Breaking
Protesters led by a senior cleric in Armenia’s church walked a distance of around 100 miles (160 kilometers) from villages near the border with Azerbaijan to Yerevan where they gathered in Republic Square.
Congressman Allegedly Accepted Approximately $600,000 from Azerbaijan’s State-Owned Oil Company and a Mexican Bank in Exchange for Official Acts as a Member of Congress
Remembering the Voskepar Massacre: 33 Years Since Soviet-Azerbaijani Forces’ Tragic Operation
On May 6th, the 33rd anniversary of the Voskepar massacre is observed, marking a tragic event where a joint military operation by the Soviet Union’s Army and Soviet Azerbaijan’s riot police targeted the police officers and residents of Voskepar village in Soviet Armenia.
On the night of May 5-6, 1991, a joint operation by Soviet troops and Azerbaijani OMON in Voskepar, Soviet Armenia, resulted in horrific atrocities. Ethnic Armenian civilians were killed and injured when their village was attacked, and subsequent attempts by police to protect residents led to further brutality, with many officers murdered and others tortured in Azerbaijani prisons. The violence continued, with additional civilian casualties from shelling by the Soviet army on May 8.
On May 17, the U.S. Senate passed Resolution 128, introduced by Carl Levin, Bob Dole, Larry Pressler, and others. The resolution condemned the violence in Armenia, highlighting the increased attacks perpetrated by both the Soviet Union and the Azerbaijani government against the Armenian civilian population.
US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Visits Ethnically Cleansed Shushi Under Pressure from Baku
The US Ambassador to Azerbaijan defies prior reservations by visiting the ethnically cleansed city of Shushi, despite previously expressing reluctance to participate in what he referred to as “show.”
Azerbaijanis Clear Out Armenian Homes in Occupied Stepanakert, Play with Toys Left Behind by Displaced Armenian Children
U.S. Congress
Members of NA Armenia-US Friendship Group Meet with Co- Chair of Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus in Washington
The Armenian Parliamentarians emphasized the U.S. support for the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Armenia.
Azerbaijan’s Ethnic Cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh and Genocidal Policy
Sam Brownback Applauds Recommendation by USCIRF to Label Azerbaijan for Religious and Ethnic Cleansing in Nagorno- Karabakh, Urges Action to Prevent Threats Against Armenia
“Commend USCIRF for recommending Azerbaijan be listed as a Country of Particular Concern because of its religious and ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. Now Azerbaijan threatens invasion of its Christian neighbor, Armenia. This must be stopped!” stated Sam Brownback.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo Boycotts COP29 in Baku Over Azerbaijani Aggression and Occupation of Artsakh
Hidalgo made the statement at the annual dinner of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF), Jean-Christophe Buisson, Deputy Director of Le Figaro Magazine reported it on X.
German MP: No Way Back for Azerbaijan into PACE
“A criminal gang around the illegitimate President Aliyev in Azerbaijan has dared to imprison the winner of the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize of the Council of Europe Anar Mammadli. There is no way back for Azerbaijan into the Parliamentary Assembly. Not now and not in January,” Frank Schwabe stated.
Official Christian Alliance League Condemns Ethnic Cleansing of Christians in Historic Land, Calls for Halt to Funding of Azerbaijan
“This is what the genocide of Christians looks like in the 21st century— massive arteries of traffic, every vehicle packed with families fleeing an unfathomable future, swiftly draining away the lifeblood of a Christian historic land,” the statement reads.
Driven by Fear from Nagorno-Karabakh
Artsakh’s Armenians: the Forgotten Refugee Crisis
”Now displaced and far from their roots, Srbuhi longs for a return to Artsakh, but only if it’s free from the presence of Azerbaijan, for her, the struggle is not just about reclaiming their land, but preserving Armenian identity and heritage against the forces of erasure and destruction.”
Karabakh Refugees Grappling with New Realities
Possibility of return seems like a distant dream.
Of the over 100,000 Karabakhi Armenians forced to flee to Armenia last September, Hayriyan is one of thousands who managed to migrate onwards. While she pursues higher education in the United States, she tries not to be pessimistic about her homeland’s future. She believes the possibility of her family returning to their homeland is slim, but she will never say that to her parents. They still dream of everything returning to pre-war days.
Armenian Ombudsperson: Torture, Mutilation Cases Reported amid Azerbaijan’s September Aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh
During the Azerbaijani aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh in
September 2023, there were cases of torture, mutilation of bodies,
and targeting of civilian objects. Armenian Human Rights
Defender Anahit Manasyan stated this during the presentation of
the annual report on the activities of the Human Rights Defender in 2023 at the National Assembly.
Nanna Skau: Those Forcibly Displaced from Karabakh Need to Get Vulnerability-Based Assistance
Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Vache Terteryan received a delegation led by Nanna Skau, UN World Food Program (WFP) Representative and Country Director in Armenia.
Photos of the week
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian leads a group of protesters who oppose border changes on a march toward Yerevan, with a target date of May 9 to reach the Armenian capital.
Photo Courtesy of Photolur.
A song and dance group is preparing to participate in the demonstration in Voskepar, Armenia.
Photo Courtesy of Rasmus Canbäck.
On May 9, thousands of Armenians assembled in the central district of Yerevan, uniting in a powerful demonstration of solidarity and purpose.
Photo Courtesy of Armnationalfront (Telegram Channel).
security
Armenian MOD Received the U.S. Ambassador
Armenian and American officials convened to assess the ongoing collaboration in defense between their nations, emphasizing the significance of their current partnership and affirming a mutual dedication to advancing defense reforms within Armenia. The American delegation reaffirmed its commitment to assisting Armenia in its reform efforts. Moreover, the meeting delved into discussions concerning regional security challenges, underscoring the shared interest in addressing pertinent issues affecting the broader region.
Russia to Withdraw Troops from Armenia’s Border
Agreement on the Status of EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia Enters into Force
Armenian Defense Ministry Medical Battalion Participates in ”Vigorous Warrior 2024” Multinational Military Exercise
The KFOR Command Highly Valued the Service of the Armenian Military Contingent
The NATO KFOR Command conducted a visit to the location of the
Republic of Armenia’s contingent stationed in Kosovo.
The KFOR command highly valued the service of the Armenian
military contingent. As a token of appreciation, the Commander of the Camp, Colonel Tim Daly, and Chief of Staff of KFOR, Brigadier General John Bozicevic presented awards to the commander of the military contingent, Captain Vardan Amiryan, and several other servicemembers.
EU Mission in Armenia Extends Warm Welcome to German Bundestag Delegation
economy
UN Assistant Secretary-General Visits Armenia’s Gegharkunik, Tavush Provinces
During the first day of her official visit to Armenia, Ivana Zivkovic, United Nations (UN) Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (RBEC), visited the UNDP projects in Gegharkunik and Tavush Provinces.
opinion
Blinken Provides Case Study in How Not to Do Diplomacy
By Michael Rubin
When the State Department finds itself in a hole, Blinken digs. The
same week that the Justice Department leveled charges at Rep. Henry
Cuellar (D-TX) for allegedly corrupting his office on behalf of Azerbaijan,
Blinken sent U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mark Libby to visit Shushi,
an ancient Armenian city ethnically cleansed by Azerbaijani forces. Satellite imagery from after the guns fell silent shows Azerbaijan has continued to destroy churches.
The ICC Should Consider the New Armenian Genocide Petition
By Luis Ocampo
This isn’t just about the Armenian community in Nagorno-Karabakh — it’s focused on different forms of genocide committed against Armenians in Armenia itself.
Good COP, bad COP: Azerbaijan’s Climate Charm Offensive is Backfiring
By Gabriel Gavin and Sara Schonhardt
Hosting the prestigious U.N. talks is drawing unwanted attention to the oil-and-gas-rich nation’s foreign influence networks and political crackdowns. Azerbaijan scored a major diplomatic victory when it won the right to host this year’s COP29 U.N. climate talks.
Dem Rep Wants To Send Millions To Nation Accused Of Ethnic Cleansing Amid Intense Foreign Lobbying Campaign
By Robert Schmad
Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee is pushing to send
millions in foreign aid to Azerbaijan, a nation accused of ethnic cleansing, according to recent disclosures.
The Aggressive and Expensive Legal Team Defending Mayor Adams
By Emma G. Fitzsimmons
Mayor Eric Adams’s legal defense fund has spent more than $730,000 on an outside law firm to defend him in a federal inquiry involving the Turkish government.
The Cost of Russia’s Friendship With Azerbaijan
By Kirill Krivosheev
Amid the war in Ukraine, Azerbaijan has become an essential partner for Russia when it comes to both energy exports, and keeping open a transport corridor to Iran.
State Department Must Act on New Azerbaijan Report
By Sam Brownback
Azerbaijan has joined the ranks of North Korea, Russia, Iran, the People’s Republic of China and Nicaragua, among other authoritarian countries, for their persecution of people of faith. This is a wake-up call for the Biden Administration to treat Azerbaijan like a rogue state, as it does many other nations on this list.
Azerbaijan’s Pre-COP29 Crackdown
By Alexandra Sabou
As Azerbaijani civil society grapples with yet another wave of crackdown, it is disheartening to reflect on the lack of progress in protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms over the past decade.
Costa, Valadao Rightly Blame Azerbaijan for War Crimes Against Armenia
In what will be welcome news to Fresno’s large Armenian community, Reps. Jim Costa of Fresno and David Valadao of Hanford have joined other California colleagues in the House of Representatives in co-sponsoring a bill that could lead to U.S. sanctions against more than 40 officials of the government of Azerbaijan.
