Weekly update
2 October
Despite Azerbaijan and Armenia’s ceasefire agreement, unprovoked and ongoing Azerbaijani aggression against the people of Armenia and Artsakh means thousands of innocent civilians still live in fear, and the threat remains intolerably high, Member of US Congress Adam Schiff said in a Facebook post. In line with armradio.am “It is vital we have a thorough understanding of the current situation and look closely into all potential threats, so we are better prepared to avert future deadly conflicts,” he added. “That’s why the House Intelligence Committee included a measure Rep. Jackie Speier and I championed in the 2022 Intelligence Authorization Act which will require an unclassified report on the likelihood of future military action within the Southern Caucuses – including Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Nagorno-Karabakh. We must use every tool at our disposal to ensure that peace endures for the people of Armenia and Artsakh,” Rep. Schiff noted.
https://en.armradio.am/2021/10/02/threat-to-armenia-and-republic-of-artsakh-remains-intolerably-high-rep-schiff/
1 October
Armenian Minister of Education, Science and Culture Vahram Dumanyan and UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Culture Ernesto Ottone met today in Paris and discussed, among other issues, the need to protect the Armenian cultural heritage in Artsakh. In line with hetq.am, Dumanyan, now on a working visit to France, thanked Ottone for UNESCO’s work with Armenia over the years and hoped that such efforts will be expanded. The two also discussed the possibility of getting a UNESCO technical mission to Artsakh and adjacent territories now controlled by Azerbaijan. Baku has blocked any UNESCO team from going to the area. The two, according to a statement released by Dumanyan’s office, also discussed issues related to current UNESCO programs carried out in Armenia including the possibilities of restoring the historical center of Gyumri.
https://hetq.am/en/article/136244
30 September
The National Security Service (NSS) confirmed on Thursday that it has arrested former Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan in an ongoing criminal investigation into supplies of allegedly faulty ammunition to Armenia’s armed forces. In a statement, the NSS said that Tonoyan and Davit Galstian, an arms dealer also arrested late on Wednesday, are accused of fraud and embezzlement that cost the state almost 2.3 billion drams ($4.7 million). According to azatutyun.am later in the day a court in Yerevan allowed the NSS to hold Tonoyan in detention pending investigation. A lawyer for the former minister said he denies the accusations and will therefore appeal against the decision. “The criminal case contains plenty of information that disproves the accusations,” Sergei Hovannisian told journalists. Galstian also protested his innocence during a separate court hearing on his pre-trial arrest.
https://www.azatutyun.am/a/31485969.html
29 September
The Armenian historical-cultural heritage, located in the territories currently under the control of Azerbaijan as a result of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war, is under a serious danger, Artsakh’s Permanent Representative to Armenia Sergei Ghazaryan said during the session of the Armenian parliamentary standing committee on human rights and public affairs. According to armenpress.am Mr. Ghazaryan said that the fates of over 2000 monuments under the Azerbaijani control are endangered. These monuments include 13 monasteries, 122 churches, 52 castles and 523 cross-stones. “127 school libraries, 12 museums with more than 20,000 samples, have been left in the lost territories of Artsakh”, he said. Sergei Ghazaryan said after the 2020 November 9 statement on the ceasefire, cases of vandalism and destructions of Armenian cultural heritage have been registered, including the deliberate targeting of Shushi’s St. Ghazanchetsots church and the St. Hovhannes Mkrtich church.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1064300.html
28 September
The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Artsakh Republic published an updated version of the report on the cases of the killing of civilians in Artsakh by the armed forces of Azerbaijan, the Office of the Ombudsman said. As said by armenpress.am the report summarizes the data collected as a result of fact-finding work of the Artsakh Human Rights Ombudsman’s staff from September 27, 2020 to September 27, 2021 on the civilian killings by Azerbaijani armed forces either by targeted strikes or after their invasion of the civilian settlements of Artsakh. Only the cases proved on indisputable grounds are presented. The report provides a brief description on the circumstances of the killing of each civilian. According to the data collected till September 27, 2021, the identities of 80 civilians killed by the Azerbaijani armed forces were revealed. 42 civilians were killed from long-range strikes by the Azerbaijani armed forces, including rocket-propelled grenades, shelling, bombardment, and sabotage by subversive groups. 38 civilians were killed in captivity or at least under the control of Azerbaijan from physical violence, stabbing, beheading, close-range shooting and other direct means. Out of 80 civilian victims, 68 are men and 12 are women. 52 civilians were killed at the place of residence, 15 at the public place, 11 at the place of work, 1 person in the Azerbaijani prison. The majority of civilian victims are people over 63 years old.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1064215.html
27 September
Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan and Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan spoke by phone today, one year to the day when Azerbaijan attacked Artsakh, and reaffirmed their pledge to take all necessary steps to facilitate the revival and ongoing development of Artsakh. In line with hetq.am the two, according to a statement released by Pashinyan’s office, discussed the repatriation of Armenian POWs held in Azerbaijan, security, infrastructure and housing construction issues. They stressed that such steps must be implemented to honor the sacrifice of those who died in the 2020 Artsakh war.
https://hetq.am/en/article/136113
26 September
On September 27, 2020, the Armenian World experienced a rude awakening about the national security of our homeland, reports agbu.am. Since that fateful day, the people of Armenia and Artsakh have had much to overcome. AGBU wishes them resilience and healing in the difficult process of recovery from the Second Artsakh War. In contemplating this solemn event, AGBU President Berge Setrakian stated, “This day will undoubtedly mark a new sad chapter in Armenian history. But today AGBU is focusing on those who endured 44 days of inhuman enemy brutality. Our thoughts are also with families who lost loved ones on the battlefield or were and continue to be victims of war crimes, including Armenian POWs held in breach of international law and human decency. We hold the severely wounded close in our hearts as we honor the sacrifice of all the fallen brave souls, who live on in the memory of the entire Armenian Nation.” At the same time, AGBU recognizes the profound sense of Armenian solidarity behind Armenians in times of crisis, demonstrated by donors, volunteers, supporters, partners and friends across the Diaspora. Together, they truly embody our timeless AGBU motto that “in unity is strength.”
https://agbu.am/en/archive/2021-01-22-20-51-57/news-2021/3680-agbu-observes-one-year-since-the-start-of-the-second-artsakh-war-2
25 September
Minister of Defense Arshak Karapetyan held a meeting on September 25 with Lt. General Rustam Muradov, Lt. General Gennady Anashkyn and Major-General Mikhail Kosobokov of the Russian military. According to armenpress.am Lt. General Muradov, the Deputy Commander of the Russian Armed Forces Southern Military Distrcit who served as the first commander of the peacekeeping forces in Nagorno Karabakh, introduced the newly appointed commander of the peacekeeping forces in Nagorno Karabakh, National Hero of Russia Lt. General Gennady Anashkyn, who is replacing Kosobokov. The Armenian Minister of Defense congratulated the new commander and wished success. Karapetyan thanked Major-General Kosobokov for his service and wished success in future activities. The sides praised the Russian government’s efforts aimed at stabilizing the military-political situation in the region and were pleased to note the effectiveness of the Russian peacekeeping mission in Artsakh.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1064019.html
Sources: armradio.am, hetq.am, azatutyun.am, armenpress.am, agbu.am