Hraparak: Armenian society has been trying to digest what happened in Sochi վերջին Will there really be no corridor? Could the document have been worse or better? As for the captives. Political scientist Armen Baghdasaryan, who had registered a number of contradictions in Nikol Pashinyan’s oral speech, in the wording of the text of the trilateral statement, says in connection with the captives. “There was some very vague wording about the prisoners of war (in a trilateral statement), it is mentioned, according to which, not in an imperative style, but that Russia will continue its efforts” to fulfill the other points of the November 9 statement. ” One of those points refers to the release of prisoners of war. In other words, it was very vague wording, it had to be clarified. “

We inquired from Baghdasaryan about the main, seemingly iron argument of the Nikolai electorate that there will be no corridor. The allegations are based on the fact that neither the text of the statement nor the word of mouth mentioned the word “corridor”. And the text of the announcement says ․ “Armenia will provide transport communication between the” Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic “of the western regions of Azerbaijan in order to organize the unimpeded movement of citizens, vehicles, and cargo in both directions.”

Armen Baghdasaryan states that the word “corridor” was used by Vladimir Putin, however, it worries him. It is true, he said “economic corridor”, but we must know exactly what an economic corridor means, what legal justification it can have. I think that this week when the Moscow meeting of deputy prime ministers is to take place, the situation there will be clearer. Therefore, before Moscow, Nikol Pashinyan must state very clearly what he says in the oral text, that it will be a road, there is no corridor logic, etc.

By the way, Ali ող Erdoանըan announced at the summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization in Ashgabat that the “Zangezur Corridor” is already becoming a reality, and invited the member states of the economic cooperation to participate in the operation of the “Zangezur Corridor”.

In any case, as analyst Stepan Danielyan told Hraparak, it was presented in Sochi as a “way without additional political content.”

And the “additional political content” is that the control of the road will not be extraterritorial; it will have Russian or, at best, Armenian-Russian control in the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.

By Harut Sassounian,

Israeli journalist Yossi Melman wrote a lengthy critical article in the Haaretz newspaper about Israel’s sale of banned deadly cluster bombs to Azerbaijan to kill and maim innocent Armenian civilians in Artsakh. The article, although published on Oct. 22, 2020, retains its relevance given the fact that these cluster bombs were not only used in last year’s Artsakh war by Azerbaijan, but may also be used in a future war.

Amnesty International confirmed that Azerbaijan used Israeli cluster bombs in the 2020 Artsakh war. These lethal bombs exploded in a residential area near the city of Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh.

“The use of cluster bombs in any circumstances is banned under international humanitarian law, so their use to attack civilian areas is particularly dangerous and will only lead to further deaths and injuries,” said Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s acting chief for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. “Cluster bombs are inherently indiscriminate weapons, and their deployment in residential areas is absolutely appalling and unacceptable.”

Melman explained that “a cluster bomb is a kind of container holding a bundle of small bombs. The mother bomb explodes at a certain height and, over a wide area, scatters the smaller bombs, which explode a short time later. The munitions can be launched from cannons of various sizes, with diameters up to 155 mm, from launchers, helicopters and planes.” Children often pick up unexploded cluster bombs mistaking them for toys, resulting in their death or injury.

Melman wrote that he asked Israel’s Defense Ministry, the Israel Defense Forces and the Foreign Ministry “on whether — and if so, when — Israel supplied cluster bombs to Azerbaijan.” Not surprisingly, he received no response.

Melman remarked that Israel’s Defense Ministry, “true to its aggressive habits, is loath to give explanations and refuses to answer questions it doesn’t like. It seems to have something to hide, especially when it comes to its overly intimate relationship with Azerbaijan.”

Melman asked a pertinent question: “Why is Israel arming Azerbaijan against Armenia?” There would be a huge worldwide outcry if Armenia were to transfer missiles to Hamas or Hezbollah to attack Israeli citizens. Israel arming Azerbaijan is no different, but where is the international condemnation of Israel?

Israel used cluster bombs on several occasions: In the 1973 war against several Arab states, the wars on Lebanon in 1978, 1982 and 2006, and the Gaza war in 2008-09. Melman reported that “this led to a condemnation by then-UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and to tension in the United States, because the firing apparently violated the restrictions on using cluster bombs when the weapon was supplied in 1976.”

The Winograd Committee, formed by the Israeli government to review the appropriateness of Israel’s military actions in Lebanon in 2006, “harshly criticized the use of cluster bombs in civilian areas,” according to Melman. It is illegal to use cluster bombs. It is also illegal for the United States to sell them to Israel, which in turn illegally sold them to Azerbaijan.

Regrettably, neither the Republic of Armenia nor the Armenian-American community complained to the American government about Israel’s illegal transfer of U.S. cluster bombs to Azerbaijan.

Melman reported that “in December 2008, the Convention on Cluster Munitions was signed in Oslo. It prohibits the use, development, manufacture, storage and transfer of cluster bombs, which it defines as ‘a conventional ammunition that is designed to disperse or release explosive submunitions’ from a container. Over 100 countries signed the accord, which went into effect in 2010.”

Israel, however, refused to join the convention that banned cluster bombs. Ironically, Israel was quick to condemn Syria for its reported use of cluster bombs inside its own country. It is not clear why Armenia refused to join the convention which would have given it a stronger footing to condemn the illegal use of cluster bombs by Azerbaijan and Turkey, neither one of which joined the convention. In addition to selling cluster bombs to Azerbaijan, Israel also sold them to Turkey, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Romania, Switzerland, Great Britain, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela.

According to Melman, Azerbaijan was the largest market for Israeli cluster bombs, along with various cannons and rocket launchers. “Israel sold dual-purpose munitions components, which can also be used in cluster bombs, in a way that let Israel bypass the convention.”

Melman reported that, a year ago, Israeli “activist Eli Joseph, who takes part in efforts to ban weapons sales by Israel to dictatorial regimes,” petitioned in vain Israel’s High Court of Justice, “demanding that Baku and Jerusalem’s military connections be revealed. Also, Joseph and his colleagues in the Jewish Heart organization demonstrated in front of the Knesset against arms exports to Azerbaijan, under the slogan ‘No to war crimes, no to the murder of innocents.’” It is heart-warming to see righteous Israelis objecting to the immoral actions of their government.

By selling lethal weapons to the murderous regime of Azerbaijan, Israel has undermined its moral standing and has become an accomplice to Azeri war crimes.

German-Armenian associations protested in Berlin on weekends, raising awareness about the situation around Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh and human rights violations by Azerbaijan.

In a statement addressed to the Bundestag, the AGBU Germany, the Armenisch-Akademischer Verein-1860 e.V., the Armenische Kulturgemeinde Leipzig e.V., Hay Stab Germany and the Theophanu Club Germany, on behalf of the wider German-Armenian community called upon the German Government and Bundestag to:

• Assume a role in peacebuilding between the two nations and demand Azerbaijani government to remove its troops from the sovereign territory of Armenia as a precondition for negotiating a lasting peace in the Southern Caucasus;
• Urge Azerbaijan to fully and expeditiously complete the return of all Armenian POWs, detainees and the remains of any deceased Armenians during or after the war;
• Condemn Azerbaijan for violating international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions; and
• Assume a leadership role in defending the victims of human rights violations and implement sanctions towards Azerbaijan as a measure for violating the Geneva Conventions and refusing to immediately release all Armenian POWs.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, during the one-day military operation on November 16, the acting commander of the military unit’s battalion was inactive and then fled, causing severe repercussions.

In particular, no appropriate steps were taken to detect or counteract the attack on the RA Armed Forces personnel stationed in the direction of Jermuk by the Azerbaijani armed forces. The law enforcers detained one contract soldier of the Rifle Battalion of the N military unit, Major GG, the acting commander of the battalion of the same military unit. The soldier faces up to ten years in prison on the charges. The major has been detained since November 25.

It should be reminded that due to the November 16 hostilities, the Armenian side has 6 victims at the moment, according to Nikol Pashinyan, according to unverified data, 32 captured servicemen, among whom there are wounded. On November 26, Baku returned one of them to the Armenian side. In a conversation with Factor TV, Zhanna Aleksanyan, a human rights activist dealing with soldiers’ issues, clarified the circumstances under which the major and the contract soldier fled. MP Tigran Abrahamyan raises the question of why criminal cases were not initiated on May 12, when the Azerbaijani side occupied the sovereign territory of Armenia without firing.

By the way, according to Pashinyan, it is about 41 square kilometers. Abrahamyan does not rule out that in the past an agreement was reached between the two sides to resolve the issues without a shot. Now the member of the NA Committee on Defense and Security does not rule out that the agreement was violated by the Azerbaijani side on November 16.

Former Secretary of the Artsakh Security Council Samvel Babayan rules out that there could be agreements with Azerbaijan on this issue. Human rights activist Zhanna Aleksanyan says that before the soldiers are brought to justice, the shortcomings of the military-political leadership should be singled out, from which the shortcomings of the servicemen come.

The human rights activist conveys the alarms of the parents of the killed servicemen, how the military leadership left some soldiers bleeding on the battlefield. It is noteworthy that a year after the 44-day war, none of the high-ranking political-military officials was charged with defeat or loss.

Former Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan is currently detained, but according to law enforcement, he is in the process of acquiring expired ammunition. In addition to the arrest of the acting commander of the Jermuk military unit, Major GG, law enforcement announced the arrest of another commander about a year ago. The penitentiary informed that the commander of the battalion JM, whose title is not mentioned, in 2020. During the hostilities that took place from December 11 to 12, 1945, he showed official negligence, as a result of which 12 combat positions on the eastern border of the Old Tagher section of the Hadrut region came under enemy control. Nine servicemen were killed and two were taken, prisoner

Source: https://factor.am/447503.html?fbclid=IwAR2IQSaSyqOpqy5UrTriWOxRUX00rNJPPfnfuWKOJdpdn-WxK3cNLYus66w

Following the results of the 15th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, the leaders of the member states and governments adopted a final declaration entitled “Ashgabat Consensus on Action”. The document is so important for the Armenian side that there are provisions related to the 44-day Artsakh war, and the member states of the organization congratulate Azerbaijan on its victory in the war.

It should be noted that the members of this organization are Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan. The document, in particular, states: “We congratulate the Government and people of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the liberation of the occupied territories and the restoration of their territorial integrity. We firmly believe that such developments will pave the way for lasting peace and economic prosperity in the region through the establishment of good-neighborly relations.” In addition, the member states of the organization are called upon to study the possibilities of investing in rehabilitation and reconstruction programs in the “liberated territories of Azerbaijan”.

It is noteworthy that Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, countries in the Economic (EEU) and Security (CSTO) alliance with Armenia and considered a treaty ally, congratulate Azerbaijan on “the restoration of territorial integrity.” These countries are joined by our southern neighbor Iran. It should be added that earlier Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Kyrgyzstan had already congratulated Azerbaijan on the so-called “Victory Day” at the level of presidents and foreign ministers.

Arush is our friend, he is a good patriotic boy, we came to support him so that he does not feel alone and understands that his friends are by his side. The son of the second president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, Leon Kocharyan, who joined the citizens’ protest action in support of the re-elected mayor of Goris Arush Arushanyan, who is currently detained, said this in a conversation with journalists.

“This process is being delayed because this government and its leader are obsessed with keeping these people in prison for one more day, as if it were the purpose of their lives,” he said. They are part of the illegalities, they leave a mark on their biography.

He considered the lawsuits against the community leaders an act of personal revenge. “It is the revenge of a small-minded, filthy man,” he said.

Leon Kocharyan said that the enemy is very close to Syunik today, ացնել the isolation of the people who played a big role in the war by the government raises specific security issues in Syunik region.

“The population of Syunik, in general, the population of Armenia in general, must clearly express its attitude towards these illegalities,” he said.

Levon Kocharyan also thinks that as a result of the ongoing processes the government wants to deepen the despair among the population. “But it would be very naive to think that Arush or other boys could be depressed by being imprisoned,” he said.

It should be noted that the court session on the case of Goris community head Arush Arushanyan is underway in the Goris residence of the Syunik Region Court of General Jurisdiction, which has entered the trial stage.

The 5165 opposition movement in Armenia will continue its efforts to prevent the risky process of border delimitation and demarcation, its member Menua Soghomonyan told a news conference on Monday.

His remarks came after the movement announced a decision to end its participation in the street protests and rallies held jointly with the Liberation Movement in Yerevan.

Soghomonyan thanked reporters for covering the protests in the Armenian capital over the past week. He recalled that the demonstrations followed Nikol Pashinian’s statement that Armenia had accepted proposals from Russia on the “preparatory stage” for delimitating and demarcating its border with Azerbaijan.

“The 5165 movement demands the resignation of Nikol Pashinyan and his government in order to prevent the ongoing anti-Armenian steps in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, threats to the security and territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia,” said the movement’s statement read out by Soghomonyan.

He noted that the 5165 movements will start discussions with Armenia’s all political forces, non-governmental organizations, and well-known individuals who share the movement’s concerns and agree with their demand.

Members of the movement will also organize meetings in regions, he added.

Armenia’s Court of Appeals has rejected a motion filed by state prosecutors to overturn a lower court’s decision to throw out coup charges brought against former President Robert Kocharyan.

Kocharyan and other former government officials were charged with “usurping state power” during the 2008 post-election protests in Yerevan. 

Kocharyan was first arrested in the summer of 2018. In 2020, Armenia’s Court of Appeals issued him bail in the amount of 2 billion AMD ($4.167m).

In March 2021, Armenia’s Constitutional Court today ruled that the criminal case against Kocharyan must be dropped because the Criminal Code article in question (Article 300.1) runs counter to two articles of the constitution.

A district court acquitted Kocharyan and the other defendants soon afterward.

State prosecutors appealed the acquittal. The Court of Appeals rejected the motion late on Friday.

The other three defendants in the case are Armen Gevorgyan (Armenia’s National Security Council Secretary at the time) and two other former government officials (then Armenian Deputy Minister of Defense Yuri Khachaturov and Seyran Ohanyan, who was Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces in March 2008).

All four say the charges are politically motivated.

On his Twitter blog, deputy director of France’s reputable Le Figaro magazine, journalist Jean-Christophe Buisson touched upon the statements that President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan made during the Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

“In his new alarming imperialistic speech in Ashgabat, Erdogan called on Turkic-speaking countries to fully support Azerbaijan’s demand for the “Zangezur corridor”. Syunik is Armenia, and Erdogan is a warmonger,” he tweeted.

People are holding a protest Monday in front of the court of Goris, Armenia, in support of the re-elected mayor of the city, Arush Arushanyan.

The court session on the criminal case against Arushanyan is underway, and it has entered the trial phase.

Arush Arushanyan, however, is in custody, and he is charged with committing electoral fraud in favor of the opposition “Armenia” Bloc—led by second President Robert Kocharyan—during the snap parliamentary elections on June 20. But Arushanyan does not accept the charge brought against him.