Ceasefire Does Not Hold As Karabakh, Armenia Come Under Attack
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OCTOBER 17, 2020 MMirror-SpeirTHEror-SpeARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXXI, NO. 14, Issue 4656 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 IN BRIEF 370 New Cases of Ceasefire Does Not Hold as Karabakh, COVID-19 Confirmed in Armenia Come Under Attack Armenia YEREVAN (news.am) — As of Monday, October 12, 370 new cases of the coronavirus were con- STEPANAKERT (Combined Sources) — firmed in Armenia, and the total number of these A ceasefire agreed upon over the weekend cases has reached 56,821 in the country, according at a meeting of the foreign ministers of to the National Center for Disease Control and Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moscow with Prevention. their Russian counterpart collapsed almost Also, six more deaths from COVID-19 were regis- immediately. Azerbaijan started shelling tered, making the respective total 1,026 cases. the contact line immediately, killing civil- Three more cases of coronavirus patients dying ians as well as soldiers. from some other illnesses were recorded in Armenia A team of French, Russian and U.S. in the past one day, and the corresponding overall mediators urged Armenia and Azerbaijan death toll in the country is 306 now. on October 13 to immediately stop hostili- ties in and around Nagorno-Karabakh in line with a ceasefire agreement brokered UNESCO Asks for End to by Russia. The diplomats co-heading the Killing Civilians, Organization for Security and Cooperation Damaging in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group warned that continued fighting in the Karabakh Infrastructures conflict zone would be fraught with “cata- strophic consequences for the region.” PARIS (Armenpress) — The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization “The Co-Chairs note with alarm the con- Destruction of Stepanakert tinuing violence in the Nagorno-Karabakh (UNESCO) on October 12 issued a statement conflict,” they said in a joint statement. expressing its concern over the continuing escala- “The Co-Chairs call on Azerbaijani October 10 Moscow statement, in order to cumstances. The Co-Chairs call on the tion of violence in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian prevent catastrophic consequences for the sides to implement the humanitarian cease- zone. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to take region.” fire immediately to allow the return of “In line with the statement of the United Nations immediate steps to execute in full the oblig- “The Co-Chairs reiterate that civilian remains, prisoners of war, and detainees, Secretary-General on 5 October 2020, UNESCO ations of the sides according to the casualties are unacceptable under any cir- see ATTACKS, page 4 expresses its grave concern with the continuing escalation of violence in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone, which is causing rising civilian casu- alties and inflicting damage on civilian infrastruc- ture, including on schools, cultural and religious sites, and also affecting the safety of journalists. “UNESCO urges all sides to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, notably under the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two (1954 and 1999) Protocols, to ensure the prevention of damage to cultural heritage in all its forms. “This also includes the obligations under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2222 (2015) on the protection of journalists, media pro- fessionals and associated personnel in situations of conflict, to promote free, independent and impartial media as one of the essential foundations of a democratic society, and which can contribute to the protection of civilians. UNESCO also calls on all sides to refrain from any attacks on, or harm to, children, teachers, edu- At the Turkish consulate in Los Angeles cation personnel or schools, and urges them to Greater Boston Community uphold the right to education, recalling the princi- Some 100,000 Armenian ples of the Safe Schools Declaration, and its guide- Turns out for Artsakh lines that restrict the use of schools and universities Angelenos Protest Turkish- By Ken Martin for military purposes, strengthen the protection of education from attack and ensure continuity of safe Azerbajani Violence against Special to the Mirror-Spectator education during armed conflict.” Artsakh at LA March BOSTON — Armenian-Americans from New England and beyond hit the streets By Michelle Mkhlian of Boston on Sunday, October 11, to Special to the Mirror-Spectator protest the two-week-old war against Artsakh by Azerbaijan and its eager ally INSIDE LOS ANGELES — The streets of Los Turkey, this time with a noisy protest Angeles were blanketed with the colors Strategist Anna Magzanyan starting at the Turkish Consulate of red, blue and orange on October 11 dur- Boston, followed by a raucous, car-horn- ing the “Artsakh under Attack: March Joins Dr. Soon-Shiong to blaring march around Boston Common for Victory” demonstration organized by Grow the LA Times to the Armenian Heritage Park located Media on the Pan-Armenian Council of Western on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. USA. The Pan-Armenian Council is a By Aram Arkun see BOSTON, page 11 Artsakh War broad coordinating council of 24 Mirror-Spectator Staff Armenian-American organizations in JIRAIR HOVSEPIAN PHOTO Los Angeles, including the Armenian LOS ANGELES — Among the many influ- Pages 16 churches, political parties, cultural orga- ential Armenians in Los Angeles, Anna nizations and philanthropic groups. The Magzanyan of the Los Angeles Times stands March for Victory that commenced at 3 out as a top marketing strategist with a background that covers all types of media to INDEX p.m. at Pan Pacific Park culminated with Armenia . 2-5 a series of speakers and performances in date. She was hired in March of this year as head of strategy and revenue but also as Arts and Living . 14 front of the Turkish Consulate on Community News. 8 Wilshire Blvd in Beverly Hills. chief of staff to Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, a Editorial . 16 Roughly 100,000 Angelenos, accord- philanthropist who is owner and executive International . 6-7 ing to Los Angeles Police Department chairman of the LA Times. estimates, were in attendance protesting see MAGZANYAN, page 18 see LOS ANGELES, page 10 Protestors marching in Boston 2 S ATURDAY O CTOBER 1 7 , 2 0 2 0 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Armenian Foreign Relations Committee Chair Rubinyan Comments on Azerbaijani Attacks World Monuments Fund YEREVAN — Ruben the Republic of Armenia itself are concerned, Rubinyan stated, Condemns Targeting of By Aram Arkun Rubinyan, chairman of the “Armenia’s borders are defined by the mere fact of Armenian Shushi’s Cathedral Mirror-Spectator Staff Armenian parliament’s independence. They are internationally recognized borders. Standing Committee on The fact is that they are not contested by Turkey, but should SHUSHI, Artsakh (Panorama.am) — The World Foreign Relations, on Turkey try to invade Armenia, there are countries around, Monuments Fund (WMF) condemned the targeting October 7 spoke about various international relations aspects including Russia, which are allies and have obligations in those of Ghazanchetsots (Holy Savior) Cathedral in the of the current Azerbaijani attacks against Artsakh and cases.” Artsakh town of Shushi in a statement on October 9. Armenia. The question of Armenian recognition of the Nagorno The church was badly damaged in the Azerbaijani He pointed out that Nagorno Karabakh obtained its inde- Karabakh Republic, or Artsakh, was discussed from day one of missile attacks last week. pendence from Soviet Azerbaijan in full compliance with the the current war, Rubinyan said. “It is still an open question, but "At World Monuments Fund (WMF), we are saddened constitution of the Soviet Union, according to the clause which the development of this war shows that the international recog- by the news that Holy Savior Cathedral in Nagorno- stipulated that if a republic initiates withdrawal from the Soviet nition of the independence of Artsakh becomes a necessity Karabakh, also known as Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, Union, autonomous entities like that of Karabakh may conduct because it is the best way to ensure the security of the people has suffered damage during the current conflict. referendums for this purpose, which Karabakh did do. of Nagorno Karabakh,” he added. Built in the 19th century, the cathedral was Legally, he said about a series of United Nations Security Missiles and similar military equipment are being used by restored in the 1990s and became a symbol of the Council resolutions on Karabakh which were passed in the both Azerbaijan and Karabakh at present but Rubinyan distin- region’s rebirth after the war. 1990s, “Azerbaijan always likes to underline what it likes but guished between the way each party was acting. He said, “the “World Monuments Fund considers absolutely unac- does not underline the most important Nagorno Karabakh armed forces ceptable any willful destruction of cultural heritage. part of those resolutions, which is about have been using them solely to Through our work around the world, we have seen the fact that fighting should be stopped, destroy military objectives in how the destruction of cultural heritage irrevocably meaning that the use of force is unac- Azerbaijan as a means to defend harms both local and global communities, forever ceptable. So Azerbaijan has been con- themselves, because the Azerbaijani marring our ties to the past and wounding the identi- sistently acting against those resolu- armed have been shelling civilian ty of countless groups,” the group’s statement read. tions.” towns and villages in Nagorno Furthermore, he said that the most Karabakh.” widely accepted format and framework There were some complaints New Constitutional of talking about the Nagorno Karabakh recently by the Iranian government Court Chair Named conflict is that of the Minsk Group of of damage across its border during the Organization of Security and the fighting.