Category: Selected Articles

WASHINGTON — The United States and Armenia kicked off combined military exercises this week designed to train Armenian troops to participate in international peacekeeping missions, Armenia’s Defense Ministry said.

The exercise, dubbed “Eagle Partner,” includes 85 US and 175 Armenian personnel and is being held over 10 days at training facilities outside the capital Yerevan.

Why it matters: Tensions between Armenia and neighboring Azerbaijan are soaring. Both sides have accused each other of building up troops near the disputed territory of Karabakh.

The US military training mission puts Washington’s finger on the scale as it seeks to blunt Russia’s inroads in the Caucasus and amid a wider effort for rapprochement with Turkey.

Armenia has relied on a contingent of Russian peacekeeping troops since the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, but Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has accused them of failing both to protect his side against Azerbaijan’s forces and to alleviate Baku’s blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Earlier in September, Pashinyan went so far as to say his government had made a “strategic mistake” to rely on Russia for defense ties, citing Moscow’s own need for munitions amid its war in Ukraine.

Russian reaction: Moscow summoned Armenia’s ambassador Vagharshak Harutyunyan in protest on Friday. 

On Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin sought to downplay the rift by emphasizing Russia’s longstanding ties with Armenia. “We have no problems with Prime Minister Pashinyan, as we communicate regularly,” he said.

Russia has remained Armenia’s largest trading partner since the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Wider context: Last week, Armenia held elections in the disputed territory in a move condemned by Azerbaijan and Turkey. The United States and the European Union said they did not recognize the legitimacy of the elections.

Coinciding with the military exercises, on Sunday the Biden administration reiterated its call on Azerbaijan to open two corridors to allow humanitarian supplies to reach Nagorno-Karabakh, which has been under a crippling blockade since December.

“The use of force to resolve disputes is unacceptable,” the State Department said in a press release.

“The United States further reaffirms the only way forward is peace, dialogue, and the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the basis of mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” it read.

Armenian authorities in Karabakh announced on Saturday that one of the roads, the Lachin corridor, would be opened to allow supplies to flow from Baku, a decision confirmed by Azerbaijan.

Baku’s armed forces chief of staff visited Ankara to meet with Turkey’s new defense chief Yasar Guler on Monday.

Know more: Read Amberin Zaman’s reporting from southeastern Armenia as fears began mounting in January amid the blockade.

A French humanitarian aid convoy is stuck at the entrance to the Lachin corridor last month.

Georgia’s separatist-held region of Abkhazia has firmly rejected suggestions it could be annexed by Russia, insisting that its autonomy from Moscow is not up for discussion.

In a statement issued by the unrecognized South Caucasus state’s foreign ministry on Thursday, officials said that while it is “a steadfast ally of the Russian Federation,” its self-proclaimed statehood “is not a subject for debate.”

The comments come shortly after the deputy chairman of the Kremlin’s Security Council, former president Dmitry Medvedev, hinted that Moscow could seek to absorb the two Russian-backed breakaway regions of neighboring Georgia — Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

“The idea of joining Russia is still popular. And it may well be implemented, if there are good reasons for it,” said Medvedev, who has been one of the most enthusiastic cheerleaders of Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

However, despite the presence of thousands of Moscow’s troops deployed to Abkhazia in the wake of a series of wars with Georgian government forces — most recently in 2008 — officials in the capital said the suggestion amounted to nothing more than a sign of “intensifying geopolitical contest.”

Meanwhile, the secretary of Abkhazia’s security council, Sergey Shamba, went further, pointing out that there “are no political entities” in the region pushing for integration with Russia.

“We haven’t received any formal requests to join the Russian Federation, and I’m yet to identify any political faction within Abkhazia that envisions such a relationship dynamic with Russia,” he went on.

Home to around a quarter of a million people and with its own distinct language, Abkhazia has existed as a de facto independent state from Georgia since a brutal civil war which followed the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Hundreds of thousands of ethnic Georgians were displaced from the region, which borders Russia, as part of a campaign by the separatists, who were frequently backed by elements of the Russian armed forces.

BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 12. We would like
to recall the UN Security Council resolutions, affirming the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and call for
their full respect, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the
Secretary-General, said at a briefing, Trend reports.

He has made the remark, while commenting upon the so-called
“presidential elections” held by Armenian separatists in
Azerbaijan’s Karabakh on September 9, 2023.

“The Secretary General urges to intensify efforts towards the
long term normalization of relations for security and peace of the
region,” he added.

Earlier, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry called on the
international community to strongly condemn the so-called
“elections”.

As noted in the statement of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, the
holding of the so-called “elections” once again clearly shows that
Armenia and the puppet regime created by it, which has taken steps
to preserve the status quo and continue its occupation policy, are
not really interested in the peace process, on the contrary, have
taken the path of provocations and escalating the situation.

The separatist in Garabagh does not accept either the food
convoy sent by the Russian Red Crescent or the convoy sent by the
Azerbaijani Red Crescent Society. Besides, according to the
received information, an ICRC truck is standing ready in the
territory of Armenia near the Lachin Border Checkpoint. The
Azerbaijani side noted the TIR in the Armenian territory can cross
the border at the same time when convoys in Aghdam cross the
Russian checkpoint in Khankendi. However, the separatist has
refused Azerbaijan’s proposal.

Thus, the completely inadequate behavior of the Garabagh
separatists raises suspicions. On the one hand, they make a fuss
about the “unbearable human crisis” in Garabagh, on the other hand,
they deliberately refuse all the humanitarian convoys.

To clarify the issue, Azernews asked the
opinion of Irish political analyst and historian Patrick Walsh. He
noted since the defeat in the Second Garabagh War, Armenians have
tried to internationalize the Garabagh issue by playing the victim
cards. They tried to convince the West of genocide through the
blockades, but Azerbaijan destroyed this myth by offering an
alternative route.

“After the 2020 war, the Armenians in defeat switched to victim
mode. They decided to resist the sovereignty Azerbaijan was able to
exert over the formerly occupied territories by internationalizing
the Garabagh issue. The attempt involved the selling of a blockade
and genocide narrative to the West as Azerbaijan imposed legitimate
controls over its borders. This campaign was frustrated when
Azerbaijan offered alternative routes for supply to the Armenian
minority in Garabagh other than the Lachin-Khankendi road, which
Armenia had attempted to use to undermine Azerbaijani control over
its sovereign territory. The “blockade” has been exposed as
actually an Armenian imposition on its own population and part of a
campaign and it therefore in the interest of the illegal regime to
prolong the show by refusing legitimate aid,” Walsh noted.

As for the role of The International Committee of the Red Cross,
he pointed out that the organization turned into a political tool.
He emphasized that it is biased and could serve the Armenian
propaganda as well as playing into the hands of pro-Armenian
Western forces.

“The Red Cross has been mired in controversy lately. Far from
being an independent humanitarian organisation it works to a
political agenda and acts like a business in many respects. It
reflects Western biases and prejudices regarding Christians and
Muslims. It is no surprise therefore that the Red Cross can be an
instrument or willing tool of Armenian propaganda,” he said.

Patrick Walsh pointed out that he does not know the content of
the load on the TIR, but he ensures that to din the “blockade” into
the West. However, allowing the convoys through legitimate channels
contradicts the “blockade”.

“I do not know what the TIR contains. However, the Armenians are
intent on preserving the impression of a “blockade” to make their
propaganda effective in the West. Because of this they are
determined to resist the supply of aid through legitimate channels
because it breaks the self-imposed “blockade” intrinsic to the
propaganda. Their campaign will be frustrated however by supplies
passing through border checks, something that seems to be now
underway. What the Armenians did not bargain for is that any
campaign they launched aimed at provoking Western support would be
subverted by Moscow,” he said.

—

Qabil Ashirov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on
Twitter: @g_Ashirov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

On September 12, the new Commander of the Russian peacekeeping
forces temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan, Major General Kirill
Kulakov was introduced to the Azerbaijan Defense Minister, Colonel
General Zakir Hasanov by the Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces
of the Russian Federation, Army General Oleg Salyukov,
Azernews reports, citing the Ministry.

The Defense Minister welcomed the guests and noted that
Azerbaijani-Russian cooperation is based on friendly relations and
mutual trust.

Colonel General Zakir Hasanov spoke about the operational
situation in the Garabagh economic region. He emphasized that the
number of provocations committed by illegal Armenian armed
detachments had increased recently.

Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces of the Russian Federation,
Army General Oleg Salyukov expressed his gratitude for the warm
reception and noted that Azerbaijani-Russian bilateral relations
are based on historical roots, and the two countries are strategic
allies.

—

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

Iran was accused of attempting to influence Azerbaijan’s mosques; 118 clerics were removed from their jobs

On April 6, the Chairman of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations, Mubariz Gurbanli, announced that the Tehran regime had been attempting to establish Iranians in mosques in Azerbaijan.

Gurbanli added that his committee had been working patiently and purposefully to prevent this, as Iran was trying to spread its state-religion model to Azerbaijan and other surrounding countries. He also claimed that the Tehran regime had been conducting campaigns on social networks to carry out this propaganda in Azerbaijan.

Gurbanli further stated that after the authority to appoint people to mosques was transferred to the committee, about 120 people who received education and could express the state’s interests were appointed. At the same time, 118 clerics were removed from their jobs. He also mentioned the completion of repair work in the former Abu Bakir mosque and expected its opening soon.

Recently, around 400 Islamic-faith believers have been arrested in Azerbaijan, and social activists and human rights defenders have reported on this. Most of those arrested have been charged with drug possession, but their relatives and lawyers say these accusations are false. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs claims that it is not aware of the arrest of 400 people.

On April 5, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Security Service, and the General Prosecutor’s Office released a statement claiming that a group was created for the purpose of establishing a “Karim” state governed by Sharia law in Azerbaijan. The information says that Iran’s special services have seized a group of people with material and religious propaganda, and crimes have been prepared in the direction of destabilizing Azerbaijan.

Furthermore, the initial traces of the terrorist act against MP Fazil Mustafa were linked to Iran, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan on March 31, 2023. The deputy was shot in front of his house on March 28, 2023, and the head of the security service of the embassy was killed in an armed attack on the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Iran on January 27, 2023. Employees of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Iran were subsequently evacuated to Baku.

Azerbaijan has been rocked by a torture case known as the “Tartar case,” where 452 victims have come forward with allegations of torture and abuse.

The trial of Colonel Vusal Alasgarov and three other soldiers accused of torturing soldiers accused of spying for Armenians during the “Tartar Incidents” in May-June 2017 continues in Baku. The victims have been giving their statements, and the family members of those who lost their lives have participated in the court proceedings as their legal heirs.

One of the victims was senior lieutenant Tamkin Guliyev, whose father Nizami Guliyev testified at the court session. Nizami Guliyev said that when his son’s body was brought back to them on May 15, 2017, they were told that he died of pneumonia. However, an exhumation in 2022 revealed that he died from torture, with injuries to the vertebrae, head, hands, and feet. Nizami Guliyev demanded that those who caused their death by torturing the soldiers, including his son, be charged with murder and treason.

Another victim was commander Suleyman Kazymov, whose wife Zulfiyya Kazimova testified in court. She demanded that high-ranking officials involved in the torture be brought to criminal responsibility, including Hikmet Hasanov, who she claims gave the orders. Kazimova said that they received the news of her husband’s death on May 9, 2017, and were initially told that he was a martyr, but later were told that he died in an accident. Those who brought the body to them tried to make them sign a blank piece of paper. Kazimova claimed that her husband was handcuffed, drowned in water, and beaten before his death.

Elchin Guliyev, who was accused of treason and acquitted after the “Tartar case” proceedings were renewed, also lost his life as a result of torture. His mother Valida Ahmadova testified in court and said that her son made a phone call for the last time on May 3, 2017. On May 8, his father and cousin were called to the executive power and told that Elchin Guliyev had died and was a “traitor to the country”. When his body was brought back to them, they claimed that he poured drugs into the food truck he was driving during the April 2016 battles so that the soldiers would sleep. However, Ahmadova said that her son was not driving the food truck at all, but was on vacation. She also claimed that the authorities created obstacles for those who came to his funeral and called her son a “traitor to the country”.

One victim, Vagif Abdullayev, claims that General Hikmat Hasanov threatened to send those who refused to engage in espionage to a minefield and had him put in a cage, and threatened to shoot him. Several other victims have confirmed this threat. Abdullayev emphasized the importance of prosecuting General Hasanov and other officials in order to have an objective investigation of the case.

Another victim, Merhamat Rajabli, accused Colonel Vusal Alasgarov of putting a gun in his mouth, tying his hands, and subjecting him to various forms of torture, including electric shocks and nail removal. The accused persons did not respond to the accusations made by the victims.

After the investigation into the “Tartar case” was renewed in December 2021, the number of people brought to criminal responsibility for torture reached 17, with one person still wanted. Four more people who were already in prison were re-indicted due to their participation in torturing others.

In November 2022, the cases of 19 people who had been sentenced to 20 years in prison for treason and other serious charges were re-examined, their sentences were canceled, and they were acquitted five years later. The court investigations on the cases of the four named persons in this particular incident are still ongoing.

The trial continues in Baku, and the victims’ families are seeking justice for their loved ones who lost their lives as a result of torture.