- Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told French President Emmanuel Macron he would be willing to lift his blockade of the Lachin corridor if a road connecting Karabakh and Azerbaijan is reopened first.
- An Azerbaijani government aid convoy for Karabakh reached the town of Aghdam, where it has been blocked from moving forward by Russian peacekeepers.
- Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo arrived in Armenia to escort a convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian aid for Karabakh to the entrance of the Lachin corridor.
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EXPLAINER: What is the so-called ‘Zangezur corridor’ and why the
By Alexander Pracht Discussions about the so-called ‘Zangezur corridor’ were revived last month by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who insisted that a transport link connecting mainland Azerbaijan and its Nakhichevan exclave must be established through Armenia’s sovereign territory and put under Moscow’s control, as the three countries agreed after the 2020 war. Lavrov’s statements triggered harsh opposition from Iran, one of Moscow’s most important strategic partners at the moment. What is the ‘Zangezur corridor?’ The Russia-brokered ceasefire statement that concluded the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war includes an article concerning regional transport links, including a proposed route between mainland Azerbaijan and […]
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BREAKING: First communication filed at ICC on behalf of Karabakh
By Mark Dovich Lawyers representing two officials who held senior human rights-related positions in Nagorno-Karabakh’s government have formally asked the International Criminal Court to investigate Azerbaijan’s leaders for crimes against humanity. The petition, known as a communication, contends that Azerbaijan’s forcible displacement of nearly all of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenians last year falls within the definition of deportation, which can be considered a crime against humanity under international law. It marks the second such submission to the Hague-based tribunal since Armenia joined earlier this year, as well as the first time that a petition concerning Nagorno-Karabakh has been filed, and the first […]
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Contradictions cloud Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights’ mission amid Baku
By Paul Vartan Sookiasian Established in 1968, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights non-profit says it works “in pursuit of the dream of a more just and peaceful world.” Yet its active participation with a Baku-based organization funded by the Ilham Aliyev government, perpetrator of repeated human rights abuses, ethnic cleansing, and ruthless internal repression, puts its mission under a cloud. Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, aka RFK Human Rights was established in the aftermath of the assassination of the former U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Senator and Presidential candidate and is currently led by his daughter Kerry. According to […]
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‘Russia and the Middle East in a Changing Geopolitical Environment’
Hanna Notte, an expert on Russian foreign and security policy, gave a lecture on “Russia and the Middle East in a Changing Geopolitical Environment” at a symposium organized by the Monterey Initiative in Russian Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. The lecture took place on July 2 in Yerevan. Hanna Notte is a Senior Research Associate at the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation and a Senior Associate (non-resident) in the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. This year’s Monterey Summer Symposium on Russia took place […]
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Armenia’s seismic vulnerabilities
Civil engineer and Los Angeles city consultant Shahen Akelyan provides crucial insights into Armenia’s seismic vulnerabilities and the urgent need for improved earthquake preparedness. Drawing from his expertise and experiences in Los Angeles and Japan, Akelyan outlines practical solutions and strategies that Armenia can implement to enhance its earthquake-resistant infrastructure. He offers both scientific knowledge and practical advice, serving as a wake-up call for policymakers and citizens to prioritize seismic safety measures in Armenia’s urban development and construction practices.
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Targeting the opposition: A growing trend at Yerevan’s city hall
By Tigran Grigoryan and Karena Avedissian Local Level Political Suppression An opposition member of Yerevan’s city council Grigor Yeritsyan was relieved of his duties last week, with ruling “Civil Contract” party cited repeated absences from the meetings of the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs of the Council as the reason for his removal. Yeritsyan has dismissed the claims as false and politically motivated, saying that he and his colleagues plan to challenge the decision in court. This follows a similar incident eight months ago, when former Mayor Hayk Marutyan, now the leader of the opposition National Progress faction, was also […]
