Weekly update
12 June
The Romanian-born American writer, Professor Elie Wiesel said, “We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. According to thebluntpost.com, silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere.” If this statement is true, then Peter Stano, lead spokesperson for the external affairs of the European Union, is partly responsible for Azerbaijan’s ongoing campaign of hate, violence, and disinformation against Armenians. So, on January 29, Stano sent tweet with inaccurate yet public information, creating a false balance, “EU welcomes release of Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan in November and calls for the immediate release of the 57 remaining in custody.” There was at least 200 known Armenian POW in Azerbaijani custody in December, according to multiple human rights defenders who appealed to the European Court of Human Rights for their release and reported by eurasianet. Secondly, Stano’s refusal to point out the elephant in the room is dangerous. It enables and encourages Azerbaijan’s president to continue his terror with impunity.
https://thebluntpost.com/eus-peter-stano-fuels-azerbaijans-violence-against-armenia-with-wreckless-bothsideism-false-balance/
11 June
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament has adopted a resolution calling for unconditional and immediate release of Armenian prisoners of war, the Armenian Embassy in the Czech Republic informs. In line with armradio.am the resolution reads: Whereas on 19 March 2021 Human Rights Watch reported that Azerbaijani security and armed forces were abusing Armenian prisoners of war, and subjecting them to cruel and degrading treatment and torture, either at the time of their capture, during their transfer or in custody in various prisons I. Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian military and civilian prisoners captured during and after the conflict, and calls on Azerbaijan to refrain from arbitrary detention in the future. II. Deplores the violence that took place during the last war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh; III. Considers it essential for the Government of Azerbaijan to provide exhaustive lists of all persons held in captivity in the context of the armed conflict and to provide information on their whereabouts and their health, including information on those who have died in captivity.
https://en.armradio.am/2021/06/11/czech-parliamentary-panel-calls-for-unconditional-and-immediate-release-of-armenian-pows/
10 June
The Freedom House said in a statement on June 9 that it shares Armenia's human rights defender Arman Tatoyan's concerns about deepening polarization in the country triggered by upcoming snap parliamentary elections scheduled to take place on June 20, reported arka.am. Tatoyan earlier urged all political parties and blocs contesting the polls to avoid calls for violence and hate speech. The Freedom House said it was concerned with the disturbing outbreak of violent and hateful rhetoric used by Armenian politicians in the election period, saying 'these actions drive destructive polarization and hate speech in society as the country recovers from the Nagorno-Karabakh war and prepares for historic parliamentary elections.' Campaigning in the town of Talin earlier this week acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said after the elections there would be vendettas against those heads of communities and enterprises who are making their employees participate in opposition's rallies. He said the staff purges would target those officials who took advantage of the 2018 velvet revolution to huddle in the corridors of the people’s power and play the role of Trojan horses during all this time.
https://arka.am/en/news/politics/freedom_house_concerned_about_outbreak_of_violent_and_hateful_rhetroic_used_by_armenian_parties_runn/
9 June
Shortly after Nikol Pashinyan came to power as Prime Minister of Armenia in 2018, an Armenian businessman Tovmasyan met with him and proposed to invest in Armenia millions of dollars along with the Canadian Streit Group, a well-known manufacturer of armored military vehicles with 30 years of experience and factories in five countries, including Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, India and Pakistan, reported thecaliforniacourier.com. The sixth such facility would have been in Armenia. The total amount of the investment may have reached $20 million which would have included other military-related investors. The project would have also created hundreds of jobs. Prime Minister expressed interest in the project in 2018 and told his aides to follow up. Regrettably, due to the incompetence and carelessness of Pashinyan’s cadre of officials, three years later, no progress has been made on this vital project, despite Tovmasyan’s several follow up meetings with the Prime Minister.
http://www.thecaliforniacourier.com/armenias-leaders-ignored-investors-offer-to-build-military-vehicles-before-the-war/
8 June
The Foreign Ministers of Russia, France and Germany - Sergei Lavrov, Jean-Yves Le Drian and Heiko Maas, held a telephone conversation on June 7, during which, among many other issues, they also discussed the situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and in Nagorno Karabakh, as well as the implementation of the statements by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia of November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported. According to armenpress.am, “They noted the importance of unfailingly complying with the ceasefire regime and the need to resolve any disagreements by political and diplomatic means. The ministers reaffirmed the role of the OSCE’s Minsk Group during the negotiating process between Azerbaijan and Armenia”, the statement says. The Russian side noted that any involvement of international organizations to the process is only possible with the consent of Baku and Yerevan.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1054738.html?fbclid=IwAR2GgIRng-mKuB95XvR-UEFSjonMIuN9m5s5-Bj1Fa9nbnNi2IVfpKnbl9E
7 June
Former President Levon Ter-Petrosian continued to attack his successor Robert Kocharian and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Monday, saying that their bitter rivalry will make the upcoming parliamentary elections the “most dangerous” in Armenia’s history. In line with azatutyun.am, Ter-Petrosian claimed that they are ready to do everything to win the snap elections scheduled for June 20. “It’s a battle between their resources and supporters for now,” he said. “They will not content themselves with that. There will be thousands of irregularities by both sides during the elections. In case of thousands of irregularities there will definitely be incidents inside polling stations that could get out of control.”
Speaking during the official presentation of the election manifesto of his Armenian National Congress (HAK) party, Ter-Petrosian also said Pashinian and Kocharian are motivated by personal revenge and never fulfill their promises. “They have said one thing but done a totally different thing,” he said.
https://www.azatutyun.am/a/31294961.html
6 June
U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip T. Reeker will travel to Tbilisi, Baku, and Yerevan on June 6-13 “to advance bilateral and regional priorities and to express U.S. support for democratic and economic development across the region”. According to mediamax.am “Philip Reeker will meet in Georgia with government, opposition, and civil society leaders to discuss full implementation of the April 19 agreement among Georgian political parties as well as Russia’s ongoing aggression against and occupation of Georgia. In Armenia and Azerbaijan, Acting Assistant Secretary will meet with government, civil society, and business leaders to discuss bilateral priorities and issues related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict”, U.S. Department press statement reads.
https://mediamax.am/en/news/foreignpolicy/43497/
5 June
The Azerbaijani armed forces have attempted to carry out fortification works in the territory of Armenia near the area of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border for several times in the recent period which have been prevented on time by Armenian units, the country's Defense Ministry said on Saturday in a released statement, reported panorama.am. According to the source, on June 3, the Azerbaijani armed forces attempted to carry out land works with a tractor in the borderline areas in the territory of Armenia. The works were ceased after warning shots of the Armenian units. The Azerbaijani side was clearly notified about the necessity to rule out any similar attempts. "Nevertheless, then Azerbaijani armed forces continue engineering and fortification works without crossing the Armenian border in the areas, where their combat positions are located. The movement of the Azerbaijani military and the areas are visible from Verin Shorja and Kut villages of Gegharkunik province and has raised concerns among the local residents which is reflected in the reported of the Human Rights Defender," the ministry added.
https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2021/06/05/Azerbaijan-fortification-Armenia-MoD/2513886
Sources: www.thebluntpost.com, www.armradio.am, www.arka.am, www.thecaliforniacourier.com, www.armenpress.am, www.azatutyun.am, www.mediamax.am, www.panorama.am.