NOVEMBER 28, 2020 MMirror-SpeirTHEror-SpeARMENIAN ctator Volume LXXXXI, NO. 20, Issue 4662 $ 2.00 NEWS The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 IN BRIEF Azerbaijani Troops High-Level Film Another Armenian Russian Beheading After war Ends in Karabakh Delegation YEREVAN (PanARMENIAN.Net) — Azerbaijani social media users continue disseminating videos of war crimes committed by the Azerbaijani Visits Armenia Armed Forces against the Armenians of Nagorno- Karabakh (Artsakh). YEREVAN (Combined Sources) — The Footage appeared on November 23, after the Prime Minister and the president of Armenia completion of hostilities in Karabakh, of declared their full commitment to the imple- Azerbaijanis beheading another Armenian man. mentation of the trilateral statement on It is still unknown when and where the video was Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian Foreign shot. Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday, In addition, Azerbaijanis have recently mur- when he and Russian Defense Minister dered three civilians in the city of Shushi. Sergey Shoygu arrived for a visit. According to Artsakh Ombudsman Artak “The Armenian leaders — we also met Beglaryan, the bodies of the dead were mutilat- with the President of Armenia – both he ed: their ears were cut off, their eyes were Aid from France is unloaded in Yerevan. and the Prime Minister stressed that this gouged out, and their heads were partially cut statement helped solve serious problems, off. helped save lives. And they are fully com- Azerbaijani soldiers have been filmed commit- mitted to ensuring that this agreement is ting war crimes in the war that began on fulfilled in the future,” Lavrov said on the France Sends Aid September 27 and ended on November 10: shoot- results of the talks in Yerevan. ing Armenian servicemen from automatic rifles Welcoming the Russian Foreign Minister, and handguns at close range, torturing and bru- Prime Minister Pashinyan said “the most tally murder prisoners of war and captives, cut- To Karabakh ting off fingers and ears of Armenians, both alive and dead. Prisoners of war from Nagorno-Karabakh are PARIS (Combined Sources) — At the request of President Macron and the regularly made fun of by Azerbaijani troops who Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France is establishing a structured also mutilate bodies of fallen Armenian service- effort to assist Armenians affected by the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. men. Coordinated by a steering committee at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’ Crisis and Support Center, this mechanism mobilizes the efforts of the government, associations promoting solidarity with Armenia, humanitarian World Monuments Fund organizations belonging to Coordination Sud, corporate foundations and hos- pitals. It focuses on three areas. Calls for Protection of • After initial emergency actions in recent weeks involving the dispatch of sur- Cultural Property in geons and medical/surgical supplies to Armenia, several humanitarian flights have been organized. An initial cargo plane leased by the Ministry for Europe and Artsakh Foreign Affairs arrived in Yerevan this afternoon. It was transporting items donat- ed by French authorities: emergency medical equipment, and in particular a NEW YORK —World Monuments Fund (WMF) Mobile Medical Station allowing for the care of 500 people as well as blankets and has called for the protection of all cultural prop- Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation erty within the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Sergey Lavrov in Yerevan hygiene kits to be distributed to people affected by the conflict. A second flight has been scheduled for November 27. Its cargo will include “WMF is reaching out to both sides to stress State resources, donations collected from associations promoting solidarity with the importance of safeguarding humanity’s cul- tural achievements. Recalling that the Republic important issue for us now is the situation Armenia such as the Aznavour Foundation and the Union Générale Arménienne de Bienfaisance, and humanitarian cargo supplied by humanitarian organiza- of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia are in Nagorno Karabakh. We have to make both parties to the 1954 Hague Convention for decisions on many issues, the most impor- tions and corporate foundations. • Following on from the medical missions conducted since October, the sec- the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event tant thing is the humanitarian side of the of Armed Conflict and the 1970 Convention on issue, we have to ensure the return of the ond area of focus involves stepping up cooperation between hospitals in both countries. This will be facilitated by financial support from the Ministry for the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the people of Artsakh to their homes.” Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership Of course, he said, already now there is Europe and Foreign Affairs. In France, the public hospitals of Paris, Marseille and Lyon have already been mobilized. of Cultural Property, WMF encourages both a rather good dynamic of the residents of nations to honor these commitments fully and Artsakh returning to their homes. And in • The third area focuses on supporting projects instituted in Armenia by humanitarian organizations and UN agencies. France will provide direct finan- proactively safeguard the local heritage,” the fact the Russian peacekeepers have been organization said in a statement. deployed in all the designated places and cial support for these structures that are active on the ground. see AID, page 5 “We stand ready to offer support for the docu- are provide security. mentation and preservation of the many distinct, see VISIT, page 20 rich layers of history within Nagorno-Karabakh,” WMF said. Turkey, Russia at Odds Over Turkish Military Post In Azerbaijan - Source INSIDE ANKARA (Reuters) — Turkey and Russia are at odds over Ankara's wish to set up an independent military Protect Our observation post on Azeri territory, a Turkish source said, after the two agreed this month to monitor a cease- Heritage! fire in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Turkey and Russia have already Page 15 agreed to set up a joint center in the region to monitor the November 10 ceasefire, which ended weeks of fight- Protests Continue to Demand Pashinyan’s Resignation ing between Azerbaijan's troops and INDEX ethnic Armenian forces in the enclave. Armenia . 2-3 YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Armenian opposition groups again rallied several thousand sup- Nagorno-Karabakh is international- Arts and Living . 13 porters in Yerevan over the weekend to demand Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resig- ly recognized as part of Azerbaijan Community News. 7 nation and fresh general elections. but is populated by ethnic Armenians. Editorial . 17 International . 4-6 Their leaders continued to blame Pashinyan for the Armenian side’s defeat in the war with The ceasefire agreement, which locked Azerbaijan that was stopped by a Russian-mediated ceasefire agreement on November 10. in Azerbaijan's territorial gains from the “What we are saying is that a defeated leader who signed that humiliating [Russian- fighting, see MILITARY, page 6 see PROTESTS, page 2 2 S ATURDAY N OVEMBER 2 8 , 2 0 2 0 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Resignations and Firings Continue Hayastan All-Armenian In Pashinyan’s Cabinet Fund Transfers 52.7 YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Career diplo- branch. Khachatryan took up the ministerial Billion Drams to mat Ara Ayvazyan was appointed as Pashinyan replaced on Friday the min- post six months after the “Velvet Armenian Government Armenia’s new foreign minister on isters of defense, labor and emergency Revolution” that brought Pashinyan to Wednesday, November 18. situations as part of a cabinet reshuffle power in May 2018. The 49-year-old YEREVAN (ARKA) — The Hayastan All-Armenian President Armen Sarkissian signed a promised by him earlier Fund has transferred about 52.7 billion drams to the decree, initiated by Prime Minister Nikol this week. Treasury’s corresponding account from the Fund’s Pashinyan, two days after the resigna- Defense Minister Davit “We Are Our Borders” global fundraising budget, tion of Foreign Minister Zohrab Tonoyan and Labor and Armenian Ministry of Finance said. Mnatsakanyan. Social Affairs Ministers It said the mentioned amount is aimed at only Pashinyan announced on Monday Zaruhi Batoyan were financing infrastructure, social and health costs con- that he has decided to sack replaced by two of ditioned by the circumstances of the declared mar- Mnatsakanyan. The latter insisted, how- Pashinyan’s advisers: tial law. ever, that he himself tendered his resig- Vagharshak Harutyunyan It said that the money transfer was made based on nation. and Mesrop Arakelyan, donation agreements concluded between the govern- One of Mnatsakanyan’s deputies, respectively. ment of Armenia and the Fund and it was fully cred- Shavarsh Kocharyan, also stepped down Harutyunyan is a retired ited to the single treasury account. following a Russian-mediated ceasefire army general who had “Moreover, the financing of the mentioned costs that stopped the bloody war in served as defense minister from the raised donations has enabled the govern- Karabakh. 1999-2000. ment to direct its financial means intended for those Ayvazyan also served as deputy for- Another, active duty expenses by the 2020 State Budget to the other eign minister before being named to general, Andranik Piloyan urgent expenses conditioned by martial law, which, replace Mnatsakanyan. The 51-year-old was appointed as minister New Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan as of November 19, amounted to almost 101 billion was appointed to that position as recent- of emergency situations. drams,” stressed in the ministry. ly as on October 16. He had previously His predecessor, Felix technocrat served as deputy minister of The ministry said also that reports on the money’s worked as Armenia’s ambassador to Tsolakyan, stepped down last week. economy in Armenia’s former govern- use will be published as part of the budget execution Mexico and various European countries. The resignations were widely attrib- ment toppled by the popular uprising.