Azeri forces carcasses all over #Karabakh. Azerbaijan won't tell you about its losses so we'll do it for them. pic.twitter.com/A3WBjoIU0Z
— Serge (@Zinvor) April 4, 2016
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Azeri forces carcasses all over #Karabakh. Azerbaijan won't tell you about its losses so we'll do it for them. pic.twitter.com/A3WBjoIU0Z
— Serge (@Zinvor) April 4, 2016
The family of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has been tied to secret offshore companies, according to a massive leak of documents from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca.
On April 3, an international consortium of journalists released the preliminary conclusions of leak of documents on some 214,000 offshore companies created by the law firm over the last 40 years.
According to the findings, Aliyev’s wife, Mehriban Aliyeva, was named one of two managers of a Panamanian offshore firm in 2005, a firm that in turn has control of the Azerbaijani conglomerate AtaHolding. Aliyev’s three children and top officials in Azerbaijan’s tax office were named as beneficiaries in one document, although it is not clear if that proposal was ever officially adopted.
Aliyev’s two daughters controlled a Panamanian firm that held a significant stake in a group of companies developing Azerbaijani goldfields.
President Aliyev’s sister was also reported to be the sole shareholder of a British Virgin Islands firm set up in 2005. The firm’s registration lists her address as a home in a posh neighborhood of West London.
The Spokesman of the President of Nagorno Karabakh Republic David Babayan says, Stepanakert has grounds to believe that Azerbaijan has recruited mercenaries from the Turkish “Grey Wolves” organization and “Islamic State” terrorist organization.
STEPANAKERT, APRIL 4, ARTSAKHPRESS: “Although facts have yet to be finally confirmed, there are reliable grounds to believe that mercenaries have appeared in the Azerbaijani army. Generally this is typical to Azerbaijan, mercenaries have always been there. During the 1988-1994 war, many mercenaries from Afghanistan, “Grey Wolves”, Chechen mercenaries and Al Qaeda terrorists were recruited by Azerbaijan. And during the post-war years, until recently Al Qaeda terrorists were relaxing and recovering in Azerbaijan,” Babayan noted in an interview with “Armenpress”.
According to David Babayan, the brutal and violent executions of the civilians in Talish are the actions of these types of people.
Babayan says, the relations between the mercenaries and the Azerbaijani population of the bordering villages, are tense.
“The population of the bordering villages of Azerbaijan are in panic and have left their homes, while these mercenaries are looting their houses, and there are even reports of murder and rape cases in that region. This is enough ground to say that there are mercenaries and terrorists from “Grey Wolves” and “Islamic State” on the frontline”, Babayan said.
Baku, April 4, 2016 (AFP) – Azerbaijan said on Monday the death of three of its soldiers in fighting with Armenian forces in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, the third day of clashes continue despite calls the quiet of the international community.
At least 33 soldiers of both sides and three civilians have been killed since the resumption Friday of hostilities, the deadliest since the cease-fire established between Yerevan and Baku in 1994. More than 200 soldiers and civilians were wounded.
This conflict, whose sources date back centuries but which has crystallized in Soviet times when Moscow attributed this mainly Armenian territory to the Soviet Socialist Republic of Azerbaijan, involved in the strategic Caucasus region for the transport of hydrocarbons near Iran, Turkey and the gateway to the Middle East.
Military escalation is also involved when Russia, which has good relations with Armenia and Turkey, traditional ally of Azerbaijan, through a serious diplomatic crisis over war base in Syria.
On the ground, three Azerbaijani soldiers were killed by “mortar and grenade launchers from the trenches” occupied by Armenian forces along the front line, according to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.
“If the Armenian provocations continue, we will launch a magnitude operation all along the front line and we will use all our weapons,” said the spokesman of the ministry, Vagif Dargahly.
The troops of Baku “intensified their bombing Monday morning on the positions of the army of Karabakh, using 152mm mortars, rocket launchers and tanks”, for their part, said the authorities of the breakaway region, supported by Yerevan.
Armenian forces “have greatly advanced in some areas of the forehead and took new positions,” assured the spokesman for the Armenian Defense Ministry, Artsrun Hovhannisyan.
Azerbaijan has denounced as “false” the claims, ensuring in turn control since Saturday several strategic heights in Karabakh, he now intends to “strengthen” after Sunday announced his intention to “unilaterally cease hostilities”.
Backed by Armenia, the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities said they were “ready to discuss a truce proposal” provided to recover the lost positions and territories in the region, recognized as belonging to Azerbaijan by the international community .
– Political Reason ‘-
“Major violations of the cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh tend not to be accidental, but rather to have a political motive,” said Thomas de Waal, an analyst with the Carnegie Foundation, which estimates that more than 20,000 the number soldiers on each side of the front line.
Russia tries to maintain an uncertain balance in its relations with the two former Soviet republics, which it sells weapons. It remains the historical ally of Armenia, where it has two military bases recently strengthened.
Turkey engaged in a standoff with Moscow since the destruction of a Russian bomber in November, for its part announced that it would support Azerbaijan “to the end” and “praying that (his) brothers Azerbaijanis triumph “.
After a war which have 30,000 dead and hundreds of thousands of refugees, mainly Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh came under the control of separatist forces near Yerevan. The area is now populated mainly by Armenians.
No peace treaty has been signed and after a period of relative calm, the region has experienced in recent months a sharp escalation of tensions. Yerevan estimated end of December we had returned to the “war”.
Baku, whose only defense budget is some years more important than the whole budget of Armenia, often threatens to take by force the Nagorno-Karabakh if diplomatic negotiations fail.
“Azerbaijan understands that he can not rely purely on military force to change the status quo, especially because of the Russian presence in Armenia. However, it can maneuver diplomatically and militarily for concessions, “said the center of American thinking Stratfor.
“But despite the original intentions of Baku, this strategy may cause a broader conflict in which none of the belligerent is not prepared,” he considers.
Emil Guliyev with Mariam HARUTYUNYAN in Yerevan
Chairman of the Public Council of Armenia Vazgen Manukyan believes that Azerbaijan’s offensive was to be expected.
“Azerbaijan is well aware Nagorno-Karabakh will never be persuaded into forming part of Azerbaijan by means of negotiations. The only thing it can do is to use military means. However, the point is that they have actually unleashed war, and if they had succeeded it would have escalated into a full-scale war. But they failed,” Mr Manukyan said.
The enemy was thrown back, suffering heavy losses.
“I think that along with this tragedy, with people killed and blood spilled, it has proved to Azerbaijan it cannot resolve the problem in the near future, which leads us to a period of peace. Large-scale hostilities failed,” Mr Manukyan said.
As regards international reaction, he said, “We have both friends and enemies.”
It is common knowledge Azerbaijan launched an offensive because Nagorno-Karabakh did not need such an action at all. However, it is difficult for them to admit the fact and make relevant assessments.
“The most important thing is that our soldiers, commanders and leaders on the frontline succeed,” Mr Manukyan said.
He believes that the armies of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are the most efficient structures in the countries.
Armenia’s Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan released the names of seven Karabakh soldiers, killed in the course of military actions in the conflict zones.
Among the fallen soldiers are Captain Hovsep Kirakosyan (b. 1988), Private Nodarik Margaryan (b. 1963), Private Sasun Mkrtchyan (b. 1989), Captain Armenak Urfanyan (b. 1990), Private Qyaram Aloyan (b. 1996), Sergeant Yuri Paramazyan, Major Hovsep Mayilyan (b. 1978).
On the night of April 1-2, Azerbaijani armed forces initiated overt offensive operations in the southern, southeastern and northeastern directions of the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh.
As many as 18 Karabakh servicemen were killed and 35-40 were wounded in the course of military operations. A civilian, 11-year-old Vaghinak Grigoryan was also killed, with 6 other civilians, including two kids, wounded.
As of April 4, the Azerbaijani side has lost 20 tanks and over 5 armored vehicles, including an IFV, as well as 2 military helicopters and 3 unmanned aerial vehicles.
One Karabakh tank has been destroyed so far.
Read also: Azeri subdivision besieged, destroyed south of frontline
The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) reporters have found out that Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev has offshore companies to conceal his shares in gold mining and London real estate.
Accordingly, relatives of the Azerbaijani president have used foundations and companies registered in Panama to hide his shares in gold mining companies and real estate market. This is said in an ICIJ press release, according to RBC news agency of Russia.
ICIJ has obtained the documents of Panama-based Mossack Fonseca law firm, which is suspected of establishing fake firms and corporate organizations to conceal asset owners. Even though the press release does not specify the makeup of the Aliyev family property, the Azerbaijani president was already at the ICIJ focus three years ago. At the time, the journalists had found out that he and his family have secret offshore companies.
According to the documents which are under the ICIJ disposal, in 2003, Aliyev and his wife, Mehriban Aliyeva, had purchased a company in the British Virgin Islands. Aliyev, who was noted as the director and co-owner of this company, was an MP at the time, but he became President of Azerbaijan in October of the same year. According to the ICIJ data, this company had a legitimate legal status until May 2004. In actual fact, Aliyev was violating the Azerbaijani law which prohibits the members of parliament and the president from engaging in business activities, the attorneys explained.
In 2008, according to the ICIJ data, Aliyev’s daughters, 19-year-old Arzu and 23-year-old Leyla, purchased Arbor Investments, LaBelleza Holdings Limited, and Harvard Management Limited companies likewise in the British Virgin Islands. The first company was “registered” under Arzu’s name, and the rest—Leyla’s. The respective business transaction was concluded two months after Aliyev’s reelection as President.
At the time, the ICIJ could not find out the type of activity of these companies, but it had noted that, apparently, the Azerbaijani leadership had made considerable efforts to hide these companies from the public.
The ICIJ had informed that the head of all these three companies is Azerbaijani entrepreneur Hassan Gozal. According to the ICIJ data, Gozal, together with his brother Abdolbari, had at least ten companies in Intersun Holding, where Abdolbari was president and Hassan—vice president. According to the documents which are under the ICIJ disposal, Intersun had received several major contracts from Azerbaijan’s state-owned oil company, where Aliyev was first vice president before becoming President of Azerbaijan. In addition, the Gozal brothers’ companies had won state construction contracts in and around Azerbaijani capital city Baku, and totaling some $4.5 billion.
YEREVAN. – Azerbaijan uses retaliatory detachments that are punishing the servicemen who choose to back away from the fight, spokesperson for the Armenian Defense Ministry wrote on Facebook.
“According to confirmed sources, the combat efficiency of the Azeri troops has fallen so drastically that even hired mercenaries with vast terrorist experience are unable to help. At this moment, in these territories, Azerbaijan uses forces of punishment by death to those servicemen who choose to back away from the fight,” Artsrun Hovhannisyan wrote.
The situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone dramatically escalated on Saturday night. From regular shootings and frequent sabotage-reconnaissance attempts, Azerbaijan has now moved to large-scale attack all along the Line of Contact, using a variety of weaponry as well as artillery, armored vehicles, and air force. Both sides have suffered losses.
PanARMENIAN.Net Clashes are currently underway on the contact line between the Artsakh Republic and Azerbaijan.
During the military actions, the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army units destroyed one more tank in the northeastern direction of the contact line, one BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher in the northern direction, and one unmanned aerial vehicle in Martakert direction.
In adition, one unit of engineering equipment was destroyed (the type is not specified).
On the night of April 1-2, Azerbaijani armed forces initiated overt offensive operations in the southern, southeastern and northeastern directions of the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh, using artillery, armored fighting vehicles and air force equipment among other weapons.
As many as 18 Karabakh servicemen were killed and 35-40 were wounded in the course of military operations.
As of April 3, the Azerbaijani side has lost 15 tanks and over 5 armored vehicles, including an IFV, as well as 2 military helicopters and 3 unmanned aerial vehicles.
One Karabakh tank has been destroyed so far.