“People appeared in Freedom Square who are really worried and think about the homeland, they think that their homeland should be safe, independent, and sovereign,

” said Arthur Vanetsyan, the leader of the “Homeland” party, entering a live broadcast from Freedom Square. “We will not tolerate a losing policy under any circumstances. “We will not tolerate the situation we have today and which these authorities are leading.”

What should we do to get out of this situation? Answering this question, Vanetsyan said that the citizens are constantly asking him what program do you have? “I say we have a clear plan and we are moving forward with that plan. I am waiting for you to be in Freedom Square today at 19:00 within the framework of that program. ” He said that he should walk around the city with the protesters who came to Freedom Square today and should call the citizens who are still sitting in their homes to join the struggle. Hripsime JEBEJYAN

By Harut Sassounian,

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan delivered a very lengthy, rambling speech on April 13, 2022, to the Armenian Parliament on his government’s failures and achievements in 2021.

Ever since the catastrophic 2020 Artsakh war, I have been repeatedly saying that the Prime Minister is too incompetent to govern Armenia. He caused the loss of most of Artsakh and thousands of young Armenian soldiers. As a defeated and psychologically crushed leader, he is incapable of repairing the damage he caused to the country. With each passing day, the situation is getting worse. Artsakh is mostly gone; Armenia is next.

However, Pashinyan refuses to resign, clinging to his seat and establishing a one-man rule. Ironically, when he took over the government four years ago, he proclaimed that the power belonged to the people!

In his April 13, 2022 speech, Pashinyan stated: “We have had the most serious failures as well as the most serious achievements. I must first talk about the achievements, then focus on the failures, but not so much or not only to record them, but also to use the opportunity of being on the high rostrum of the National Assembly, to confess to the public about the cause and effect of the war and defeat, and talk about possible solutions.”

Various high-ranking government officials have recently announced that Artsakh is no longer a territorial issue, but one of the human rights, meaning that Armenia is giving up on its long-standing demand for the independence or self-determination of Artsakh, opting instead on seeking to preserve the cultural and religious rights of ethnic Armenians in Artsakh under Azeri rule!

Since Pashinyan’s plan is to turn over the remainder of Artsakh to Azerbaijan, why is he then boasting that “from November 2020 to the end of 2021, the [Armenian] government has implemented in Artsakh 136 billion drams [about $272 million] of programs?” Armenia is actually subsidizing Azerbaijan’s infrastructure in Artsakh, since the government of Azerbaijan, in three and a half years or less, will take over that territory.

Pashinyan admitted that the negatives in 2021 outweighed the positives. He stated that “from the beginning, I have accepted my guilt and responsibility for both the war and defeat.” But then, he contradicted himself by saying: “I have not accepted and I do not accept the accusations addressed to me by the opposition after November 9, 2020, accusing me of handing over lands and thus also of treason.” He acknowledged that what he just said is “absurd — admitting your guilt, but not accepting the accusation.”

Making his confession more confusing, Pashinyan added: “In a recent interview, I hinted that if I were to be accused objectively, I should be accused not of handing over land, but of not handing over land. And now, yes, I’m going to admit that I’m probably guilty of it. It is my fault that in 2018, 2019, I did not stand in front of our public and did not speak out that all, I repeat, all distant and close [foreign] friends expect us that hand over the seven well-known regions to Azerbaijan, one way or another and lower our bar for the status of Artsakh. It is my fault that I did not tell our people that the international community unequivocally recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, expects us that we too recognize it, also expects that the Azerbaijanis who left Karabakh be fully integrated in the decision-making and governance of Nagorno-Karabakh.”

In the above paragraph, Pashinyan admitted his guilt in losing Artsakh, but strangely, avoided accepting the consequences of his actions. He also repeatedly laid the blame on pressure from the international community. It is not true that the international community demanded that Armenians give up Artsakh, but even if they did, Pashinyan should have been more concerned about Armenia’s national interests than the outsiders’ suggestion. Only a weak leader would buckle under the pressure of third parties and not defend his people’s rights.

Pashinyan confessed: “And not doing this is my real fault, and such a formulation is not an attempt to alleviate the situation at all. On the contrary, I aggravate it, because by handing over [Artsakh’s lands], I might have saved thousands of lives, but by not handing over I actually became the author of decisions that resulted in thousands of victims.” As the Prime Minister of Armenia, he had no right to hand over Artsakh territories that he had no jurisdiction over.

Pashinyan is getting ready to surrender Artsakh completely by announcing that he wants to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan and recognize its territorial integrity. He used the excuse that “the international community clearly tells us that Armenia is the only country in the world that does not recognize Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.” This “is a great danger not only for Artsakh but also for Armenia. Today the international community tells us again, ‘lower your bar on the status of Nagorno Karabakh a little and you will secure greater international consolidation around Armenia and Artsakh.’ Otherwise, says the international community, ‘please do not rely on us, not because we do not want to help you, but because we cannot help you.’”

After saying that Armenia has not recognized Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, Pashinyan contradicted himself by falsely claiming that in 1992, Armenia had recognized Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. His contention, that the international community warned him that they cannot help Armenia unless it made concessions on Artsakh, is also a baseless statement. When has the international community lifted a finger to help Armenia? Pashinyan is simply using this excuse to make further concessions to Azerbaijan. He is incapable of protecting Armenia’s borders as we have seen with Azerbaijan’s May 12, 2021 encroachment on Armenia’s border. Furthermore, Pashinyan falsely blamed his political opponents for that Azeri incursion! He also faulted the Russia-led CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) for not coming to Armenia’s defense, even though he is the current CSTO Chairman!

Pashinyan’s defeatist remarks at the Parliament were roundly condemned not only by the political opposition but also by the usually compliant leaders of Artsakh.

Everything must be done to get rid of Pashinyan as soon as possible since he refuses to resign, favoring his own seat over Armenia’s interests. Otherwise, after Artsakh, Armenia is next to go.

Aghasi Yenokyan wrote on his Facebook page. “When they say that prisoners of war can be a problem for Armenia’s national security, I think there is some truth in that.

For example, I know someone named General Samvel Babayan, who was a prisoner of war in Azerbaijan.

After that, he tried to assassinate the presidents of two Armenian states, the Artsakh Republic and the Republic of Armenia, and during the last war, although in his words he had no authority, he “organized” military operations, which resulted in thousands of casualties and loss of vast territories. All this can not be qualified as a betrayal.

“Perhaps it would be right for the Armenian law enforcement agencies to be interested in what conversations the relevant bodies of Azerbaijan had with this former prisoner of war and what his actions have to do with those conversations.”

Four Turkish nationals were arrested in a cocaine bust off the Canary Islands, Reuters reported on Sunday.

 The Spanish police seized 2.9 tonnes of cocaine, estimated to have a street value of 72 million euros ($77.80 million), hidden in a fuel tank of a fishing boat, the AKT 1, the agency said.

Turkey has long been a key drug trafficking route between Afghanistan and western European countries, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

However, seizures over the past year indicate that Turkish traffickers are acquiring a greater share of the European cocaine market, “with Turkey mostly used as a transit country for cocaine,” Antoine Vella, a researcher with UNODC, told Deutsche Welle.

“Large quantities have been seized in individual cases, both in Turkey and in Latin American countries en route to Turkey in 2020 and 2021,” according to Vella.

Five detainees, including four Turkish nationals and a Georgian citizen were remanded in custody in Las Palmas, Reuters said.

MP Hayk Mamijanyan from the opposition With Honor faction says attempts have been made to infect his phone with spyware, including NSO Group’s Pegasus software, for nearly one year.

He shared on his Facebook page several screenshots of messages containing malicious links sent by unknown persons, warning his side to be cautious.

“I want to ask all those who want to wiretap my phone: Are you, masochists?! The only thing you can hear are the same ideas I express in my speeches and interviews, just peppered with new swear words. Have a nice time!” said the deputy.

Former Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan, who is currently in custody, has denied Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement that the latter learned about the shortage of helmets and ballistic vests in the army shortly after the start of the 44-day war.

“I solemnly declare that the demand for weapons and military gear of the armed forces, including helmets and ballistic vests, is laid out in the Arms and Military Equipment Development Program, which was last approved by the Armenian government during Nikol Pashinyan’s time in office,” Tonoyan said in a statement on Monday.

Speaking in the parliament on April 13, Pashinyan said that several days after the start of the 44-day war in Artsakh, he first learned that the Armenian army had problems with helmets and bulletproof vests.

The eastern borders of the country are completely secure, we constantly monitor the movements of the Zionists, General Heydari, commander of the Ground Forces of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran said, Tasnim reported.

 “In the Karabakh war, in an important and strategic region of the Northwest, we received information by order of the Commander-in-Chief that the illegal Zionist regime is present in one of the countries on the side of the conflict and intends to change the geopolitics of the area. We declared two important and strategic conditions; first, we will not allow the geopolitics of the region to be changed, and second, the Zionist regime must leave the region, and these two conditions have been met, and we continue to monitor the Zionist movements,” he noted.

Arman Baghdasaryan, the brother of Shirak governor Nazeli Baghdasaryan, terminates his membership in the “Civil Contract” party and resigns as a member of the Gyumri Council of Elders.

Baghdasaryan wrote about this on his Facebook page, publishing his appeals to Suren Papikyan, the chairman of the CP party, and Vardges Samsonyan, the mayor of Gyumri. By the way, Arman Baghdasaryan was present at yesterday’s sitting of the Council of Elders, and no hint was made about his resignation. The head of the CP faction Knarik Harutyunyan asked for a break in the middle of the sitting, after which Arman Baghdasaryan did not return to the hall. Note that he was a rather active member of the Council of Elders.

It is noteworthy that his post was followed by the post of a woman who has been holding a position in the municipality for several months. The position of the Foreign Relations Department. “

It is noteworthy that against the background of their resignations, there is a rumor that the issue of changing the governor of Shirak may be discussed in the near future.

Even after Pashinyan spoke openly from the NA tribune about the documented surrender of Artsakh, the opposition is still busy discussing the constitutional ways of change of power.

Enemy troops will probably be stationed in Kapan or Goris, there will be casualties among the civilian population, new bloodshed will break out so that the titular opposition to defend the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence will quickly oust the enemy’s peaceful regime in just a few days.

The first two articles of Chapter 2 of the Constitution, which register the basic human and civil rights and freedoms, guarantee first human dignity and then the right to life. Both of these important, fundamental rights have been destroyed and annulled for at least a year and a half. The rule of law is ago, while it should, first of all, protect the right of its citizens to a safe and secure existence. Who or what, then, replaces the state with himself, why does the opposition delay in filling the gap of state position?

In order to justify the complete concessions of Artsakh and the territorial concessions from Armenia, Pashinyan is announcing a new war on one hand, and on the other hand, praising their drive to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. It is clear that a new war will be unleashed against Armenia and in its territory, in the direction of Syunik, Gegharkunik, Tavush, Ararat, Vayots Dzor, and the closer Armenia is to signing an unworthy peace treaty, the more paradoxical the possibility of that war becomes. to seem Yerevan voluntarily and without resistance gives Baku everything possible, and this does not limit, but on the contrary, it further stimulates Aliyev’s appetite to enter forever into his own and even pan-Turkic history and to be crowned with golden laurels.

Today, few people remember that the legal regime of martial law in Armenia was abolished about four and a half months after the end of the war, while its extension did not pursue any legitimate goal, moreover, before that several restrictions had already been lifted. It is clear that under the pretext of signing a peace treaty with Azerbaijan and preventing a possible new war announced from the rostrum of the parliament, in order to curb popular anger and ensure its own security, this regime will not hesitate to re-establish martial law to end the black affair.

Artsakh has been living in the conditions of the legal regime of the continuously prolonged martial law for exactly thirty years. In Armenia, despite the seemingly calm civic life, this realization has existed for decades, therefore, the purpose of establishing martial law or any other restrictive legal regime will be only one – to stop the wave of popular uprising under the pretext of imminent threat of external danger. Yesterday the NSS banned journalists from entering Syunik, today the Russian peacekeepers are blocking the way of the NA deputies to Artsakh.

Tomorrow, for example, in order to reach Vardenis from Yerevan, we may have to pass several checkpoints (it is not excluded, with non-Armenian soldiers), as, say, in Israel. This does not mean a reduction of sovereignty or security, but the dissolution of the state and its disappearance from the political map of the world.

David Sargsyan