Weekly update
18 September
The Artsakh Republic Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Lusine Gharakhanyan has met with young footballers of Lernayin Artsakh FC who had been illegally stopped by Azerbaijani military on the road in Vorotan. According to panorama.am, "The incident with the bus carrying the young footballers of Lernayin Artsakh FC is a classic example of terrorism. This reminded of the Beslan siege horror. At the same time the scene of Azerbaijani servicemen scrapping the Artsakh flag off the bus with a knife comes as another evidence of strong Amenophobia in Azerbaijan. Sport is not about politics, not to say about intimidation," the minister wrote on her Facebook. Gharakhanyan added that Armenian athletes have not yielded to the provocations of Turkish terrorists and will continue to achieve boundaries of the kind, the victory, strength and self-improvement.
https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2021/09/18/Artsakh-minister-bus-footballers/2567973
17 September
Armenia has filed a case against Azerbaijan at the International Court of Justice for the alleged racial discrimination of ethnic Armenians. In line with oc-media.org, the UN court, based in the Hague, issued a statement on Thursday confirming the application against Azerbaijan for alleged violations of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). According to Armenia’s application, ‘for decades, Azerbaijan has subjected Armenians to racial discrimination’. ‘As a result of this State-sponsored policy of Armenian hatred, Armenians have been subjected to systemic discrimination, mass killings, torture and other abuse’. Azerbaijan has responded by stating that they intend to bring a similar case against Armenia. ‘Azerbaijan will file a lawsuit against Armenia with the UN International Court [of Justice] for Yerevan’s permanent violation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination’, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Leyla Abdullayeva told the media.
https://oc-media.org/armenia-takes-azerbaijan-to-the-international-court-of-justice/?fbclid=IwAR01HwfT9aB-d1I7HHUIlzDn0lrA12tSD5AJMvIIDRFyxoG21_YW-hyGGdk
16 September
Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan referred to the developments in the South Caucasus region at the narrow-format session of the CSTO Collective Security Council. Armenpress reports the PM said in his speech that along the perimeter of the CSTO collective responsibility zone, we are recording new manifestations of direct and indirect challenges and threats. ‘’Today, our region is at the threshold of very important transformations. In case of manifestation of political will and prudence, they can change the current picture and lead to the formation of conditions for true peace in the region. Our Government set a goal in its Action Plan to open a new era of peaceful development for our country and the region. And we, winning the early parliamentary elections in June this year, received a mandate to achieve this fundamental goal’’ Pashinyan said. The Armenian PM presented to the CSTO Heads of State how he sees the achievement of a peaceful era of development. ‘’ Through dialogue, through gradual overcoming of the hostile atmosphere, which unfortunately exists in our region, and through opening of all the regional economic and transport communications. In this context, it’s very important to implement the agreements enshrined in the trilateral statements signed by the President of the Russian Federation, President of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister of Armenia on November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021’’.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1063333.html?fbclid=IwAR3-mt5ceteTJY4uF8P8UvWw7ZkT-pEjDr8jg5Or1whRfnCKipZUz27taoQ
15 September
Dr. Ashot Melkonyan, the director of the History Institute of Armenia’s National Academy of Science said that it would be naive to think peace can be achieved through concession of territories—a route that has become the trademark of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s administration since he signed the November 9 agreement to stop the military attacks on Artsakh. Asbarez correspondent Nane Avagyan was recently in Armenia and met with Dr. Melkonyan, who describe in-depth the threats facing Armenia following the defeats suffered during the 44-Day War and the subsequent agreements signed by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia.
Read the interview below.
https://asbarez.com/it-is-naive-to-think-peace-can-be-achieved-by-conceding-territories-says-historian/?fbclid=IwAR3CaQrLr_kh9TRrExNTZ3u1e90cdq5CJK1yJwlv8JKPBdG-g7VViM4UyV8
14 September
The Azerbaijani police base, barricades, and cameras, the deployment of armed servicemen on the Vorotan road are clearly illegal and subject to be removed immediately. According to news.am the Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Armenia (RA), Arman Tatoyan, informed about this, summing up the details of their fact-finding work done on the spot. "In particular, on September 9, 2021, on the Yerevan-Kapan M2 interstate road in the Vorotan settlement section of Goris [city], the Azerbaijani authorities have set up a police base, which started operating on September 11.
https://news.am/eng/news/662582.html
13 September
Azerbaijani police officers deployed on the road connecting Armenian settlements in the province of Syunik demand $130 in cash from the drivers of Iranian trucks transporting goods and products to Armenia, a CivilNet correspondent reports from the scene. In line with panarmenian.net, "The Iranian drivers revealed that the Azerbaijani police stopped them halfway and informed them that they had entered the Azerbaijani territory," reporter Gevorg Tosunyan said. "The Azerbaijanis demanded $130 from each driver. After the drivers said they had no money, the Azeri police took registered the drivers' passport and car details and said that they should pay the money before the return trip".
https://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/295449/Azeri_police_demand_130_from_each_Iranian_truck_headed_to_Armenia
12 September
Seven political parties and three blocs have applied to run in local elections that will be held in Gyumri on October 17. They will vie for 33 seats in the municipal council that will elect the next mayor of Armenia’s second largest city. According to azatutyun.am, Gyumri has been run by Samvel Balasanian, a local businessman, for the last nine years. He was allied to the former Armenian government that helped him win reelection in 2016. Although Balasanian has decided not to seek another term in office, a newly created party bearing his name has joined the mayoral race. Its list of election candidates is topped by one of the outgoing mayor’s relatives, Vardges Sanosian. The latter heads a municipal agency providing utility services. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s Civil Contract party is expected to be the pro-Balasanian party’s main challenger. Civil Contract’s mayoral candidate, Hovannes Harutiunian, is the governor of Shirak province, of which Gyumri is the capital.
https://www.azatutyun.am/a/31457693.html
11 September
Azerbaijani police forces reportedly have set up a check point on Goris-Kapan Highway in Armenia’s Syunik Province, week after blockading the road to through traffic, heightening tensions along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. According to asbarez.com, while no official statements have been regarding the check point, reported Anush Mirzoyan posted a photo on social media, lamenting that “Perhaps soon we are going to need permission from Azerbaijan to get from Kapan to Goris,” Yerkir Media reported. On August 25, Azerbaijani forces blocked the Kapan-Goris Highway along the Karmrakar-Shurnukh section of the road, while a day later the blockade expanded to the Goris-Vorotan portion. Not only was daily traffic impacted by the blockade, but cargo vehicles traveling from Iran to Yerevan were forced either to cancel their transport or seek alternate routes, delaying deliveries.On August 27, the Goris-Shurnush-Kapan portion of the highway was opened, while cement barricades were placed on the Vorotan and Nor Arajadzor section to slow traffic. The latter position is now under the supervision of Russian border guards.
https://asbarez.com/azerbaijani-police-set-up-check-point-on-goris-kapan-highway/?fbclid=IwAR2b6tx1T4Mn10-qtKlj1jbPH1eBnNz8-FRC5_ewBvekarDVXzM5VNvjHKM
Sources: panorama.am, oc-media.org, armenpress.am, asbarez.com, news.am, panarmenian.net, azatutyun.am