Armenia
Mourad Papazian, co-chair of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF) and a member of the ARF Bureau, along with Massis Abrahamian, chairman of the Armenian National Committee of the Netherlands, received court approval on January 22 for their claim against Armenia’s National Security Service. Initiated in 2022, the lawsuit seeks the removal of their names from Armenia’s persona non grata list. While the court’s decision is a legal victory for these influential diaspora leaders, it draws attention to ongoing concerns, as many Diasporan youth still contend with their inclusion on the persona non grata list.
Artsakh
The newly-formed Committee for the Defense of the Fundamental Rights of the People of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) has formally commenced its activities, with the former Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian appointed to oversee its operations. Oskanian said the committee’s primary goal is “to advocate for and pursue the right of the collective repatriation of the Artsakh people to their homeland with international guarantees.” The decision to form the committee was made by the Artsakh parliament, currently based in Armenia and recognized as the legitimate elected body. The committee’s formation comes in response to the 10-month blockade imposed by Azerbaijan, resulting in the forced displacement of Armenians from the Republic of Artsakh.
Azerbaijan
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) decided on January 24 not to ratify the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation. PACE noted that Azerbaijan “did not acknowledge the very serious humanitarian and human rights consequences” arising from the blockade of Artsakh and recalled “the flight of the entire Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and to allegations of ‘ethnic cleansing’.” It also cited Azerbaijan’s failure to uphold its commitments regarding its “ability to conduct free and fair elections, the separation of powers, the weakness of its legislature vis-a-vis the executive, the independence of the judiciary and respect for human rights.”
The Committee on International Relations and Interparliamentary Relations of the Azerbaijani Parliament has called on the Azerbaijani government to impose sanctions against France and sever all economic ties with Paris. This comes after a resolution adopted by the French Senate supporting Armenia’s territorial integrity and advocating for sanctions against Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani committee’s statement suggests freezing French officials’ assets, expelling French companies, including Total, and preventing their participation in Azerbaijani state projects. The move is a reaction to what Azerbaijani parliamentarians deem a “biased” and “unfounded” resolution.
Russia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressed various aspects of the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations during his annual press conference on January 18. He said that the “Zangezur Corridor”, an extraterritorial corridor through Armenia demanded by Azerbaijan, was not discussed in tripartite agreements and emphasized Azerbaijan’s readiness to sign a peace treaty on Russian territory. Lavrov also noted Moscow’s non-involvement in the Armenian-Azerbaijani border demarcation commissions.
Hoory Minoyan
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