Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the latest developments in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh as of 19.11.2020:

• Since November 13, the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides have exchanged 385 bodies of those killed during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, a Russian MFA spokesperson noted.

"Since November 14 to this day, more than 3,000 people—3,054 people—have returned to Nagorno Karabakh," Maria Zakharova added.

This followed the peace deal signed on November 9 by Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The truce calls for the deployment of almost 2,000 Russian peacekeepers to the conflict zone, where Azerbaijan will receive significant territorial concessions, including a strategically important town of Shushi.

The Russian spokesperson also noted that the preservation of shrines in Nagorno-Karabakh is particularly important, and it is discussed during Russia’s contacts with the interested parties in Nagorno-Karabakh.

• Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan took to his Facebook to comment on a video of an elderly Armenian man who is in Azerbaijani captivity:

In the video, the Azerbaijani soldiers, forces humiliate an elderly man, an ethnic Armenian, and subject him to overtly inhumane treatment with exceptional cynicism.

"This is another evidence of Azerbaijani systematic policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide through terroristic methods in Artsakh," Tatoyan said.

• A representative of the Information Department of the State Service for Emergency Situations of Artsakh Hunan Tadevosyan told NEWS.am that they don't deal with the evacuation of the residents of the 7 villages of Martakert region.

According to him, the residents were told that they had to leave in the evening.

According to the provisions of the trilateral agreement on a ceasefire, some settlements of the Martakert region will also be transferred to Azerbaijan. The statement states that the Aghdam region will be transferred to Azerbaijan before November 20, 2020.

Measures are being taken to remove the items of over 2,000 residents of the mentioned villages and provide them with temporary shelters and other means. The residents have been given until November 19 to leave the territories.

• Russian defense ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh ensured the security of five vehicles transporting Azerbaijani soldiers from Shushi to the Fizuli region.

• Meanwhile, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov noted that the issue on the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh was solved with the US and France, and their position as co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group was taken into consideration when the decision was being made.

He also said that during his contacts in recent days with the US and French colleagues, as well as in contacts between President Emmanuel Macron and President Vladimir Putin on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, wounded pride is slipping.

• The Armenian defense ministry, in turn, noted that as in the days of the war the Armenian armed forces servicemen, reservists, and those who volunteered for the defense of the homeland continue to carry out—with vigilance and responsibility—their assigned functions in combat positions.

• Members of the opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation-ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party were staging protests Thursday in various parts of the capital Yerevan, demanding the resignation of PM Nikol Pashinyan.

Similar acts of protests were being carried out in various parts of Yerevan.

The demonstrators have closed off some streets in Yerevan but were granting access to ambulances. At an intersection, the driver of a car—which these demonstrators had blocked—deliberately hit them with his vehicle.

• The Prosecutor General's Office has monitored and recorded Thursday’s press conference by Movses Hakobyan, ex-head of the military oversight service, prosecutor general's office head Arevik Khachatryan noted.

The video of this press conference was sent by prosecutor-general Artur Davtyan to the Special Investigation Service with the instruction to prepare respective reports to check the circumstances presented by him during the briefing and to give them a legal assessment.

• The EU welcomes the cessation of hostilities in and around Nagorno-Karabakh following the Russia-brokered ceasefire of 9 November agreed between Armenia and Azerbaijan. 

The EU calls on all parties to continue to strictly respect the ceasefire to prevent further loss of life, a declaration issued Thursday by the EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell noted.

"The EU also calls for the full and prompt withdrawal of all foreign fighters from the region."

The European Commission has announced an additional €3 million in humanitarian support to ensure critical assistance to the civilians most affected by the conflict in and around Karabakh. This funding comes on top of €900,000 allocated since early October.

• Former MP of the National Assembly of Armenia, ex-chairman of Yerkrapah Volunteers Union, Hero of Artsakh, Lieutenant General Manvel Grigoryan has died, his lawyer Arsen Mkrtchyan confirmed.

Manvel Grigoryan was charged with illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, misappropriation of property, tax evasion, waste of state funds, and organizing the stealing of property through extortion.

• American dollar’s (USD) exchange rate against the Armenian dram (AMD) comprised AMD 500.82/$1 in Armenia on Thursday.

This is up by AMD 2.02 from Wednesday, according to the official website of the Central Bank of Armenia.