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JAM News
Oct 3 2024
 
 

Demand for Pashinyan’s resignation – live at midnight on Armenia's Public TV

The leader of the “Tavush for the Homeland” movement, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, appeared on Armenia’s Public TV after midnight, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Following a rally held in Yerevan’s main square, he demanded the opportunity to address the nation. He, along with hundreds of his supporters, then arrived at the public television building, where additional police units were already present.

The executive director of the TV company, Hovhannes Movsisyan, met with the movement’s leader and his supporters. He offered not only an opportunity to address the public but also suggested an interview, allowing Galstanyan to answer questions from the people of Armenia. The proposal seemed aimed at avoiding any provocations. After consultations with the opposition members accompanying him, Galstanyan agreed to the interview, despite initially rejecting this format.

“We have planned to remove this government one hour earlier,” he stated during the live broadcast.

This was the central message of the Archbishop’s address. He also invited people to his next rally and reiterated that this was the “decisive and final stage of the struggle to end the empire of lies.” He emphasized that the movement would continue fighting until the end:

“They have no connection to our homeland, to the state. They serve the Turkish and Azerbaijani leadership, carrying out all their orders. With a happy face, he [Pashinyan] hugs the book of the leader of a hostile state [the president of Turkey]. He obediently follows all the orders of Heydar Aliyev [referring to Ilham Aliyev].”

Archbishop Galstanyan did not respond to questions from the program’s host, Petros Ghazaryan, stating that he came not for a conversation but to address the nation. On several occasions, he refused to answer questions, saying he was “not there for an interrogation.”


The “Tavush for the Homeland” movement began its active actions on May 4. On this day, participants of the movement, led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, marched from the village of Kirants in the Tavush region to Yerevan, reaching the capital on May 9.

Initially, the movement announced its goal as halting the “illegal delimitation” of the Tavush segment of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. However, during the first rally in Yerevan, Galstanyan declared that their primary demand was the resignation of the Prime Minister.

For several months, the movement’s members held acts of civil disobedience and rallies. On June 12, they organized a protest on the streets surrounding the parliament. In an attempt to block the Prime Minister from exiting the National Assembly building, protesters tried to break through the police cordon. The police used special means to disperse the crowd. More than 100 people, including police officers, were injured. After the clashes, the Archbishop announced that the struggle would continue, no matter the circumstances. However, the active phase of the protests resumed only months later, on October 2.

“It’s time to wake up and sober up”: Address to the nation

The leader of the movement stated that the current government of Armenia makes new concessions every day, and therefore it must be removed. According to Galstanyan, “lies and deceit have become the government’s policy,” and its leader is now illegitimate, as he has deviated from the program he presented to the people during the elections:

“It’s time to wake up and sober up. They have surrendered Artsakh and the territories of nearly all the border regions of our country. We have thousands of victims. And they still intend to continue submitting to various demands. They are striving to sign a fake peace agreement, begging for it like alms. For the sake of an illusory offer of a ‘better life,’ they propose we forget our homeland, our dreams, our martyrs.”

He called on the people to fight against this disaster, this catastrophe, and made a specific appeal to businesspeople:

“Many of you serve the regime. But you have no right to remain silent now, because you are losing your homeland. For many of you, the homeland is your property. But this won’t last long. Look at what happened in Artsakh – the same will happen in Armenia. That day is not far off. The entire propaganda machine of our peace-loving, deceitful leadership is aimed at surrendering the state [to Turkey and Azerbaijan], no matter how they try to present it to us.”

“We will come for you”: Address to Pashinyan

The protest leader also directly addressed Nikol Pashinyan, who “still remains” the head of the government:

“You came to power through lies, fraud, and the usurpation of power. You have overthrown the constitutional order, failed in every way, and completely deviated from the promises and programs you presented to society. Our struggle will continue as long as you, as the embodiment of absolute evil, remain in charge of this government. We, the descendants of Hayk, will come for you. The government of evil will fall.”

Galstanyan refused to answer questions on the Trilateral statement

The program’s host, Petros Ghazaryan, asked Archbishop Galstanyan how he envisions the implementation of the 9th point of the trilateral statement signed in November 2020. This document marked the end of the war in Karabakh, and the 9th point concerns the unblocking of regional communications. The journalist inquired whether Galstanyan intends to withdraw Armenia’s signature from the document if he comes to power.

“One person cannot bring disaster and then tell others to overcome the catastrophe. The person who signed this paper – that same deceitful individual – must bear the responsibility,” the movement leader responded.

He called the trilateral statement a “document of shame and disgrace” and emphasized, “whether we annul it or not is up to us.” However, Galstanyan did not clearly express his stance regarding the 9th point of the statement.

“There are no negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. There is only one-sided dictation,” he stressed.

“It’s none of your business”: Response to questions about meetings with opposition politicians

The leader of the “Tavush for the Homeland” movement, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, also refused to answer a question regarding his discussion with former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan during their recent meeting.

“It’s none of your business. If I deemed it necessary, I would have announced it,” he said.

Galstanyan confirmed that he had met with all opposition figures and former presidents and would continue to meet with them in the future.

“I’m not going to discuss any program here,” was his response when asked about the movement’s future actions and plans.

Throughout the interview, the Archbishop repeatedly emphasized that the movement is fighting “for the homeland and the honor that this government, this evil, has taken from us.”

He accused public television of “propagating lies,” specifically referring to reports that the movement lacks a plan of action. He insisted that the movement does have both content and a program: “There will be mistakes in some areas, and we will be right in others.” However, he refused to provide any further details about the program.

Comments from Social Media

Here’s what users from the Armenian social media segment are saying about the latest events:

“No sect could have struck such a blow to Christianity, faith, and our holy church as this [archbishop] has.”

“If you had even 1% of Nikol Pashinyan’s patriotism, we might believe you.”

“He doesn’t answer a single question, just like his radical masters. Yet, he has come to save us.”

“It turns out that this man only seeks to gain power. Even he doesn’t know what he’ll do next.”

“Every six months, as I watch this Russian drama unfold, I become more convinced that Russian special services are good at only one thing – seizing power through terror.”

https://jam-news.net/galstanyan-on-armenias-public-tv-details/

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Interfax
Oct 1 2024
 
 

Armenia doesn't agree to limited sovereignty as part of unblocking regional communications - Pashinyan

 

YEREVAN. Oct 1 (Interfax) - Armenia has never agreed to limit its sovereignty as part of unblocking regional transport communications, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.

"The Republic of Armenia was ready to provide full security of cargo, vehicles and passengers [from Azerbaijan] on its territory. By the way, all allegations that Armenia had agreed somewhere in some document to third countries providing the security of communications on its territory are a mere distortion of the reality," Pashinyan said at a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Yerevan on Tuesday.

"The same applies to certain comments according to which Armenia has somewhere, ever, somehow agreed to a certain limitation of its sovereignty in relation to regional communications," he said.

"No such thing has ever happened, and this is also an obvious distortion of reality," Pashinyan said.

"The Armenian obligation is clear: to guarantee the security of cargo, vehicles and people on its territory, and we guarantee that," he said.

Armenia's effective transport and logistics policy is a relevant issue, Pashinyan said.

"From the point of view of faster cargo delivery and the search for new, alternative transport communications between Asia and Europe, the North and the South, I want to highlight the Crossroads of Peace project yet again. The project aims to create the most favorable conditions for the development of trade and economic relations between all interested states and a significant increase in the region's logistics potential based on full respect for the sovereignty and jurisdiction of states and the principles of equality and reciprocity," he said.

 

https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/106218/ 

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Azatutyun.am

 

Armenian Protest Leader Draws Skepticism From Another Cleric

Հոկտեմբեր 04, 2024
 
image.png
Armenia - Archbishop Mikael Ajapahian talks to reporters in Abovian, May 8, 2024.
 

Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian’s renewed street protests in Yerevan are unlikely to force Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian to resign, another high-ranking clergyman critical of the Armenian government said on Friday.

“May Monsignor Bagrat’s optimism defeat my pessimism,” Archbishop Mikael Ajapahian, the head of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, told journalists.

Ajapahian said that Galstanian has made a number of mistakes during his campaign for regime change sparked by Pashinian’s territorial concessions to Azerbaijan. He singed out the protest leader’s cooperation with former Presidents Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sarkisian who lead the two opposition groups represented in the Armenian parliament.

Pashinian, his political allies and media outlets controlled by them have exploited that cooperation in an effort to discourage more Armenians, who are unhappy with their current and former rules, from taking to the streets.

Galstanian held fresh meetings with Kocharian, Sarkisian and senior opposition parliamentarians before resuming his antigovernment rallies in Yerevan on Wednesday. He pulled a visibly smaller crowd in the city’s Republic Square than he did during protests staged there in May and June.

ARMENIA - Supporters of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian rally in Yerevan's central Republic Square, outside government headquarters on October 2, 2024.
ARMENIA - Supporters of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian rally in Yerevan's central Republic Square, outside government headquarters on October 2, 2024.

In an apparent bid to attract a larger following, Galstanian appealed for a “broad consolidation” of opposition groups around his movement, saying that they must drop their “ambitions and arrogance” and put aside their differences. Ajapahian criticized that appeal.

“There are no [genuine] political forces in Armenia, and that’s the tragedy. He should have stayed in that May 9 format: independent and free,” he said, adding that this is the reason why Republic Square was packed with demonstrators that day.

Artsvik Minasian, a senior member of Kocharian’s Hayastan alliance that continues to strongly support Galstanian’s movement, dismissed the criticism, likening it to the Pashinian administration’s “propaganda.”

“This is the Armenian people’s movement which is now led by the Archbishop,” Minasian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

Right after Wednesday’s rally, Galstanian and his supporters marched to the headquarters of Armenian Public Television to demand live airtime from the government-controlled broadcaster. The latter essentially met the demand after Galstanian agreed, for his part, to answer questions from its main talk show host.

In a 12-minute message broadcast shortly after midnight, Galstanian repeated his harsh criticism of Pashinian and urged Armenians to “wake up” and attend his next rally scheduled for Sunday. Ajapahian, who is also an outspoken critic of Pashinian, was unimpressed by the fellow archbishop’s televised remarks, saying that they were too “sentimental.”

 

 

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JAM News
Oct 4 2024
 
 

"In Armenia, it is possible to freely express your opinions without fear": USAID study

Armenian citizens believe that the country enjoys a high level of freedom of speech, both in society and in the media. The U.S. Agency for International Development has published the results of its annual study on freedom of speech and media consumption in Armenia.

According to it, 75% of respondents assess the level of freedom of speech in society as fully or partially free, while this figure stands at 72% when it comes to the media.

The number of people who believe that the authorities and relevant institutions in Armenia effectively protect the freedom of speech of both media outlets and individuals has increased in 2024 by 8% compared to the previous year.



“People can freely express their opinions on both the government and the opposition”

The USAID study was conducted using a mixed methodology. A total of 1,106 people aged 18 and older participated in the surveys. Additionally, focus group discussions were organized. Most study participants defined freedom of speech as “the ability to express one’s opinion without fear of consequences.”

“They believe that in Armenia, both individuals and journalists can freely express their opinions on both the government and the opposition without fear of repercussions,” according to the results of the survey and focus group discussions.

44% are satisfied with journalists’ professionalism

The level of professionalism among journalists and the ethical standards of their materials remains at 44%, the same as in 2023.

Respondents who expressed dissatisfaction were primarily urban residents, particularly those from Yerevan. Researchers attribute this to the higher level of media consumption and control in the capital.

The most popular media sources among respondents are Armenian television channels (80%) and news websites (73%), followed by blogs, video blogs, and podcasts (48%).

According to the study, people primarily access websites through social media platforms. Among social platforms, YouTube is the most popular (81%), followed by Facebook (77%). Compared to last year, interest in Instagram has grown significantly – from 42% to 52%.

In terms of popularity, blogs, video blogs, and podcasts (48%) follow television channels and websites.

Respondents outraged by “abuse of freedom of speech”

Respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that some journalists may “publish misleading stories for the sake of likes.” They negatively assessed such manipulative content, emphasizing that its authors are not held accountable.

According to the study, the audience is outraged that “offensive and inappropriate statements are justified by freedom of speech.”

In the opinion of the respondents, the lowest level of freedom of speech in the Armenian media is observed in newspapers. They consider blogs, video blogs, podcasts, and news websites to be “completely free” or “relatively free.”

Respondents demand “respect for society and human rights”

Survey participants also indicated the principles that the media should follow in their work.

The most important principle for them is “respect for society and human rights” (45%), followed by “impartiality and honesty” (37%).

However, respondents believe that these principles are the ones most frequently violated in Armenian media.

Another significant issue for 80% of the participants is hate speech. The majority (66%) think that such language is most commonly encountered in the online segment of social media.

https://jam-news.net/freedom-of-speech-in-armenia-results-of-the-usaid-study/

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Armenpress.am

 
Armenia22:00, 5 October 2024

Francophone countries adopt resolution supporting Armenia and peace process

Read the article in: FrançaisՀայերեն

 

Francophone countries adopt resolution supporting Armenia and peace process

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Within the framework of the 19th Summit of La Francophonie, the "Resolution on crisis situations in the Francophone space, overcoming them and strengthening of peace" was adopted, through which 54 member states of the organisation expressed solidarity with Armenia and the peace process, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said.

Within the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan the resolution emphasized the respect for the territorial integrity of the two countries in line with the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration.

The member states of La Francophonie welcomed the progress made in the delimitation process and the restoration of the interstate border, based on the principles reaffirmed in the Protocol of April 19, 2024 as well as encouraged the reopening of regional communications based on the respect for the principles of sovereignty, national jurisdiction, equality and reciprocity. The unacceptability of the use of force was emphasized, while urging to refrain from warmongering rhetoric and hate speech, which could hinder the peace process.

The resolution also stressed the importance of the European Union’s civilian mission (EUMA) in Armenia and its contribution to stability in the border areas.

The resolution emphasized the need to ensure continuous humanitarian assistance for the 115,000 forcibly displaced refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as addressing the issues of prisoners of war, other detained persons, and missing persons.

 The OIF reiterated its concern regarding the destruction of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh and the support from the member states for the implementation of UNESCO’s mission in Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1201616?fbclid=IwY2xjawFu00dleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHbjIhsLffOB1v-28PrVC4Zk5x5PjtVYnlYDFZBErp1KAVMDc7eUq7RxQnw_aem_4HkZZMBmdCRZ7ib_vuw0qQ

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Christian Post
Oct 8 2024
 

What I saw in Armenia and why the American church needs to care

By Jim Garlow, Op-ed contributor Tuesday, October 08, 2024
Armenian refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh are seen in the center of the town of Goris on October 1, 2023, before being evacuated in various Armenian cities. A United Nations mission arrived in Nagorno-Karabakh on October 1, 2023, Azerbaijan said, after almost the entire ethnic-Armenian population fled since Baku recaptured the breakaway enclave. Armenians, who had controlled the region for three decades, agreed to disarm, dissolve their government and reintegrate with Baku following a one-day Azerbaijani offensive last week.Armenian refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh are seen in the center of the town of Goris on October 1, 2023, before being evacuated in various Armenian cities. A United Nations mission arrived in Nagorno-Karabakh on October 1, 2023, Azerbaijan said, after almost the entire ethnic-Armenian population fled since Baku recaptured the breakaway enclave. Armenians, who had controlled the region for three decades, agreed to disarm, dissolve their government and reintegrate with Baku following a one-day Azerbaijani offensive last week. DIEGO HERRERA CARCEDO/AFP via Getty Images

I had the opportunity to join a delegation hosted by Save Armenia: A Judeo-Christian Alliance to Armenia over the summer, and what I witnessed was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. The delegation was a group of Christians from the United States who wanted to discover Armenia, its Christian heritage, and all the hardships that the country has faced over the years.

In particular, this fact-finding mission explored the reality for Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and what these Christians experienced at the hands of Azerbaijan which ruthlessly invaded their homeland in 2020 and in the fall of 2023. Azerbaijan ethnically and religiously cleansed the region from Armenians and their precious Christian heritage that has been in their land for over 2,000 years.

The heartwarming aspect of our visit was with the Armenian people and their amazing hospitality, and their willingness to open their hearts and doors to our delegation. We were received and embraced by the Armenians at every stage of the visit. The sense of their faith and commitment to being a Christian nation was almost palpable at nearly every stage of our schedule and travel around the country. We saw churches, monasteries, and other Christian holy sites throughout the land that have stood there as a testament to the nation’s commitment to embrace the teachings of Jesus. They have kept that commitment throughout the centuries as the people have persevered through remarkable hardship perhaps culminating in the horrific genocide of 1915 where the Ottoman Turks massacred nearly a million and a half Armenian Christians. Unfortunately, as we discovered during the visit, this same hate continues to plague the first Christian nation in the world.

What broke our hearts during the visit was hearing the testimonies of the witnesses and survivors of persecution. Just over a year ago, the forces of Azerbaijan invaded the autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) killing innocent civilians and destroying Christian churches, cemeteries, and other holy sites that have existed in that region for hundreds of years. Nagorno-Karabakh is an Armenian-Christian land. The people of that region are Armenian and they have every right to continue to live in that land.

We heard the stories and saw images of unspeakable horrors that the Armenian people of Artsakh endured at the hands of the Azerbaijanis. One woman shared the story of her sister who was gang raped, murdered, and mutilated by the Azerbaijani soldiers, after which they took pictures of the desecrated body and celebrated their actions on social media. The savagery of these actions cannot be overstated and while the government of Azerbaijan continues their policy of ethnic and religious cleansing of the land, they are supposedly engaged in a peace process with the Armenian people. Not for a moment do we believe that they are negotiating this peace in good faith. While the process is ongoing, the Azerbaijani government is holding captive Armenian civilians, political leaders, and prisoners of war who have cited instances of terrible treatment including torture at the hands of the Azerbaijanis.

https://www.christianpost.com/voices/what-i-saw-in-armenia-and-why-the-american-church-needs-to-care.html 

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Armenpress.am

 
Politics15:55, 8 October 2024

Pashinyan praises ‘active political dialogue’ with Russia

Pashinyan praises ‘active political dialogue’ with Russia

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan praised the “active political dialogue” with Russia in the past few months.

“I am happy to note that we’ve had rather active political dialogue during the past months,” Pashinyan told Putin. “Deputy Prime Minister [of Russia] Alexey Overchuk visited Yerevan, and in addition to the intergovernmental commission meeting we also comprehensively talked about nearly all issues on the bilateral agenda. In the beginning of October, the EEU intergovernmental council session was held in Yerevan, and during that event we substantially discussed issues pertaining to our cooperation. And today is also a good opportunity to sum up these discussions, and I am very happy for this chance,” Pashinyan said in the beginning of the meeting.

 


 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1201776?fbclid=IwY2xjawFy7PpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXu5FEWKv-t-fZewC4KffU57hyJ3Ij5rdyhssr4AQO0VfRHB6ONGmw03xQ_aem_1cPzd9bkedEejhZ-as8kmg

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Armenpress.am

 
Politics18:29, 8 October 2024

From January 1, 2025, Armenian Border Guard Troops to join protection of Armenia-Iran and Armenia-Turkey borders

From January 1, 2025, Armenian Border Guard Troops to join protection of Armenia-Iran and Armenia-Turkey borders

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS:Nazeli Baghdasaryan, Press secretary for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, shared details about the results of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Baghdasaryan stated on her Facebook page that during the meeting, Prime Minister Pashinyan presented the details of Armenia's "Crossroads of Peace" project, handed its brochure to the Russian president, and expressed concern about the language and terminology used by certain Russian officials regarding regional issues.

He emphasized that the narrative of the government of the Republic of Armenia concerning regional communications remains consistent in both closed and open formats.

Prime Minister Pashinyan considers the results of the meeting with the President of the Russian Federation to be positive. A wide range of issues were discussed, and concrete agreements were reached concerning the energy, education, and humanitarian sectors.

An agreement has been reached that, starting January 1, 2025, the border guard troops of the Armenian National Security Service will also participate in the protection of the Armenia-Iran and Armenia-Turkey state borders.

Additionally, the service at the checkpoint on the Armenia-Iran border will be carried out exclusively by the forces of the Border Guard troops of the Armenian National Security Service.

Prime Minister Pashinyan expressed gratitude to President Putin for the service provided by the Border Guard troops of the Russian Federal Border Service at the border control point between the Republic of Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran since Armenia's independence.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1201798?fbclid=IwY2xjawFy-kpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHdc2ePicXNdaT47lSYdZXWRCC0P6lTwiX9TnCBK0hs0hSA54F7VxKGQXxQ_aem_XNGS8Jsj6ikMmyeo6w3t9Q

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Armenpress.am

 
Politics18:29, 8 October 2024

From January 1, 2025, Armenian Border Guard Troops to join protection of Armenia-Iran and Armenia-Turkey borders

From January 1, 2025, Armenian Border Guard Troops to join protection of Armenia-Iran and Armenia-Turkey borders

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS:Nazeli Baghdasaryan, Press secretary for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, shared details about the results of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Baghdasaryan stated on her Facebook page that during the meeting, Prime Minister Pashinyan presented the details of Armenia's "Crossroads of Peace" project, handed its brochure to the Russian president, and expressed concern about the language and terminology used by certain Russian officials regarding regional issues.

He emphasized that the narrative of the government of the Republic of Armenia concerning regional communications remains consistent in both closed and open formats.

Prime Minister Pashinyan considers the results of the meeting with the President of the Russian Federation to be positive. A wide range of issues were discussed, and concrete agreements were reached concerning the energy, education, and humanitarian sectors.

An agreement has been reached that, starting January 1, 2025, the border guard troops of the Armenian National Security Service will also participate in the protection of the Armenia-Iran and Armenia-Turkey state borders.

Additionally, the service at the checkpoint on the Armenia-Iran border will be carried out exclusively by the forces of the Border Guard troops of the Armenian National Security Service.

Prime Minister Pashinyan expressed gratitude to President Putin for the service provided by the Border Guard troops of the Russian Federal Border Service at the border control point between the Republic of Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran since Armenia's independence.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1201798?fbclid=IwY2xjawFy-kpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHdc2ePicXNdaT47lSYdZXWRCC0P6lTwiX9TnCBK0hs0hSA54F7VxKGQXxQ_aem_XNGS8Jsj6ikMmyeo6w3t9Q

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Azatutyun.am

 

Kocharian Slams New ‘Sham Trial’

Հոկտեմբեր 11, 2024
 
image.png
Armenia - Former President Robert Kocharian talks to journalists, Yerevan, October 11, 2024.
 

Robert Kocharian, a former president leading Armenia’s largest opposition group, on Friday condemned as “legal hooliganism” his fresh trial which began late last month more than three years after his acquittal.

Kocharian, his former chief of staff Armen Gevorgian and two retired army generals are prosecuted again in connection with a 2008 post-election violence in Yerevan. They were cleared of “overthrow of the constitutional order” in April 2021 after Armenia’s Constitutional Court ruled that the accusation, rejected by them as politically motivated, is unconstitutional.

Prosecutors appealed against the acquittal, saying that they must be allowed to bring a different accusation also related to the events of March 2008, which left eight protesters and two police personnel dead. The Court of Cassation gave the green light for the new trial a month ago.

“For more than one and a half years, I was imprisoned illegally, under a non-existent article [of the Criminal Code,] and neither the prosecutors nor any other state body has apologized to me,” the ex-president told journalists after attending the second court hearing in the high-profile case.

“On the contrary, through some chicanery, they are bringing the case back to court for certain purposes,” he said. “What is happening is legal hooliganism.”

It remained unclear which concrete articles of the Criminal Code Kocharian, Gevorgian, former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian and former army chief of staff Yury Khachaturov are now standing trial. The prosecutors have still not formally filed a new accusation. Nevertheless, the presiding judge and a trial prosecutor insisted that all four men are “defendants.”

“I am not an accused, I have come here to show good will,” Kocharian told them at the start of the hearing.

“And since I do not have the status of an accused, we will sit somewhere else,” he added, leaving the dock together with his lawyers.

After being acquitted of the coup charge in 2022, Kocharian and Gevorgian continued to stand trial on a separate corruption charge. That trial ended without a verdict last December, with the ex-president invoking the statute of limitations that expired in May 2023.

Anna Danibekian, the judge who presided over it, was controversially removed from the bench in July. Armenia’s government and judicial oversight body, which is headed by a political ally of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, accused Danibekian of letting Kocharian artificially drag out the court hearings.

Pashinian was the main speaker at the 2008 protests marred by the deadly violence. He spent nearly two years in prison for his role in what the former Armenian authorities described as a plot to violently overthrow them.

 

 

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33155238.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawF3CbhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHdUoQjbC-05wMlZHdgzzxYRNwxi9NRRjQpVsb4avMVLUHTubRrJfjiwA2A_aem_oVHsQaLUaPdsiEUtnpBuxg

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ARKA, Armenia
Oct 12 2024
 
 

Peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan may be signed before COP29 summit –MFA

 
 

 

YEREVAN, October 9. /ARKA/. A peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan may be signed before the UN climate summit - COP29, which will be held in Baku in November, said Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Vahan Kostanyan.

"The message I brought here from my capital is that the time to act is now," Kostanyan said on the sidelines of the Climate and Security Conference in Berlin.

The deputy minister recalled that the decision to hold COP29 in Baku was a very important confidence-building measure between the two governments.

“As a measure of confidence, Armenia decided to withdraw its bid to host COP29 and support the candidacy of Azerbaijan,” Kostanyan noted.

He said that part of this confidence-building measure also included the release of 42 Armenian detainees from Azerbaijan, expressing regret that 23 prisoners still remain in Baku.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in Moscow on October 8 that the draft agreement “On the establishment of peace and interstate relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan” has been agreed upon by at least 80%, and the Republic of Armenia is ready to sign the agreed provisions in October. -0-

https://arka.am/en/news/politics/peace_treaty_between_armenia_and_azerbaijan_may_be_signed_before_cop29_summit_mfa/

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EurAsia Daily
Oct 11 2024
 
 

"According to US standards": another biolab is being opened in Armenia, the Turks are scared

 
 

A new laboratory of advanced biological and environmental sciences will be created in Armenia. This is reported by Arminfo agency with reference to the message of the American University of Armenia (AUA). It is alleged that AUA received a grant of $ 1.8 million from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to solve the task.

The report indicates that the creation of the laboratory will contribute to the development of research work at the university in the field of biological sciences and environmental sciences, as well as strengthen the potential of data and computer science at the university.

The rector of the university, on the basis of which, by the way, the laboratory will be organized, Bruce Pogonyan, said that this grant is the largest in the history of the university. According to him, it is a great honor and responsibility for the leadership. In addition, "the funding will motivate AUA to expand academic opportunities and increase its influence throughout Armenia."

It is noted that USAID funding, which will also be supplemented by AUA funding, will be used to purchase modern equipment and create a research environment that meets US bioethical and regulatory standards.

In turn, the telegram channel "Genie of Test tubes. Biolaboratories" reports:

 

"It is curious that when trying to find the original message on the AUA website, the request shows an error. Probably, the Armenian government, being in close cooperation with the United States, is making attempts to cover their tracks and make the fact of the opening of the biolab not so noticeable."

Meanwhile, the Turkish edition of dikGAZETE writes that Armenian experts are concerned about the presence of American biolabs near local schools and residential buildings. The development of pathogens should not be carried out in crowded places, especially children. Ankara now also has something to worry about.

Of particular concern is the fact that one of the laboratories is located a few kilometers from the Turkish border. This raises a number of questions about possible risks for Turkey, given that biological laboratories are engaged in the study of dangerous pathogens, including viruses that can be used as biological weapons.

In addition, outbreaks of dangerous human and animal infections that are not endemic to these regions (Newcastle disease, new SAT-2 serotype foot-and-mouth disease, West Nile fever) have recently been recorded in the countries of Transcaucasia and Turkey.

This is most likely due to the close cooperation between Yerevan and Washington in the field of biosafety and the implementation of biological projects by the Americans in Armenia.

It is known that the United States has financed the creation of a number of biological laboratories in Armenia, where work is underway with pathogens of African swine fever, influenza, foot-and-mouth disease, plague, tularemia, nodular dermatitis.

 
 

Such biolabs are created on the basis of existing organizations, among which is the Scientific Center for Risk Assessment and Analysis in the Field of Food Products.

It is assumed that close cooperation between Armenia and the United States may lead to the spread of new pathogens that pose a threat to Turkey, whose agriculture and livestock may suffer from such diseases.

US reference laboratories have been opening in Armenia since 2010. The American side claims that the purpose of these institutions is to ensure the health of farm animals, finance repairs and create state—of-the-art laboratories, thanks to which the government's capabilities in carrying out public monitoring of possible threats to human health are strengthened.

However, the laboratories are funded by the Pentagon, and their activities are actually strictly classified. Financing of these facilities from Washington reaches tens of millions of dollars.

In total, there are 12 laboratories operating on the territory of Armenia, 3 of which are in Yerevan.

Representatives of the public club "Voice of the People" studied the situation and came to the following conclusions: "Work is being carried out in laboratories that are carefully hidden from the Armenian public; they are located in densely populated areas, as well as near kindergartens and playgrounds, which completely contradicts the rules for the location of such facilities."

After that, the public activists sent a number of questions in writing to the US Embassy in Armenia that were related to the activities of the biolabs, but absolutely vague answers were received from American diplomats without any specifics.

A year ago, the information portal infoport.am He reported that he had received documents from his insiders revealing details of US military-biological activities in the country. It was noted that representatives of the US military have unlimited access to Armenia's resources in the field of biological research and are extremely interested in working with especially dangerous pathogens that have long been studied and tested by the Pentagon as biological weapons.

There are already calls in Turkey to pay special attention to the activities of biological laboratories in Armenia, as well as to check their "transparency". Experts insist on the need for international control over the activities of such facilities in order to exclude the possibility of using laboratories for military purposes. Given that such institutions are located near the Turkish border, Ankara has every right to demand clearer security guarantees.

 

https://eadaily.com/en/news/2024/10/11/according-to-us-standards-another-biolab-is-being-opened-in-armenia-the-turks-are-scared

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Armenpress.am

 
Politics12:13, 12 October 2024

Prime Minister Pashinyan explains why Azerbaijan is concerned over Crossroads of Peace project

Prime Minister Pashinyan explains why Azerbaijan is concerned over Crossroads of Peace project

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan is concerned about the Crossroads of Peace project because the project could bring tens of billions in benefits to Armenia, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan has said.

“In my impression, Azerbaijan is concerned over the Crossroads of Peace project because this project can bring tens of billions in benefits to Armenia,” Pashinyan said at a conference on the Crossroads of Peace project. 

He said this could potentially bring two more concerns for Azerbaijan. 

“First, if Azerbaijan really thinks that in the strategic prospect Armenia has aggressive plans against Azerbaijan, then this could create a perception that these tens of billions of dollars could be used against Azerbaijan. But there is also the contrary, if Azerbaijan has aggressive intentions against Armenia, this can concern Azerbaijan, that these tens of billions of dollars could be used to increase Armenia’s defensibility, and Azerbaijan can have problems in implementing its aggressive plans against Armenia,” Pashinyan explained.

If Azerbaijan’s deep concern is the first mentioned one, then it can be dispelled, he added. Pashinyan said that Armenia, with its strategic policies on the highest level, has recorded that it doesn’t have aggressive plans against Azerbaijan or any other country. “We recognize the territorial integrity of all our neighbors. We are ready to assume de jure obligations regarding this. Furthermore, Armenia has recorded that it doesn’t seek to militarily return its own territories that are currently under occupation, because the document we’ve signed with Azerbaijan in the delimitation process gives every chance for the delimitation process to take place on legal, lawful basis. Meaning, we are creating all guarantees and we will continue this trajectory, so that not only will none of our neighbors have doubts about the non-existence of aggressive intentions, but also so that de jure mandatory guarantees are in place regarding the nonengagement of aggressive policies by our country,” Pashinyan said.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1202112?fbclid=IwY2xjawF4UVpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYIBfNzAfgUZ6Y9EJWWcHqwD46GBkm8RF5A7D0Alju3BpQ6MUtM-EBhgBA_aem_fZpK8FRCAqgcKy6JxXk24A

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Azatutyun.am

 

Turkey Insists On Azeri Corridor Through Armenia

Հոկտեմբեր 15, 2024
 
image.png
Switzerlan - Turkish parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus meets his Armenian counterpart Alen Simonian in Geneva, October 14, 2024.
 

Turkish parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus has reiterated Ankara’s calls for a land corridor that would connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave as well as Turkey through Armenia.

Kurtulmus was reported to emphasize Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s “common stance on regional and global issues” during a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Sahiba Gafarova held in Geneva on Monday. He met with Armenian parliament speaker Alen Simonian there later in the day.

According to the official Turkish readout of the meeting with Gafarova, Kurtulmus said Azerbaijan’s victory in the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh, greatly facilitated by Turkish military support, changed “the balance in the region” and created a “great opportunity for the Turkic world.” He added that the two Turkic allies hope that the “Zangezur corridor will be opened to benefit Azerbaijan, Turkey and other peoples of the region.”

Azerbaijan has been demanding such an extraterritorial corridor ever since the 2020 war. Turkey has backed these demands, linking their fulfillment by Armenia to the normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in July that an agreement on the corridor would be the “final step” in the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.

The head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Agency, Ibrahim Kalin, echoed that statement during a subsequent visit to Baku. Kalin was present at Erdogan’s talks with Armenian Prime Minister Pashinian held in New York late last month.

U.S. - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian meet in New York, September 24, 2024.
U.S. - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian meet in New York, September 24, 2024.

The Armenian government maintains that people and goods moving between Nakhichevan to the rest of Azerbaijan cannot be exempt from Armenian border controls and that the two nations should have only conventional transport links. Simonian was understood to reaffirm its stance during his talks with Kurtulmus held on the sidelines of the latest session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

“If our position is known to them and if they continue to use that term [Zangezur corridor,] one can assume that they at least speak of an extraterritorial corridor, which is unacceptable to us,” Sargis Khandanian, the chairman of the Armenian parliament committee on foreign relations, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Tuesday.

The corridor demanded by Baku and Ankara would pass through Syunik, the only Armenian region bordering Iran. The Islamic Republic has repeatedly warned against attempts to strip it of the common border and transport links with Armenia. Its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Pashinian in July that the corridor would also be “detrimental to Armenia.”

 

 

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33159524.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawF8PUhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZ8UJ8tJ1it_5Kg_JwL8k8pnyEmJs63fUKyCL4jGsErmloqQ3dy34UZNLg_aem_vBmngyUC-zoM37I24zTinQ

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Yerevan Offers Last-Minute Talks With Baku

Հոկտեմբեր 15, 2024
 
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U.S. - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosts talks between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, New York, September 26, 2024.
 

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has proposed that Armenia and Azerbaijan hold fresh talks to bridge their remaining differences and sign a peace deal ahead of next month's COP29 summit in Baku, a senior Armenian official said on Tuesday.

According to Sargis Khandanian, the chairman of the Armenian parliament committee on foreign relations, Pashinian made the offer during “informal contacts” with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the fringes of last week’s Commonwealth of Independent States summit in Moscow.

“It was suggested that the foreign ministers [of the two states] have a two-day meeting, agree on one or two articles of the peace treaty that have not been agreed upon and the leaders then sign the treaty before the COP29 in Baku,” Khandanian told the Armenpress news agency. “To be honest, I am not aware of Azerbaijan's reaction, but I hope this logic will be implemented.”

The remarks contrasted with what Armen Grigorian, the secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, said during a conference in Prague earlier in the day. Grigorian said that Baku and Yerevan will need “a lot of time” to sort out the remaining sticking points. He therefore reaffirmed an Armenian proposal to sign an interim agreement that would leave out those disagreements.

Aliyev on Monday again rejected this proposal which has been repeatedly made by Pashinian and other Armenian officials in recent weeks. He called it unrealistic.

Pashinian’s domestic critics say he is desperate to secure an incomplete peace deal in hopes of misleading Armenians and increasing his chances of holding on to power. They also claim that Azerbaijan has no intention to make peace with Armenia before clinching more far-reaching concessions from Pashinian.

Aliyev made fresh threats of military action against Armenia last Friday, accusing Yerevan of playing “dangerous games.” The Armenian Foreign Ministry responded by saying Baku may be “preparing aggression” against Armenia.

 

 

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33159905.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawF8PkFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQg4k12jugQh7nVPu8nAQtkUQ86z9BciqmwQPwpGr1jcmGXN61GicESiSQ_aem_2JFxRnu2Dht1omF6AdOxfg

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