
Updated
Second Press Briefing From Crisis Information Center in Tavush
During a live press conference at 9:30 p.m. from the Crisis Information Center in Ijevan, Tavush, Arstrun Hovhannisyan said:
- The situation in the northeastern part of the Armenia-Azerbaijani state border has been stable since midnight of July 14.
- Since July 12, Armenia’s Air Defense Units shot down 13 drones (10 were combat drones and three were reconnaissance drones)
- According to estimated calculations, more than 50 mortars were shot in five to six civilian settlements.
- Although the ceasefire regime is being maintained, Armenia’s Armed Forces are on high alert, they are closely following the developments on the Azerbaijani side and are ready to respond to any provocations on land as well as in air.
Armenia’s Human Rights Defender/Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan:
- From July 12, when active shelling began in the Tavush region, we began receiving many calls from civilians.
- That day, there was real danger to human and material losses in particular in the village of Movses.
- We immediately contacted the Defense Minister to understand the situation and then began preparing reports to deliver to our international partners and bodies to alert them of the situation.
- We are here today in the Tavush region not only because it is our mandate to protect the rights, lives and wellbeing of civilians, but also of the soldiers of Armenia’s Armed Forces.
- On July 13-14, other civilian settlements came under Azerbaijani fire, including Berd, Chinari, Aygepar and other villages.
- It was imperative that we come immediately to the region to undertake a fact-finding mission; this mission is exclusively aimed at exposing threats that directly affect the life and health of civilian populations.
- We met with the Governor of Tavush region, after which the fact-finding mission visited the village of Berd, where Tavush Textile and a branch of the Yerevan Brandy Factory were shelled by Azerbaijani forces.
- Considering the fact that Tavush Textile produces face masks used in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the shelling of this factory, therefore, was a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
- Before the shelling, the Azerbaijani side used UAVs, which allows us to think that they are targeting a non-military facility. The shelling took place during daytime, which is another indication that they intentionally shelled the factory knowing that there would be employees.
- Most of the damage to the civilian population was observed in the village of Aygepar, where eleven houses came under shelling by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces and the artillery that was used can cause harm to the human health.
- Because of the shelling, one house in the village of Nerkin Karmiraghbyur, was destroyed, which was another indicator that the artillery shells used were particularly dangerous ones and the Ombudsman’s Office will further investigate the permissibility of those shells.
- The evidence in some of the villages shows that the shelling was intentionally done to inflict harm to the civilian populations and their property. Military objects are not located close to those settlements (which was the case in Azerbaijan), so it cannot be used as a justification for selling the border villages.
- The Ombudsman’s Office will prepare a report based on the evidence gathered during the fact-finding mission and send it to relevant international bodies.
- Considering the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Secretary General of the United Nations has called for a global ceasefire, since it distracts the attention of countries from the primary challenge that they are faced with and results in greater tensions. The intentional targeting of the civilian population by the Azerbaijani side is a gross violation of this call.
- The Ombudsman’s Office will continue monitoring the situation and maintaining close contact with the representatives of local self-government bodies. I will do everything in my power to protect the rights of the civilian population and soldiers as well as show the international community what happened on the border, based on factual evidence.
While answering online questions, Hovhannisyan said that since tensions escalated on the Armenia-Azerbaijani state border, Armenia’s Foreign Minister and Defense Minister were in direct contact with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.
Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on the Situation
Valentina Matviyenko, the Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, called on Yerevan and Baku to address their disagreements through negotiations. While speaking with reporters, she noted that as the President of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), she received letters from the Speakers of Parliaments of Armenia and Azerbaijan regarding the situation on the state border. She went on to say that Russia is concerned about the situation because both Armenia and Azerbaijan are Russia’s partners. Matviyenko noted that now is not the time to find those responsible for the situation and that it is important to immediately stop the military actions. Russia, as a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, is taking measures to reduce the risks of escalations through diplomatic means.
July 14
Prime Minister Meets with Military Brass
Yesterday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, headed by Defense Minister David Tonoyan and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Onik Gasparyan. The following is the statement on the PM’s official website:
“The Prime Minister was briefed on the operative situation following the hostilities unleashed by the adversary over the past two days on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the direction of Tavush, and the retaliatory steps taken by the Armenian side to suppress the enemy.
“The Premier was told that the situation is under the full control of Armenia’s Armed Forces. Various development scenarios and our troops’ adequate response were discussed during the meeting. Prime Minister Pashinyan underscored that the Armenian Armed Forces once again demonstrated that our country cannot be talked to from a position of strength.”
Massive Rally in Baku Calling for War
Last night during a massive rally in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, thousands of Azerbaijanis were calling for outright war with Armenia, chanting “End the quarantine, start the war.” Some protesters forced their way into the national parliament; security forces dispersed the crowds with water cannons and tear gas.
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Urges Immediate Return to Ceasefire
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Albania’s Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Edi Rama issued the following statement:
“I am deeply concerned by the increased violence we have seen along the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and urge an immediate return to the ceasefire before we see any further loss of life.”
Rama noted that the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and the Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, have been in close contact with the sides in an effort to bring stability back to the situation. A direct channel of communication was established by the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders during their meeting in Vienna under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs in March 2019. Rama expressed his hope that such mechanisms can be utilized to de-escalate this situation.
Acknowledging the human toll of this latest violence, Rama offered condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives and expressed his concern for the well-being of those injured on both sides. “We must all do what we can to reduce the human impact of the conflict and resume substantive negotiations as soon as possible,” Rama said, underscoring his support for the Minsk process.
International Committee of the Red Cross on Civilian Settlements
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a press release regarding the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border:
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is concerned about the humanitarian impact of reported military activity along the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which has intensified since 12 July 2020. This activity brings additional risks for the civilian population living in the area and affects their access to livelihoods. The ICRC is sharing its concerns bilaterally with the parties to the conflict, reminding them that they must at all times distinguish between civilians and persons directly participating in hostilities.
“We call on the sides to respect the basic rules of international humanitarian law and, while conducting military operations, take all precautions necessary to ensure that civilian life and infrastructure, such as homes, schools and medical facilities, is respected and protected”, said Martin Schuepp, director of the operations for the region. “We are ready to act as a neutral intermediary between the parties and assist those affected by the recent escalation of fighting.”
The ICRC has been present in the region since 1992 in connection with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Through its delegations in Baku and Yerevan, the ICRC supports communities living along the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In addition, the ICRC works to clarify the fate of missing persons and help their families, visits detainees and acts as a neutral intermediary to facilitate transfer and repatriation of released persons.
NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, Special Representative for Caucasus and Central Asia Statement
James Appathurai posted the following statement on Facebook: “We are following with concern the developments on the bilateral border of Armenia and Azerbaijan, involving the use of heavy weapons and resulting in the loss of lives. We echo the Minsk Group Chairs in calling upon all sides to take all necessary measures to prevent further escalation.”
Statement of the President of Georgia
The President of Georgia expresses concern over the July 12-13 armed confrontation on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border.
“Today, as we all fight an invisible enemy, international solidarity and the maintenance of global stability are of paramount importance.
“The peace and security of our region is important for the future development and prosperity of Georgia, as well as our friendly and partner states – Azerbaijan and Armenia.
“The President hopes that the necessary measures will be taken in a timely manner and that further escalation of the situation will be avoided through peaceful negotiations.”