The Region in Brief
Artsakh
Armenian Civil Contract delegates to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly did not support a proposal to send an international monitoring mission to observe the trials of Armenian prisoners of war and former political leaders held in Baku, ARF Bureau member and MP Lilit Galstyan reported.
In a statement, Galstyan criticized her colleagues for rejecting her amendment to the Assembly’s final resolution, which also called for protection of Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh. She claimed that ruling party MPs had reached a mutual understanding with the Azerbaijani delegation instead.
Galstyan warned of continued human rights violations, including reports of torture and denial of legal aid, and urged for international oversight until the unconditional release of all detainees.
Iran
The Islamic Republic of Iran does not endorse territorial claims made against Armenia in the recent “Istanbul Declaration,” according to Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mehdi Sobhani. “Certain provisions of the document do not imply consensus among all member states,” Sobhani emphasized, distancing Tehran from controversial elements of the declaration.
The declaration, reportedly influenced by Baku, references the so-called “Western Azerbaijani community” and includes a call for Armenia to “not obstruct the return of Western Azerbaijanis.” The term “Western Azerbaijan,” as used by Azerbaijani officials, is widely interpreted as referring to Armenian territory—an implication that has raised concerns in Yerevan.
Despite having supported the adoption of the document, Iran has repeatedly expressed verbal support for Armenia’s territorial integrity.
Russia/Azerbaijan
The Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a formal note to the Azerbaijani ambassador demanding the immediate release of detained Russian journalists, according to an official statement.
The ministry condemned Baku’s attempts to accuse Russian law enforcement agencies of overstepping their authority, calling such claims an unacceptable interference in Russia’s internal affairs. Moscow also delivered a protest note to the ambassador, expressing strong objections to what it described as Azerbaijan’s unfriendly actions and deliberate steps aimed at undermining bilateral relations.
This announcement follows the June 30 raid by Azerbaijani security forces on the Baku office of Sputnik Azerbaijan, which resulted in the arrest of several journalists. The outlet’s operations had already been suspended in February.
Russian journalists Igor Kartavikh and Yevgeny Belousov were placed in four-month pre-trial detention in Azerbaijan. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described Baku’s reaction as “emotional” and urged Azerbaijani authorities to engage in dialogue.
Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to visit occupied Artsakh on July 4 for a one-day trip, according to Azerbaijani media reports. Erdogan’s aircraft is reportedly scheduled to land at Varanda International Airport.
The Turkish leader will take part in the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), scheduled to be held from July 3 to 4 in occupied Stepanakert.
Hoory Minoyan
Latest posts by Hoory Minoyan (see all)
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The breakdown of the honeymoon between Russia and Azerbaijan is interesting and will certainly change the dynamics locally. Having alienated Armenia in its appeasement of Azerbaijan, Russia now seems to disgraced itself and is unlikely to have much if any role in management of the planned zangegeur corridor .