Breaking
Russian authorities have released an Azerbaijani national after briefly
detaining him at a Moscow airport under an Armenian international
arrest warrant. The man gained notoriety for beheading an elderly
Armenian man on video following the capture of an Armenian town
during the 2020 Karabakh and was apprehended during a trip to Russia. Notably, the individual had been awarded a medal by the Azerbaijani regime.
Gurgen Margaryan’s Murder in Budapest was Aliyev’s First Message to the World: 20 Years have Passed Since Armenian Army Officer’s Brutal Murder by an Azerbaijani Officer
20 years ago on February 19, Armenian army officer Gurgen Margaryan was brutally murdered in Hungary by Azerbaijani Lieutenant Ramil Safarov. Despite being sentenced to life in prison, Safarov was later extradited to Azerbaijan, where he received a hero’s welcome and was pardoned by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found Azerbaijan guilty in this historic murder case.
Azerbaijan Accused of Cultural Genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh: Destruction of Monuments Continues
Azerbaijan Accused of Desecrating Graves in Nagorno-Karabakh
EU Mission Marks 1st Anniversary of Monitoring Armenia- Azerbaijan Border
World Leaders, NGOs Condemn Azerbaijan’s Ethnic Cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh
Center for Truth & Justice Discuss Human Rights Violations in Nagorno-Karabakh
In an interview with SpecialEurasia, members of the Center for Truth and
Justice (CFTJ) provide insights into the dire situation in Nagorno-Karabakh following Azerbaijan’s military operation in September 2023. They outline CFTJ’s efforts in documenting war crimes and advocating for victims’ rights, including the collection of firsthand testimonies from survivors. The discussion covers the ongoing mistreatment of ethnic Armenians by Azerbaijani forces, the plight of Armenian prisoners of war, and the systematic erasure of Armenian cultural heritage in the region. The members emphasize the urgent need for accountability and justice for the victims of human rights violations in Nagorno-Karabakh.
French Parliament Committee Passes Bill Condemning Ethnic Cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly passed a resolution condemning Aliyev’s ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh and affirming support for Armenia’s territorial integrity.
French National Assembly member Hubert Julien-Laferrière echoed this sentiment in a post on X, urging France and the EU to advocate for the release of Armenian political prisoners in Azerbaijan.
Christian Emergency Alliance Condemns Threat of Azerbaijani Invasion, Warns of Peril to Armenian Christian Community
The Christian Emergency Alliance strongly condemns the looming threat of an Azerbaijani invasion, which poses a grave danger to the Armenian Christian community in the Middle East. Highlighting recent ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh, the alliance calls for urgent action to support those at risk.
Christian Solidarity International (CSI) Demands the Release of Armenian Civilians, Soldiers, and Political Leaders Held Hostage by Azerbaijan
Driven by Fear from Nagorno-Karabakh
Teacher’s Heartbreaking Story: Remembering Innocent Lives Lost in Azerbaijan’s War in Nagorno-Karabakh
Zhanna Mirzoyan, a devoted teacher from Sarnaghbyur village of Nagorno-Karabakh, vividly recalls the harrowing events of September 19, when innocent lives were brutally taken in an Azerbaijani attack.
“An hour ago, I sent the child home… One hour before my eyes, one was injured, and I heard about the other that he was killed… about the other one, they say that he is in a serious condition,” Zhanna reflects, her voice trembling with grief.
Resilience Amidst Adversity: Stories of Nagorno-Karabakh Refugees in Berd
Esther, leading the program in Berd near the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, reflects on the precarious peace: “Things are stable, but any incident escalates tensions. Last week’s shooting, resulting in four soldier deaths, reminds us of the looming threat of war.”
EU and Women’s Resource Center Collaborate to Support Women Affected by Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
EU Mission in Armenia and WRC address post-conflict needs of Nagorno- Karabakh women. Despite efforts, challenges persist for widows, single mothers, disabled, and HIV-positive women. Tailored programs are discussed for their safety and recovery.
Refugee Mother’s Harrowing Account of Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: ‘All this Happened before my Eyes’
Gohar, a refugee mother from Nagorno-Karabakh, recounts the horrors she witnessed during the conflict.
“All this happened before my eyes: the head of the village chief’s son was cut open, his mother-in-law also died from the blow, she fell on him, all her blood spilled on me,” she recalls. Amidst the chaos, Gohar bravely ensured her children’s safety.
Armenian Prime Minister, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Discuss Problems of Forcibly Displaced Ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh
Photos of the week
In Yerevan, hundreds of Armenians and Russians gathered near the Russian embassy to honor the memory of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny following his death. They expressed their protest against the Russian regime by chanting slogans such as ‘No to war.’
Photo Courtesy of Alexander Patrin.
A Karabakh refugee child finds joy amidst humanitarian briquettes and stoves provided to displaced families from Nagorno-Karabakh.
Photo Courtesy of People in Need.
Security
Fact-Finding Mission Reveals Dire Conditions in Syunik Province After Azerbaijani Attacks
The Tatoyan Foundation conducted a fact-finding mission in Nerkin Hand village, Syunik Province, following deadly attacks by Azerbaijan. The mayor noted worsening conditions since September 2022, with Azerbaijani troops controlling key areas. Villagers struggle to access sites like the cemetery and face land cultivation challenges due to ongoing shootings. Azerbaijani forces near the school threaten children’s safety, and mine explosions are a regular concern.
Blinken: The US Highly Values Armenia’s Commitment to a Dignified and Stable Peace
Azerbaijan Threatens New Armenia Invasion; EU Ponders Military Response
By Thomas O’Reilly
While Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev drums up support for another land grab, European aid to Armenia may come too late.
Armenia Joins NATO Exercises ‘Regex 2024’ Alongside Regional Partners
Armenia is participating in the NATO-led “Regex 2024” exercises, with the first workshop scheduled from February 19 to March 1.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia met with US Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy
At the Munich Security Conference, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and U.S. Special Representative Nina Hachigian discussed the Armenia-US bilateral partnership agenda and addressed security issues in the South Caucasus, particularly recent developments in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations.
Azerbaijani President Signals Further Divergence from West in Inauguration Speech
Aliyev also spoke in exultant tones about pan-Turkic cooperation and rejected any outside mediation in the peace talks with Armenia.
Armenian Foreign Minister Discusses South Caucasus Security with US Senior Adviser at Munich Security Conference
Armenian Community of Jerusalem Initiates Legal Action to Protect Patriarchate Garden
The Armenian Community of the historic Armenian Quarter is taking legal action to invalidate a lease between the Armenian Patriarchate and Xana Capital, arguing that the property belongs to them based on a trust established over 400 years ago. They seek to protect the land’s cultural significance and their community’s existence, urging international support and refraining from retaliatory measures.
Armenia-EU Cooperation Strengthened: Discussions on EU Civilian Monitoring Mission and Regional Stability
Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs met with Stefano Tomat, the Civilian Operations Commander of the EU External Action Service, to discuss the EU civilian monitoring mission’s progress in Armenia and its role in enhancing regional stability.
Armenia: Azerbaijan “Has No Interest in Peace”
Armenia’s EU Ambassador, Tigran Balayan, suggests that Azerbaijan prioritizes conflict over peace. He reveals that Armenia has tracked potential munitions purchases, possibly including drones, arriving on military flights from Israel and Turkey. Balayan indicates that Azerbaijan’s recent attack in Syunik province, resulting in four Armenian troop deaths, could be a response to Armenia’s growing cooperation with the EU.
Opinion
Did Biden Just Accidentally Ban Arms Sales to Turkey?
By Michael Rubin
Biden’s presidential memorandum is reality. Whatever the White House desire, any sale of F-16s to Turkey is now illegal, as would be supply to Azerbaijan as Blinken continues with his policy of moral equivalence between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Biden may tell congressional leaders otherwise, but Congress should not accept such inconsistency.
The Secret Oil-Trading Ring That Funds Russia’s War
By Joe Wallace, Anna Hirtenstein, Costas Paris
A little-known trader from Azerbaijan assembled a clandestine network that moves vast quantities of petroleum to China, India and other new markets.
Pan-Turkism and Islamism Drive Azerbaijani and Turkish Aggression against Armenians
By Uzay Bulut
On February 13, 2024, less than a month after
both Turkey and Azerbaijan threatened Armenia with renewed war, Azerbaijan killed four Armenian soldiers in Armenia’s Syunik province. It was not an isolated incident. With Turkish backing, Azerbaijan attacked southern Armenia in September 2022 and has since occupied several dozen square miles of Armenian territory.
COP29 Host Azerbaijan Escapes Munich Security Scrutiny
By Mary Robinson
Turning a blind eye to the regime’s record of human rights violations is not an option. It is imperative that Azerbaijan respect human rights and an independent media, release all political prisoners, and conclude a peace deal with Armenia in the wake of its military action in Nagorno Karabakh. No less should be expected of the host of COP29.
Is Azerbaijan Interested in Peace?
By Benyamin Poghosyan
One thing is clear: Nagorno-Karabakh was only one piece of the bigger puzzle of Azerbaijan’s – and probably Turkey’s – strategy towards Armenia.
Religious Extremism in Azerbaijan: Real Threat or Pretext for Autocracy?
By Rovshan Mammadli
The ruling elite has leveraged the bogeyman of Islamic extremism to cast itself as the guardian of a secular and stable Azerbaijani state to rationalize the adoption of more autocratic policies both domestically and internationally.
Azerbaijan’s Business of Election Observation
By Eloïse Layan
As part of the “Baku Connection,” Forbidden Stories investigated how Azerbaijan manipulates election observers to give this rights-abusing regime an illusion of democracy.
How France Became the Target of Azerbaijan’s Smear Campaign
By Sebastian Seibt
The absence of a French presence on the observer team is the result of a disaccord between France and Azerbaijan. French parliamentarians who have visited the former Soviet republic in the past as election observers no longer want to hear about it.
Stop Playing Politics With Genocide
By Stephan Pechdimaldji
For Armenians, the ICJ’s decision is a stark reminder of how the politics of genocide, particularly in Israel, continue to be a stain on Raphael Lemkin’s legacy and how political expediency is no substitute for human rights.
Why the US Needs Stability in the South Caucasus
By Artin DerSimonian and Benyamin Poghosyan
Alas, Armenia cannot rely on Washington in the event of a worst- case scenario: The US has already made clear in Georgia and Ukraine it is not willing to risk American lives for the territorial integrity or security of these former Soviet states.