Breaking
Armenian Clerics in Jerusalem are Fighting for Their Lives
Family Seeks Answers as Armenian Captive Remains Held by Azerbaijan
The family of an ethnic Armenian held hostage by Azerbaijan has made an appeal to the Yerevan Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for information about his whereabouts after he was not released in the December hostage exchange as Azerbaijan had previously reported he would be.
Azerbaijan Parliament Adopts Document on Illegitimate Territorial Ambitions Towards Entire Territory of the Republic of Armenia
Azerbaijan Guilty: European Court Obliges Azerbaijan to Pay over 18,000 Euros to Relatives of 3 Armenian Soldiers Killed in 2016
Azerbaijan Continues to Arrest Journalists
The apparent easing of U.S.-Azerbaijani tensions has done nothing to slow the wave of arrests that began amid a state media campaign signaling a hunt for “U.S. spies.”
U.S. Congress
Rep. Schiff Urges House, and Senate Leadership to Include Humanitarian Aid for Armenia in Supplemental Funding Request
Representative Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) sent a letter to House and Senate leadership urging them to include robust humanitarian aid for Armenia in President Biden’s National Security Supplemental funding request. This comes as Armenia supports more than 100,000 refugees displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh by the unprovoked military attacks by Azerbaijan in September 2023, and up to 150,000 refugees in total since Azerbaijan launched its 44-day military assault in 2020.
Congress Continues to Negotiate National Security Supplemental Request
Congress continues to negotiate additional security funding for Israel and Ukraine, which includes $2.2 billion for the Assistance for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (AEECA) account, supporting recovery in Ukraine and nearby countries like Armenia. This funding would boost sectors such as energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and IT, along with anti-corruption measures.
Recent reports suggest optimism in the Senate for the supplemental funding, though the House might seek to break up the package. Immigration and U.S. border security, a must-have for many Republicans including the most vocal Ukraine hawks, remain the key points of contention. The White House, eager to secure funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, is showing an openness to negotiation, but the overall outlook for the legislation remains bleak.
U.S. Regional News
LA County Calls on Azerbaijan to Release All Armenian Hostages
Most Populous County U.S. Adopts Unanimous Resolution
World Leaders, NGOs Condemn Azerbaijan’s Ethnic Cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh
U.S. Puts Baku On Religious Freedom Watch List for Severe Violations of Religious Freedom and Manifestations of Intolerance
In a recent recommendation to the State Department, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom pointed to concerns for the preservation of Christian religious sites in Nagorno-Karabakh, where virtually the entire population of 100,000 ethnic Armenians has fled to Armenia.
Former ICC Prosecutor Highlights Armenia and Gaza as Central Themes in Global Order
The former Prosecutor General of the International Criminal Court (ICC), in a subsequent interview following the release of his latest report, noted that a new form of genocide against Armenians is unfolding today, echoing the tragic events of 1915.
Ocampo emphasized that Azerbaijan is sending a strong message, warning Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians against returning by threatening them with humiliation, imprisonment, or even death.
“I have prepared a new report on the events in Artsakh for the University of São Paulo, and it actually complements the report that I prepared in August last year. This was done at the request of the President of Artsakh, who today is in prison in Baku, like other Artsakh leaders, and this causes serious concern. In October, I joined the largest university in South America, the University of São Paulo, and we are trying to discuss rights and law,” stated Ocampo.
University Network for Human Rights Issues First-Hand Accounts of Azerbaijan Torturing Armenian Captives with Prolonged Beatings and Zip-Tie Lacerations
How Three Years of Atrocities Against Ethnic Armenians Led to Ethnic Cleansing
Azerbaijan Destroys Armenian Cross-Stone Memorial Spring in Nagorno-Karabakh
Azerbaijan has destroyed a memorial commemorating fallen soldiers in Nagorno-Karabakh, Monument Watch reported.
The UN Special Rapporteur has recently published a report revealing Azerbaijan’s alleged plans to eradicate all tangible traces of Armenians’ historical presence in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Robert Kennedy: Today, Ethnic Cleansing is Being Carried out Again in the Oldest Armenian Territories in the World
“Empty condemnations of this ethnic cleansing campaign are not enough. Unlike 1915 genocide, this one is reversible. This is a situation where peaceful sanctions can work. The US once again has leverage in the region, and to prevent another war and protect the principles of freedom and democracy, the US government must organize and mobilize the world community to ensure the return of Armenians to Artsakh and defend their right to self-determination,” Kennedy stated.
Christian Solidarity International Urges Exclusion of Azerbaijan from 2024 Olympic Games
In a letter to IOC President Thomas Bach, CSI argues that the move is warranted, in light of Baku’s ethnic cleansing of the Armenian Christian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Condemns Azerbaijan for the ethnic cleansing of over 100,000 Armenian Christians from Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Calls for accountability for Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing and military occupation of sovereign territory in the Republic of Armenia.
- Highlights concerns about the incarceration of ethnic Armenian hostages, including prominent national figures and humanitarian Ruben Vardanyan.
- Urges the IOC to suspend the membership of Azerbaijan’s National Olympic Committee, citing the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, responsible for the mentioned military aggressions and atrocity crimes.
‘Heartbreak Land’: Baroness Caroline Cox on Going Where Even the Red Cross Won’t Go
Baroness Caroline Cox, a member of the British House of Lords and founder of the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust, spoke of Azerbaijan’s 2020-23 Genocide against Nagorno-Karabakh:
“The Armenians are in desperate need of humanitarian aid. All the ones that have had to flee, 100,000 from Nagorno- Karabakh into Armenia, they’ve had to leave everything behind.”
International Crisis Group Condemns Azerbaijan’s Ethnic Cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh
More leaders are pursuing their ends militarily. More believe they can get away with it.
In Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev’s Family Takes on Farming as a New Lucrative Business Venture
Investigations Reveal State-Affiliated Individuals Have Seized Karabakh Land
Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Calls for UNESCO Action in Nagorno-Karabakh Amid Azerbaijan’s Cultural Genocide
French City Removes Azerbaijan’s Name From Park Due To Its Genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh
Driven by Fear from Nagorno-Karabakh
Armenian Investigative Committee: There are Many Bodies, Including of Civilians, Transported from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia that Carry Signs of Torture and Mutilation
Testimonies from Nagorno-Karabakh that the World Ignored
An 8-year-old Arthur from the village of Chartar in Nagorno-Karabakh. He is among 30,000 Armenian children who, after enduring nine months of suffering due to a genocidal blockade, were forcibly expelled from their homeland by Azerbaijan.
Armenians Suffering in Nagorno-Karabakh Are Going Largely Ignored in US Media
By Daniel Falcone
So the genocide in Tigray is completely being marginalized; you will not read about it in the U.S. press unless something horrible
happens, like a massacre of 2,000 people in one day, then they
may write about it. But even if that happened, the context would
get lost. The New York Times is not going to pursue investigating the problem of the ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. You’re not going to see 30 stories in 30 days come out, as they’re not interested or responsible in creating the story.
Three Years, Thrice Displaced
Mileta pauses often while speaking about her family’s former home in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the journey they endured fleeing to Armenia. Her family has lost their home due to war three times—first in 2020, then in 2022, and most recently, in 2023. It took Mileta’s family two days to cross the Lachin corridor, and they witnessed several deaths on the road.
“I knew I had to capture photographs of my family to preserve the memories, as we’ve been stripped of our lives, left with nothing,” Mileta expresses.
The Last Soldier: Nobody Told Him The War In Nagorno-Karabakh Was Over
An ethnic Armenian soldier, Rafael Hakobian, endured 33 days in the Nagorno- Karabakh woods as the lone survivor from his unit, desperately foraging for food. Unbeknownst to him, Nagorno-Karabakh had been ethnically cleansed by Azerbaijan within a mere 24 hours.
President of the International Crisis Group Visits Karabakh Refugees Affected by Ethnic Cleansing
“Like others, they’ve left everything behind, with no prospect of return,” Ero wrote in her X account.
Media Blackout as 100,000 Christians Forcibly Starved, Exiled From Homeland
Photos of the week
Refugee children from the Nagorno-Karabakh region run to greet a paraglider wearing a Santa Claus costume who was
delivering gifts, near the village of Akunk outside the Armenian capital, Yerevan.
Photo Courtesy of Karen Minasyan.
Armenian veterans with disabilities join forces with a dance troupe to showcase a unique performance in Yerevan—choreographed wheelchair dance.
Photo Courtesy of Anush Mkrtchian Margot Buff.
For the first time in 1,723 years, Christmas in Nagorno-Karabakh has ceased. This image captures the last Christmas service in 2023, with the three former leaders now imprisoned in Baku.
Security
Turkey Prevents UN Visit to Hide Its Use of Mercenaries in Armed Conflicts
By Abdullah Bozkurt
Behind Turkey’s prolonged lack of response to the UN request lies the concern of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government over revealing Turkey’s involvement in using proxy fighter groups to intervene in conflicts beyond its borders.
In a letter addressed to Turkey on November 6, 2020, the UN group stated that it had acquired information indicating Turkey’s involvement in recruiting individuals through armed groups primarily affiliated with the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA). These people were recruited for deployment to Azerbaijan in support of military operations in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.
Top U.S. Military Official Visits Armenia to Aid in Crafting NCO Development Objectives and Policy
What Happens in Ukraine Won’t Stay in Ukraine
By Michael Rubin
Armenians are frightened. In 1999, the Kremlin orchestrated an attack on Armenia’s parliament that left the reform-minded prime minister and speaker dead, along with several colleagues. Putin never forgets, and he will not forgive Armenians for the 2018
revolution that saw the country turn toward the West. Russian support for Azerbaijan’s conquest of Nagorno-Karabakh was meant to cause a counterrevolution.
New Masters in the South Caucasus
By Stefan Hedlund
The regional ambitions of Azerbaijan supported by Turkey may mean that the worst is not over for Yerevan.
RA Deputy Foreign Minister for BBC: Azerbaijan May State that it is Interested in Finalizing Peace Treaty, but Words are not Enough
Erdogan and Aliyev Have Clearly Signaled that Nakhchivan is Next on the Menu
By Atul Singh and Anton Schauble
Economy
Movies and TV Series will be Shot in Armenia for NETFLIX
Opinion
If Azerbaijan Wants Peace, It Should Share COP29
By Michael Rubin
Azerbaijan may have won the nomination, but it is time for the international community to demand magnanimity. Should Aliyev demur, this would cast caviar aside and allow delegates and diplomats a true window into the Azerbaijani leader’s soul.
Blood and Oil—How Azerbaijan Greenwashes Its Human Rights Record
By Stephan Pechdimaldji
While there is no denying how Azerbaijan’s oil and gas has done
irrefutable harm to the planet, it is their weaponization of
environmentalism that is more troubling. It promises to create a
dangerous precedent for other autocrats looking to greenwash their ulterior motives. It was under the false pretense of environmentalism that Azerbaijan implemented their illegal road blockade of the Lachin corridor that forced more than 120,000 ethnic Armenians from their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh, which many leading scholars including Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, called a “genocide.”
The World Must Compel Azerbaijan to Release its Armenian Hostages
By Hrair Balian
Under the circumstances, it is fair to call all of the remaining prisoners hostages. And the international community has a responsibility to employ all diplomatic, legal, and if necessary coercive pressures to convince Azerbaijan to release them. That applies especially to the U.S. and the European Union as current peace mediators, and also to former mediators, including Finland, Sweden, France and Russia.
Azerbaijan Does What It Can Get Away With
For far too long, the West has turned a blind eye to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev’s authoritarianism, while looking at the country’s oil and gas resources and proximity to Iran as a kind of geopolitical trade-off. This type of transactional diplomacy is dangerous and sends the wrong message to despots, who feel
that they can act with impunity. This is one of the reasons
Azerbaijan was able to ignore the International Court of Justice rulings.
How Azerbaijan Uses ‘Anti-Colonialism’ to Authoritarian Ends
By Bahruz Samadov
Azerbaijan’s official statements have in recent months taken a new turn, using anti-colonial rhetoric to criticise Western countries for their involvement in the region. In doing so, discourse that originated in criticism of the oppressive use of power is being used to justify the country’s move towards even greater authoritarianism.
Why the Armenian Exodus From Nagorno-Karabakh May Not End Azerbaijan’s Ambition
By Christian Edwards
Aliyev said Armenians wishing to remain in Karabakh would have to accept Azerbaijani citizenship. They had two chances: Either to integrate with the rest of Azerbaijan or to go to history.
The Lobbying Battle for Nagorno-Karabakh
By Ben Freeman and Artin DerSimonian
As the negligible U.S. response to Azerbaijan’s use of military force in Nagorno-Karabakh shows, Washington’s perceived strategic interests continue to trump Armenians’ concerns.
Nagorno-Karabakh, the Republic that Disappeared Overnight
By Wendell Steavenson
Yura Baluyan and his family fought for decades to preserve the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh.Then one day their homeland ceased to exist.
Washington Must End Its Support for Azerbaijan’s War Crimes
By Alex Galitsky and Shahed Ghoreishi
The US has long offered unconditional military assistance to Azerbaijan even as it carries out ethnic cleansing in Nagorno- Karabakh. It’s consistent with Washington’s support for brutal human rights violators from Saudia Arabia to Israel.
The Failures of International Law: What Nagorno-Karabakh Taught Us About Ethnic Cleansing
By Sarine Meguerditchian
In a matter of days, homes were vacated, shops closed down, and churches heard their last prayers. The ethnic cleansing of Armenians from their ancestral homelands planned by the Azerbaijani government came to fruition.
It’s Not the Economy, Stupid: Azerbaijan and Armenia
By William Roberts
We are far past the time for the U.S. to look at the world with a greater appreciation for the non-economic factors that shape history. Ensuring justice for the victims of Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing is a great opportunity for the U.S. to rebuild its moral credibility and demonstrate U.S. policy is based on our values and not dollars.