceasefire violations only by Azerbaijan were recorded.

Taking into account the already well-established experience of Azerbaijan to provide “informational support” before carrying out the next acts of use of force and to artificially ascribe responsibility for future actions to the other party from the outset, the Republic of Armenia has serious concerns that the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan, despite all its own obligations, is preparing the ground for another aggressive actions and ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh.

We call on the peacekeeping forces of the Russian Federation to strictly follow the observance of the ceasefire regime and investigate all the incidents voiced by Azerbaijan, publicly presenting the entire situation on the ground. ”

https://mediamax.am/en/news/foreignpolicy/51636/

[Yervant1]

News.am

Armenia - June 13 2023

‘Zangezur corridor’ opening inevitable, Azerbaijan president says

18:59, 13.06.2023

The president of Azerbaijan announced the inevitability of opening the "Zangezur corridor."

“We have had an exchange of views on the soonest opening of the Zangezur corridor. The sooner it opens, the better it is. Opening of the Zangezur corridor is inevitable, ” Ilham Aliyev said in a press statement following an expanded meeting with visiting Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, APA reports.

“We will continue our efforts in this direction either way. Opening of this corridor will open up new opportunities for all the countries and have a positive impact on the regional cooperation,” Aliyev added.

“The speedy solution of the Zangezur corridor issue will provide us with two important opportunities. Turkey’s connection with Nakhchivan will be stronger thanks to the steps to be taken in the area of road and railway communication. These relations will enable the strengthening of relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan,” Erdogan said, for his part.

https://news.am/eng/news/765190.html

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

International community’s silence could lead to new Azeri aggression against democratic Armenia, warns senior diplomat

11:28, 14 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 14, ARMENPRESS. The international community’s silence or absence of unequivocally targeted measures on Azerbaijan may cause new aggressions against democratic Armenia, Ambassador-at-large Edmon Marukyan warned after the latest Azerbaijani shooting which targeted civilian infrastructure in Yeraskh.

“Azerbaijan opened fire at the vehicles and infrastructures of a plant being built in the sovereign territory of Armenia by a US-Armenian investment. Intensive fire continued for three hours. This is an outrageous behavior going against all efforts carried out towards the peace process and a gross violation of all commitments on non-use of force or even threat of use of force. We strongly condemn this provocative behavior and call for our international partners to take measures against Azerbaijan, including sanctions and direct calls for refraining from such destructive approach. The silence of international community or absence of unequivocally targeted measures on Azerbaijan may cause new aggressions against democratic Armenia,” Marukyan tweeted.

“This is an indiscriminate use of force by Azerbaijani armed forces in the sovereign territory of Republic of Armenia, which must be condemned by all international actors interested in peace as stability of the entire region,” Marukyan added in a separate post.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1113217.html?fbclid=IwAR07g6dgzCx3n5xpYsb7s_Jk_LlF_zfkBLzEmaPVd5rYifNuS0g8PehCE_M

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Armenpress.am

Two Indian workers wounded in Azerbaijani shooting targeting Armenian village construction site

13:30, 14 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 14, ARMENPRESS. The two foreign nationals wounded in the latest Azerbaijani shooting attack in Armenia are construction workers from India, authorities announced.

The two Indian nationals were working at the construction site of the steelworks (metallurgical plant) in Yeraskh when it came under Azerbaijani cross-border gunfire.

The two victims were identified by the Defense Ministry as Indian citizens Muhammad Asif and Mirhasan Sahajan.

The steelworks in Yeraskh is being built with foreign investments.

The healthcare ministry reported that the two Indian nationals are in moderate condition.

 

"Today, two Indian citizens Muhammad Asif and Mirhasan Sahajan, who were involved in the construction works of the plant, were wounded in the wake of the Azerbaijani fire in the direction of the metallurgical plant being built with the measures of foreign investments in Yeraskh," the Ministry of Defense said in a statement posted on Facebook.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1113237.html?fbclid=IwAR2dncPHVvqfHA1qgiOVJhNVxL3Q_74yP70j5aDMheAjLyRs0J7zxmpF4bQ

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June 14 2023

Meta Oversight Board upholds decision to leave Armenian POW video on Facebook

14 June 2023

ByAni Avetisyan

Footage alleged to show injured Armenian soldiers being captured by their Azerbaijani counterparts will remain on Facebook, after Meta’s Oversight Board decided to uphold an earlier decision by the company.

The video, which was published on Facebook in October 2022, was not removed from the platform at the time despite violating Facebook’s Coordinating Harm and Promoting Crime Community Standard. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, cited the video’s newsworthiness and argued that public interest in seeing the content outweighed the risk to the captured soldiers’ safety and dignity.

Meta’s Oversight Board launched an investigation into the case in March of this year.

The video was not widely shared following its publication on the platform, and it remains unclear whether it remains on Facebook or has since been taken down.

According to Meta, the video was published on a page which identified itself as documenting Azerbaijani war crimes committed against Armenians in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and appeared to show prisoners of war being captured.

‘The video shows people who appear to be Azerbaijani soldiers searching through rubble. The video has been edited so that their faces cannot be seen. They find people in the rubble who are described in the caption as Armenian soldiers. Some appear to be injured, others appear dead. They pull one solider [sic] from the rubble, who cries out in pain. His face is visible and he appears injured’, the description of the video by the board read.

The video reportedly ends with an unseen person berating an injured soldier sitting on the ground in Russian and Turkish.

The video was published less than a month after the September 2022 Two-Day War between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which took place within Armenia, and resulted in Azerbaijan gaining territories and the two sides losing around two hundred soldiers in total.

In the weeks following the conflict, footage appearing to show Azerbaijani soldiers committing war crimes appeared online, including the mutilation of female soldiers and the execution of a group of Armenian soldiers.

Graphic evidence of war crimes in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has in recent years frequently been published online, especially on platforms such as Telegram, which exercise little control over the content published. In some cases those posting celebrate the pictured actions, while others share the footage to discredit the other side.

A number of Telegram channels were created during the September fighting, sharing images and video of dead and wounded Armenian soldiers, as well as Armenian prisoners of war.

Tuesday’s decision by Meta’s Oversight Board found that Meta ‘correctly applied the newsworthiness allowance’ in deciding to allow the video to remain on Facebook, while adding a ‘mark as disturbing’ warning screen to it.

‘These decisions were consistent with Meta’s values and human rights responsibilities’, the decision reads.

The text of the decision also notes that it sets a precedent for Meta, raising ‘important questions’ about Meta’s content moderation in conflict situations, particularly in relation to revealing the identities and locations of prisoners of war.

While the decision notes that such footage could expose those pictured to immediate harm, it adds that it can also contribute to public debate and raise awareness of ‘violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law’.

‘It can also build momentum for action that protects rights and ensures accountability’, the board stated. ‘Meta did not have evidence that videos of this kind were producing […] negative effects but did see evidence that international organisations were using such videos to increase pressure on Azerbaijan to end mistreatment of prisoners of war.’

The Board’s decision was largely welcomed by Armenian media experts. Some, however, expressed concerns about the psychological effects of such content and its use in ‘hybrid’ warfare.

‘I still think that the video should not be allowed on the platform, as it constitutes information war against the Armenian society’, cyber security expert Artur Papyan wrote on Twitter. However, he described the board’s counter-arguments as ‘valid’ and deemed the judgement a ‘balanced’ one, especially in the context of similar cases in Ukraine and elsewhere.

https://oc-media.org/meta-oversight-board-upholds-decision-to-leave-armenian-pow-video-on-facebook/

[Yervant1]

No doubt about it, fake sultan doesn't want peace. ErDOGan is not being helpful either, he ordered fake sultan to cancel the meeting. They are after the Zangezur corridor, Iran and Armenia will never agree to that.

June 14 2023

Azerbaijan Postpones Nagorno-Karabakh Peace Talks Until Further Notice

• Reka Blakemore

The anticipated U.S.-hosted talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been postponed at Azerbaijan’s request. The negotiations, which were scheduled to take place this week, aimed to address the ongoing conflict between the two nations about the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The region, which is populated mainly by ethnic Armenians despite being located within the Azerbaijani state, has been the site of multiple human rights violations and the locus of a decades-long conflict.

State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel confirmed in a press conference that the U.S. is still anticipating hosting the peace talks, emphasizing that “direct dialogue is key towards reaching a durable and dignified peace.” But the cancellation is a disappointing start to the negotiations, which were already projected to be contentious thanks to the longstanding tension.

“Even though the [Nagorno-Karabakh] region is recognized as a part of Azerbaijan, Armenia … will likely not sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan unless [Azerbaijan] provides assurances about the security and safety of the Karabakh Armenians,” Heather Ashby, acting director for the U.S. Institute of Peace’s Center for Russia and Europe program, told VOA News. “Azerbaijan’s plan for incorporating Karabakh Armenians into Azerbaijan will play an important role in the peace talks.”

Making matters worse, Azerbaijan has blockaded the only path from the Nagorno-Karabakh region to Armenia, the Lachin corridor, creating a humanitarian crisis as residents are cut off from essential supplies.

Although the dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region was already brewing under Soviet rule, the conflict erupted after the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Since then, there have been frequent outbreaks of violence between Azerbaijan and Armenia, interrupted by ceasefires and peace talks with various degrees of success. Violence broke out again over the territorial dispute in late 2022, and Azerbaijan blockaded the Lachin corridor in April.

Because this intractable conflict has been entrenched through decades of violence, direct negotiations will be necessary to address the issue. There must be a sustained dialogue between both parties that unpacks each side’s grievances and perceptions of events. This dialogue must include community members and leaders, rather than just officials, in order to meaningfully impact the conflict. Additionally, there must be an unbiased third-party mediator to these dialogues and negotiations. Historically, the U.S. and Russia have been key peacekeepers in the region, but both countries have now chosen a side and the war in Ukraine impacts their abilities to be honest brokers. Thus, another mediator should take over the mediation process. As the only other member of the Minsk group, which was established to resolve the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, France seems to be the obvious choice.

This conflict serves as an excellent reminder of the importance of unbiased mediation. If the parties of a negotiation feel that the mediator has already chosen a side, they are much less likely to meaningfully participate in the conversation. In the short term, the Lachin corridor must be re-opened for humanitarian purposes, but a long-term plan for peace must include a sustained dialogue between both parties to unpack decades of harm and violence.

https://theowp.org/azerbaijan-postpones-nagorno-karabakh-peace-talks-until-further-notice/

 

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Armenpress.am

Azerbaijan has banned all humanitarian transportation in and out of Artsakh through the Lachin corridor

18:02, 15 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. The Office of the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh has issued a statement regarding the banning of all humanitarian transportation in and out of Artsakh through the Lachin corridor.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh, the statement reads as follows,

“Following its military provocation at the Hakari bridge in the morning of June 15, Azerbaijan has banned all kinds of humanitarian transportation in both ways, including people and cargo, through its illegal checkpoint installed on April 23. By this, Azerbaijan once again blatantly violates its international obligations towards ensuring the safe and unhindered passage through the Lachin corridor under the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020 and disregards the implementation of the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) decision of February 22, 2023.

25 patients and their accompanying relatives which were to be transported from Artsakh to Armenia by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today were not allowed to pass through the illegal checkpoint over the Hakari bridge by the Azerbaijani side, being forced to return back to Stepanakert. In addition, the scheduled transportation of people with urgent humanitarian needs, as well as the trucks with humanitarian supplies, which were to be carried out by the Russian peacekeeping forces through the Goris-Stepanakert Highway, was also cancelled.

Azerbaijan uses the already limited scale of humanitarian transportation and assistance to Artsakh, carried out only by the ICRC and Russian peacekeepers, as an advantage to create unbearable living conditions, terrorize, intimidate and exert psychological pressure on the peaceful population of Artsakh, in full accordance and consistency with its systematic policy of ethnic cleansing against Artsakh.

The humanitarian nature and vital importance of the Lachin corridor for the people of Artsakh has been clearly reflected in the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, which granted a special regime to the corridor. By cutting the corridor of life of Artsakh, Azerbaijan not only grossly violates its international obligations, but also reaffirms its true intentions with regard to Artsakh – the destruction of its indigenous Armenian population.

The Human Rights Defender of Artsakh has numerously warned the international community about the existential threats and danger for the people of Artsakh in connection with the installation of the illegal checkpoint in the Lachin corridor. Today’s incident once again reaffirms our concerns and highlights the persistent and increasing nature of these threats, since the deliberate and criminal blocking of humanitarian transportation by Azerbaijan further deepens the humanitarian crisis caused by the blockade of Artsakh”.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1113368.html

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Armenpress.am

Azerbaijan falsely accuses Armenia of border shooting to create information basis for its provocations, warns Yerevan

13:21, 17 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 17, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan is falsely accusing Armenia of opening gunfire to create an “information basis” for its own new provocation, the Armenian Ministry of Defense warned Saturday.

“The statement disseminated by the Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan as if the units of the Armed Forces of Armenia opened fire against the Azerbaijani combat positions in the eastern and southeastern parts of the frontier zone since 10:45 a.m. is another disinformation.

The Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan is making an information basis for another provocation,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1113513.html?fbclid=IwAR10EHp8ZmBNJUvvofINGOWjMHiFP4YFxEp3T6jPggm080J-TZp8Ns9TJSM

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DIGITAL JOURNAL

June 19 2023

Red Cross says Azerbaijan has blocked Karabakh access

By

AFP

Published

June 19, 2023

The Armenian branch of the Red Cross said Monday that Azerbaijan was blocking access to Nagorno-Karabakh, as concern grows over the humanitarian situation in the restive region.

In April, Azerbaijan set up a border checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin corridor — the only road linking Karabakh to Armenia.

The Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh has been at the centre of a decades-long territorial dispute between the Caucasus arch-foes.

The move followed a months-long blockade by Azerbaijani environmental activists, which Yerevan claims has led to a humanitarian crisis complete with shortages of food and fuel.

Azerbaijan insisted at the time that civilian transport could go unimpeded through the Lachin corridor.

Last week Armenia accused Baku of blocking traffic through the Lachin corridor.

“There has been no Red Cross-facilitated movement through the Lachin corridor since Thursday,” Zara Amatuni, spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Armenia, told AFP.

“Humanitarian supplies of medicines and other medical materials to hospitals in Karabakh and transportation of seriously ill patients have been suspended,” she said.

Last week, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the “humanitarian situation in Karabakh has worsened dramatically”.

He said “food supplies to Karabakh have practically ceased and patients are not being allowed to be taken to hospitals in Armenia for medical treatment.”

Baku’s “actions prove that Azerbaijan is pursuing a policy of ethnic cleansing in Karabakh,” he added.

On February 22, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) — the UN’s top judicial body — ordered Azerbaijan to ensure free movement on the road.

The two former Soviet republics have fought two wars for control of Karabakh, in the 1990s and again in 2020.

Six weeks of fighting in autumn 2020 ended with a Russian-sponsored ceasefire that saw Armenia cede swathes of territories it had controlled for decades.

There have been frequent clashes at the two countries’ shared border despite the ongoing peace talks between Baku and Yerevan under the mediation from the European Union and United States.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, ethnic Armenian separatists in Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan. The ensuing conflict claimed some 30,000 lives.

https://www.digitaljournal.com/world/red-cross-says-azerbaijan-has-blocked-karabakh-access/article

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Armenpress.am

Armenia still the target of Azerbaijani hate speech - European Commission against Racism and Intolerance

13:29, 21 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 21, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan continues to propagate racist stereotypes and perpetuate animosities, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) said in its 6th report on Azerbaijan.

It said that public discourse in Azerbaijan has been marked by the use of inflammatory rhetoric in public statements by politicians, including at the highest political level, and other public figures, as well as by the wide dissemination of hateful and dehumanising content against Armenia.

The report stated that discriminatory language in Azerbaijani school textbooks against Armenians exists.

“In this context, ECRI is deeply concerned that the use of hate speech linked to the long-lasting conflict and confrontations with neighbouring country Armenia, has been observed among young people in and outside schools and could eventually provide a breeding ground for further hostilities,” the ECRI said in the report.

The commission also addressed the infamous “Trophy Park” in Baku.

“The opening of the Baku Trophy Park in April 2021, where Armenian military equipment and personnel were portrayed very negatively, also raised a lot of criticism. ECRI shares the grave concerns expressed by other international bodies, including the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe and the CERD about the language of “aggression” and regular resort to adversarial narratives that propagates racist stereotypes and perpetuates animosities.”

“ECRI has received numerous reports with graphic accounts of violence against Armenians, including wilful killings or the extensive destruction of their property during and after the 2020 armed conflict and confrontations in and around Nagorno-Karabakh,” it added.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1113770.html?fbclid=IwAR2fu6qGtSzIXvQcFaTj0_RLtvDUgslNErPNy1Q4vZYHEwvHVCRuam00Oz0

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Reuters

June 22 2023

Nagorno-Karabakh: Azerbaijan rejects demand for guarantees for enclave's ethnic Armenians

By Andrew Osborn and Mike Collett-White

LONDON, June 21 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan's foreign minister has rejected a demand from Armenia to provide special security guarantees for some 120,000 ethnic Armenians living in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave ahead of a new round of peace talks, saying they are sufficiently protected.

Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, has been a source of conflict between the two Caucasus neighbours since the years leading up to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and between ethnic Armenians and Turkic Azeris for well over a century.

After heavy fighting and a Russian-brokered ceasefire, Azerbaijan in 2020 took over areas that had been controlled by ethnic Armenians in and around the mountain enclave.

The two sides have since been discussing a peace deal in which they would agree on borders, settle differences over the enclave, and unfreeze relations.

In what looked like a breakthrough, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was quoted last month as saying Armenia did recognise that Karabakh was part of Azerbaijan, but wanted Baku to provide the guarantees for its ethnic Armenian population.

In an interview with Reuters, however, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said such a guarantee was unnecessary, and the demand amounted to interference in Azerbaijan's affairs.

"We don't accept such a precondition ... for a number of reasons," he said.

"The most fundamental is the following: this is an internal, sovereign issue. The Azerbaijan constitution and a number of international conventions to which Azerbaijan is party provide all the necessary conditions in order to guarantee the rights of this population."

He said ethnic Armenians could still use and be educated in their own language and preserve their culture if they integrated into Azeri society and state structures like other ethnic and religious minorities.

'SOME PROGRESS'

Bayramov said there had been "some progress" in peace talks, and that Baku was keen to strike a deal, but also made comments that show how wide the gulf remains before he meets his Armenian counterpart for more talks in Washington next week:

"We believe it was the first time when an Armenian prime minister actually publicly stated this. Why did it take the prime minister two-and-a-half years (since the war ended) to say he actually recognised the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan?"

Bayramov, who was in London to attend a conference about Ukraine's recovery, complained too about the continued presence of thousands of Armenian troops on Azeri territory.

Moscow - which has peacekeepers on the ground - and Washington and the European Union are all trying separately to help ensure lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which have fought two wars since the early 1990s and still have sporadic firefights.

Pashinyan is under pressure at home to protect the rights of the ethnic Armenians living in the enclave as Baku pushes for ethnic Armenian government and military structures to be dissolved and the population to accept Azerbaijani passports.

Tensions have been raised by Baku installing a checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor - the only road that connects the enclave with Armenia - following months of disruption caused by people who called themselves Azerbaijani environmental activists.

Baku says the checkpoint is necessary to prevent the smuggling of military supplies into the enclave and illegally-mined materials out. It denies Armenian allegations that it has imposed a blockade that makes life miserable for Karabakh's inhabitants.

Ruben Vardanyan, a billionaire banker who was a top official in Karabakh's separatist government until February, on Thursday accused Baku of trying to "ethnically cleanse" the enclave by imposing what he called a goods and energy blockade - allegations that Azerbaijan denies.

Bayramov said a peace deal was within reach if Armenia was ready to take certain steps.

"If there is a will not only to make statements but do some practical steps, I think that potentially it's possible to reach an agreement even earlier than the end of the year," he said.

"But if there's no real readiness ... then it might be later."

Reporting by Andrew Osborn and Mike Collett-White Additional reporting by Alexander Marrow Editing by Kevin Liffey

https://www.reuters.com/world/azerbaijan-rejects-demand-guarantees-nagorno-karabakhs-ethnic-armenians-2023-06-22/

https://www.reuters.com/world/azerbaijan-rejects-demand-guarantees-nagorno-karabakhs-ethnic-armenians-2023-06-22/

[Yervant1]

Russia - June 22 2023

Baku impedes movement of Red Cross vehicles via Lachin Corridor, says Armenian PM

"The population of Nagorno-Karabakh lack supplies of the natural gas and electricity power, while local power supplies partly meet regional demands," Nikol Pashinyan said

YEREVAN, June 22. /TASS/. Azerbaijan is impeding the transportation of deliveries of medicine and goods via the Lachin corridor, that are supplied by the Red Cross organization, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday.

"There is no movement at all regarding civilian, transport cargo transportation along the Lachin corridor," Pashinyan stated addressing the country’s governmental session.

"Moreover, they even stop the Red Cross vehicles," Pashinyan continued. "The population of Nagorno-Karabakh lack supplies of the natural gas and electricity power, while local power supplies partly meet regional demands."

Azerbaijan has earlier established a checkpoint in the Lachin corridor. The Armenian Foreign Ministry criticized the move as a blatant violation of the trilateral agreement reached by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia, Nikol Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev, and Vladimir Putin in 2020, which put an end to hostilities around Nagorno-Karabakh that had been going on since the fall of that year.

In line with the terms of the agreement, Russian peacekeepers are deployed in the Lachin corridor. The Armenian prime minister has repeatedly expressed concern about the closure of the corridor and stated that Armenia will raise this issue in talks with Moscow.

The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh escalated on September 27, 2020. On November 9, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on the full cessation of hostilities. The sides stopped at their positions at that moment, a number of districts went under Baku’s control, and Russian peacekeepers were deployed to the contact line as well as to the Lachin Corridor.

Lachin Corridor

On December 12, 2022, a group of Azerbaijani activists claiming to be environmentalists blocked the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh and the place where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily stationed.

Baku stated that blocking the road was not the goal of the protest and civilian vehicles could freely move in both directions. However, Yerevan slammed the activity as a provocation by the Azerbaijani authorities aimed at creating a humanitarian disaster in the unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan pointe

https://tass.com/world/1636531

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Armenpress.am

U.S. government must urgently protect human rights in Artsakh amid threat of genocide – congressman

16:16, 22 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. United States Congressman Adam Schiff has called on the U.S. government to support the people of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) and support its path towards recognition, which it deserves.

Schiff made the comments at the U.S. Congress Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing on Safeguarding the People of Nagorno Karabakh.

He said that the U.S. government must take immediate actions to protect the human rights in Artsakh and condemn Azerbaijan’s ceasefire violations.

“The U.S. must call on Azerbaijan to immediately and unconditionally release all Armenian prisoners of war, hold Azerbaijan to account through sanctions and suspending aid for the ongoing blockade of Lachin Corridor, it must ensure the protection and the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh, when the Armenians of Artsakh have declared that they will not abandon their right to independence and goal to live peacefully, with dignity,” the congressman said.

The democratic and peace-loving population of Artsakh is subjected to the ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan’s authoritarian regime and is facing the threat of genocide, he warned.

Schiff quoted the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights stipulating that all peoples have the right to self-determination. He stated that Artsakh’s declaration of independence in 1991 was in line with international law and the UN Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States.

The congressman warned that the authoritarian regime of Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev cannot guarantee the security and rights of the 120,000 Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh because the Azeri authorities have organized numerous atrocities against Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh, including the ethnic cleansing of thousands of Armenians in Shushi and Hadrut during the 2020 war, the torture and killings of Armenians POWs and destruction of Armenian religious and cultural heritage.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1113895.html?fbclid=IwAR2rNwk5iGpevFzUmJG3EADvLpcZtivGsdYz13mnxXePq5VwNc0QR2HoF0g

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Armenpress.am

Azerbaijani authorities convert Armenian church into mosque in Nagorno Karabakh

12:04, 23 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani government is turning an Armenian church into a mosque in the territories under its control in Nagorno Karabakh.

A government agency in Nagorno Karabakh posted images online showing the St. Hambardzum Church of Berdzor (Lachin) in Nagorno Karabakh being converted into a mosque.

“Azerbaijan is turning the St. Hambardzum Church of Berdzor into a mosque. Appropriation of history, destruction of cultural identity, religious intolerance and falsification,” the State Service of Preservation of Historic Environment of Nagorno Karabakh said in a statement.

[see videos]

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1113954.html?fbclid=IwAR0RD1RgEDr3_61x7bTTdcpR_xM8PfamvkupDNaQfN22acWFcCtbbPURhs4

[Yervant1]

June 23 2023

Nagorno-Karabakh under total blockade Azerbaijan shut down all traffic between Nagorno-Karabakh and the outside world on June 15, exacerbating shortages and preventing patients from seeking urgent medical care.Lilit Shahverdyan Jun 23, 2023

After Azerbaijan imposed a blockade on Nagorno-Karabakh on December 12, vehicles of Russian peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were still able to access the region to bring in limited supplies and transport people needing special medical attention.

But since June 15, Baku has been denying access to all humanitarian convoys, leaving the Armenian population of roughly 120,000 to rely entirely on their own resources.

The total blockade immediately followed a shootout near the newly installed Azerbaijani border post on the road in the Lachin corridor, which connects Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.

The Armenian government released a video of the incident that purported to show Azerbaijani border troops escorted by Russian peacekeepers advancing from the checkpoint towards Armenia over the Hakari bridge and hoisting an Azerbaijani flag at the opposite end of the bridge. The group then comes under fire from the Armenian side and retreats.

Armenia's National Security Service (NSS) reported that its border guards stopped the Azerbaijani soldiers from advancing into Armenian territory in an attempt to plant an Azerbaijani flag there.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry responded that their servicemen did not cross into Armenian territory, and the shooting was a "military provocation" attempting to prevent the "successful functioning" of the checkpoint; it added that one Azerbaijani soldier was wounded in the incident.

The conflicting claims are unsurprising as the border between the two countries is undelimited and undemarcated.

Following the incident, Azerbaijan suspended all movement along the Lachin corridor "until Armenia takes full responsibility for the provocation it committed."

Nagorno-Karabakh's de facto state minister, Gurgen Nersisyan, urged the population to live frugally and cut back on consumption. "Our farms will suffice for the population's basic needs, though at the lowest levels," he said.

The total blockade came just as Karabakh Armenians had started using the Azerbaijani checkpoint to travel in and out of the region with Russian peacekeeper escort. The checkpoint's installation in late April followed a four-and-a-half-month blockade staged by Azerbaijani government-backed activists.

Eteri Musayelyan, the ICRC spokeswoman in Karabakh, confirmed to RFE/RL that the Red Cross has been unable to evacuate Karabakhis to Armenia for urgent medical care. She said vehicles carrying 25 patients were turned back after the incident.

Besides food and medicine shortages, the region has had no natural gas supply since March 22, and electricity blackouts become more frequent as the local key reservoir dries up in summer.

"External supplies of food and other essential goods into Nagorno Karabakh are suspended, there is a significant shortage of medication. There's even no chance to transport critically-ill patients in such conditions. Everything is being done to make the lives of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh impossible. This is what a policy of ethnic cleansing looks like," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on June 22.

As Russian peacekeepers were seen in the video on June 15 escorting Azerbaijani servicemen, the Armenian Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador in Yerevan to express "strong discontent" with the peacekeepers' action.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded on June 22 that the peacekeepers were doing a good job of stabilizing the situation and blamed the incident on the lack of a delimited border.

Russia periodically oversees peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan. These talks are not coordinated with the EU and U.S., which also mediate between the parties on a separate track.

In her remarks, Zakharova called on Baku to "take steps to completely unblock the [Lachin] corridor for humanitarian purposes and not to hold Karabakh's population hostage to political disagreements with Yerevan."

Speaking during a visit to Armenia and the Armenia-Karabakh border, chair of the Security and Defense Subcommittee of the European Parliament Nathalie Loiseau, voiced the same sentiment. "Blocking the Lachin Corridor is illegal and must be stopped," she said.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry responded to PM Pashinyan's accusations on June 22, restating Baku's intention to do everything to "integrate" the Karabakh Armenians into Azerbaijan's "political, legal and socioeconomic frameworks."

Lilit Shahverdyan is a journalist based in Stepanakert.

https://eurasianet.org/nagorno-karabakh-under-total-blockade

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

BREAKING: Azerbaijan installs concrete barrier on Lachin Corridor

17:25, 23 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, ARMENPRESS. Yesterday, on June 22, the Azerbaijani side engaged in another provocation and committed a criminal act by installing a concrete barrier to block the sole road connecting Artsakh and Armenia (Lachin Corridor), the Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) InfoCenter said in a press release.

 

Furthermore, in addition to establishing an illegal checkpoint and obstructing the road with armored vehicles, Azerbaijan is now actively impeding any movement, including those by the Red Cross and peacekeepers.

This incident serves as yet another illustration of the Azerbaijani authorities' criminal intent to isolate the people of Artsakh from the rest of the world and employ various repressive measures.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1113990.html?fbclid=IwAR31C6_SniqTSzvmbbcvXTgph4qVjDmOFbu7cSFBbuN7OoXqImfQQRf33sc

[Yervant1]

They do talk a lot, but do nothing!

 

Armenpress.am

The EU is seriously concerned about the almost complete blockade of the Lachin Corridor

20:15, 23 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 23, ARMENPRESS. The EU is seriously concerned about the almost complete blockade of the Lachin Corridor and considers it a direct threat to the livelihood of the local population and raises serious concerns about a possible humanitarian crisis, ARMENPRESS reports, reads the press release of the EU spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Nabila Massrali.

The EU has been closely following the growing tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the past few weeks, with daily shootings along the international border of the two countries, in addition to similar incidents along the Karabakh line of contact.

"The almost complete blocking of the Lachin Corridor since June 15 is very worrying. This directly threatens the livelihood of the local population and raises serious concerns about a possible humanitarian crisis.

Following a series of recent high-level meetings, the EU continues to engage at the highest political level to help ease these tensions and find mutually acceptable solutions," the message said.

Yesterday, June 22, the Azerbaijani side resorted to another provocation and criminal action, closing the only road between Artsakh and Armenia (Lachin Corridor) with a concrete barrier.

"In fact, in addition to the illegal checkpoint and blocking the road with armored vehicles, Azerbaijan is now demonstratively blocking the road, preventing any movement, including by the Red Cross and peacekeepers.

This incident once again demonstrates the criminal goals of the Azerbaijani authorities to completely isolate the people of Artsakh from the outside world and to use all methods of repression," said the press release of Artsakh's information headquarters.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1114000.html?fbclid=IwAR2nhWmjpe_JgiHDMVqoX4uA5ClAzZAvbJdATLSuxrnrxohCef8LBRpx2EM

 

[Yervant1]

June 23 2023

Europe condemns Azerbaijan: “Stop the isolation of Karabakh: Baku violates human rights and incites hatred against Armenians”

June 23, 2023

Following an urgent debate to “ensure free and safe access through the Lachin Corridor”, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Thursday 22 June expressed its extreme concern over the humanitarian emergency in Nagorno Karabakh, in the Caucasus southern. Since 12 December 2022 Azerbaijan, despite the agreements signed in 2020 with Armenia and Russia at the end of the 44-day war, has closed the Lachin corridor, the only access route to the Armenian exclave, deliberately cutting off electricity supplies , gas, food, water and medicines: for over seven months more than 120,000 people have been completely isolated without any means of support or escape route.

The European Parliament “while fully recognizing Azerbaijan’s concern to guarantee security within its territory and at its borders”, declared itself shocked “by the fact that the Azerbaijani leadership does not recognize the very serious humanitarian and human rights consequences deriving from the current situation”. The resolution presented by Irishman Paul Gavan reminded Azerbaijan of its duty to “protect and ensure the safety of all those living within its internationally recognized borders”.

The Assembly expressed the conviction that “a humanitarian response alone is not sufficient and therefore a political solution is needed”. And he urgently asked to address the questions of the rights and security of the population of Nagorno Karabakh – a historically Armenian region – by promoting dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert, the capitals of Azerbaijan and of the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, «also through involvement neutral international”.

The Council of Europe recalled the recent intimations of the International Court of Justice: «Azerbaijan urgently adopts all measures at its disposal necessary to ensure the unhindered movement of people, vehicles and goods along the Lachin Corridor in both directions » and therefore invited Baku to respect the peremptory order issued by the Tribunal of The Hague last February 22nd.

The Assembly, noting that “the accusations presented by Azerbaijan against Armenia have been rejected by both international tribunals”, nevertheless invited Yerevan to concretely commit itself “to the easing of tensions” by allowing “international monitoring to assess the truthfulness of Azerbaijan’s accusations regarding the illegal weapons introduced in Nagorno Karabakh», an issue extremely dear to Azerbaijani propaganda which, for this reason, continues to deny the ongoing blockade in Lachin.

The European Council then expressed great concern “over the hostile and threatening rhetoric” used against the Armenians by the Azerbaijani leadership. He then urged Azerbaijan to take all necessary measures “to counter incitement to hatred even by high-level public officials”. The same appeal was made to Armenia.

“While welcoming the mutual recognition of the territorial integrity of Armenia and Azerbaijan and considering it as the first step towards the end of a conflict that has already caused too many victims and tragedies in thirty years”, the Assembly recalled that “both the countries undertook to resolve the conflict by peaceful means when, in 2001, they joined the Council of Europe».

Resolution 15796 was approved with 48 votes in favour, 16 those against (with Azeris, Turks and Cypriots also the Northern League supporter Graziano Pizzimenti), 3 instead abstentions including the Italians (in FdI share) Maria Cristina Caretta and Elisabetta Gardini.

https://www.breakinglatest.news/world/europe-condemns-azerbaijan-stop-the-isolation-of-karabakh-baku-violates-human-rights-and-incites-hatred-against-armenians/

[Yervant1]

TDPel Media

June 26 2023

Existential Crisis: Christian Communities at Risk in Azerbaijan-Armenia War

Judah Olanisebee

By Judah Olanisebee for TDPel Media.

Christian Communities in Near East Face Existential Threat Amid Azerbaijan-Armenia Conflict

Prominent Christian leaders, including former ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom Sam Brownback, have issued a warning that the ongoing war between Azerbaijan and Armenia poses a grave risk to the Christian communities in the near east.

Brownback’s concerns were expressed following his recent visit to Armenia with the Christian human rights group Philos Project, where he witnessed the impact of the conflict firsthand.

 

Religious Cleansing and Blockade:

Brownback, a Catholic, denounced Islamic Azerbaijan’s invasion of Armenia and its ongoing blockade of the Nagorno-Karabakh region as an attempt at “religious cleansing” targeting the Christian nation.

Backed by Turkey, Azerbaijan is gradually strangling Nagorno-Karabakh, aiming to make the region unlivable for its Armenian-Christian population and force their displacement.

Urgent Call for Intervention:

To prevent the expulsion of another ancient Christian population from its homeland, Brownback urged the United States to intervene.

 

He called on Congress to pass a “Nagorno-Karabakh Human Rights Act” to provide essential security guarantees for the Nagorno-Karabakh population.

Additionally, Brownback emphasized the need for the U.S. to reinstate previously imposed sanctions on Azerbaijan if it continues its blockade.

Similar Attacks and Current Support:

According to Brownback, Christians in the near east have faced similar attacks in the past.

However, this time the religious cleansing is being carried out with U.S.-supplied weaponry and with the support of Turkey, a NATO member.

The location of Armenia, sandwiched between Turkey and Azerbaijan, makes it vulnerable to these regional dynamics.

With over 90% of the population being Christian, Armenia has deep-rooted Christian heritage dating back to ancient times.

Historical Context and Conflict:

The conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region dates back to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, when both Armenia and Azerbaijan claimed the land for themselves.

Following the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1994, Armenia gained primary control of the region.

However, tensions between the two nations reignited in September 2020, resulting in a brief but intense military conflict.

Russia facilitated a peace deal in November, but Azerbaijan gained significant control, leaving Armenia with limited access to Nagorno-Karabakh through the “Lachin corridor.”

Humanitarian Crisis and Urgent Need for Assistance:

The ongoing Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin corridor since December has severely impacted Armenian infrastructure in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The situation is dire, with limited access to essential supplies, such as natural gas and electricity, causing immense suffering for the region’s population.

Philos Project President Robert Nicholson highlighted the urgent need for assistance, emphasizing that families have been separated, surgeries have been canceled, and the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are in desperate need of help.

Conflict as an Ideological Struggle:

Contrary to the territorial dispute narrative often portrayed in media coverage, Brownback and Nicholson stress that the conflict in Azerbaijan and Armenia is rooted in ideology and religion.

It is not merely a question of land but also a clash of values.

The Armenian people, according to Nicholson, have modest demands: the desire to live securely in their homeland.

Room for Peaceful Resolution:

Despite the challenges and threats faced by Armenian Christian communities, Nicholson maintains that their plight is not a lost cause.

Armenia continues to demonstrate vibrancy amidst the hardships.

Nicholson believes that the United States can play a constructive role in facilitating a peaceful and just solution to the conflict, considering the alliance with both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Conclusion:

 

The Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict poses a significant threat to Christian communities in the near east.

Religious cleansing and the ongoing blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh are pushing Armenia’s Armenian-Christian population towards displacement.

Urgent intervention is necessary to safeguard their rights and security.

The international community, including the United States, has a crucial role to play in bringing about a peaceful resolution and alleviating the humanitarian crisis in the region.

https://tdpelmedia.com/existential-crisis-christian-communities-at-risk-in-azerbaijan-armenia-war/

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Aliyev continues to demonstrate his plans for ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. French MP

18:45, 28 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS. Member of the French National Assembly, head of the France-Armenia friendship group Anne-Laurence Petel condemned the Azerbaijani attack in Nagorno-Karabakh.

"On behalf of the France-Armenia friendship group, I strongly condemn the Azerbaijani attack, which took the lives of four soldiers from Artsakh last night. Now that the blockade has lasted 200 days, Aliyev continues to demonstrate his plans for ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. What do (President of the European Commission) Ursula von der Leyen and (Head of the European Council) Charles Michel think about this "reliable partner", ARMENPRESS reports, the French MP wrote on her Twitter page.

On June 28, from 01:30, the units of the Azerbaijani armed forces opened artillery fire in the direction of the Armenian positions of Martuni and Martakert, using drones as well. The Armenian side has 4 victims.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1114340.html?fbclid=IwAR3jV7k43aSoG2bpG5Hxaulna0vt6-WYZL6ZpN6yjf6n-CI4bIRdOmrIrIc

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

EU condemns Azerbaijani ambassador’s ‘totally unacceptable’ threat regarding Armenia trip - OC Media

10:14, 29 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 29, ARMENPRESS. The EU has condemned an apparent threat to members of the European parliament by Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the EU, Vagif Sadigov.

Sadigov, who also serves as the country’s ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, tweeted on 23 June in response to a visit by a delegation of MEPs to Armenia which travelled close to the border with Azerbaijan.

An EU spokesperson told OC Media that they were aware of the tweet.

‘We condemn such behaviour which is totally unacceptable for an Ambassador accredited to the EU’, the spokesperson said.

Sadigov tweeted an image and description of an Azerbaijani-produced sniper rifle with the following caption:

‘They know what they are doing to protect themselves. The Istiglal IST-14.5 anti-materiel sniper rifle produced in Azerbaijan has the effective firing range of about 3,000 m. Guys, keep clear of Azerbaijani state border…’

 

Nathalie Loiseau, an MEP who chairs the European Parliament’s Security and Defence Subcommittee and who led the delegation to Armenia, reacted angrily to Sadigov’s tweet on Monday.

‘Is this a threat towards Members of the European Parliament? Does it really come from an [Azerbaijani] «diplomat»? To what level has Azerbaijan’s diplomacy fallen?’, she tweeted.

 

‘Disrespecting an ICJ decision and taking 120 000 human beings hostage, there is nothing to be proud of. Is it what makes you lose your nerves? We, Europeans with strong values, aren’t impressed. We will continue to support peace and respect for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.’

Arif Shahmarli, who served as Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the EU from 2000–2007, and to the Council of Europe from 2006–2012, also condemned Sadigov’s actions.

‘It is ridiculous and unacceptable for an educated and experienced diplomat like Vagif Sadigov to write such a tweet, it is a pity’, Shahmarli told OC Media.

‘Personally, I regret this kind of behaviour, because these kinds of steps will not bring good things to Azerbaijan. On the contrary, it is an action that will be used against Azerbaijan at a time when peace negotiations are ongoing.’

‘The fact that he uses the Azerbaijan-made İSTIGLAL sniper rifle in his rhetoric on Twitter is similar to President Aliyev’s rhetoric, in my opinion’, Shahmarli said. ‘Maybe this was an ordered post.’

‘It seems that Azerbaijani diplomats have already switched to harsh rhetoric’, he added.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1114366.html?fbclid=IwAR07gFLAIGrtud2YxbmsNHXEd1MLXZ9_LVx6JLX4pE2mDwSAYlftjtBkt8Q

[MosJan]

[MosJan]

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Senior Armenian diplomat calls on international community to prevent new Azerbaijani provocation in Nagorno Karabakh

16:42, 1 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 1, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan has called on the international community to prevent another provocation by Azerbaijan and its policy of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh.

“Azerbaijani media reports about a new special operation being prepared by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh. Reasoning that the 4 servicemen who were killed in Nagorno-Karabakh on June 28 as a result of the Azerbaijani provocation were servicemen of the Armenian Defense Ministry,” Marukyan tweeted on July 1. “The allegations of the Azerbaijani side are completely false, there are no Armenian servicemen in NK, the killed servicemen were from NK. Armenia has repeatedly offered an international fact-finding mission to be sent to Nagorno-Karabakh to prove the presence or absence of the units of Armenian Armed Forces. Azerbaijan rejected that offer. Azerbaijan's initiation of a new provocation will once again violate the trilateral statement of November 9, according to which Russian peacekeepers must ensure the safety of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. The international community should follow the actions of the Azerbaijani side in order to prevent another provocation and Azerbaijan's policy of ethnic cleansing against the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians,” he added.

Armenia does not maintain any military presence in Nagorno Karabakh but Azerbaijan is falsely accusing it of having troops there.

The most recent false accusation happened after the June 28 Azeri attack in Nagorno Karabakh, which left four Nagorno Karabakh troops dead. Azerbaijan falsely claimed that two of the four fallen troops were servicemen of the Armed Forces of Armenia. The bodies of the two soldiers were transported by the ICRC to Armenia to be buried in the Yerablur pantheon based on the desire of the families. The Nagorno Karabakh Human Rights Defender released documents proving that the fallen troops were servicemen of the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1114545.html?fbclid=IwAR15u3UGEa2PjjMilTaPRKb1DE-zCGpp_orzZkqVFiyTThdcUSE4QFx47Yk