Armenian news - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of Armenian top news as of 01.02.2023.
- KARABAKH IS IN BLOCKADE FOR 52 DAYS
Azerbaijani so-called protesters have been holding 120,000 residents of Nagorno-Karabakh under blockade for 52 days now.
120,000 people in Karabakh face a high risk of malnutrition and frostbite. At least 5,103 people have lost their jobs and sources of income because of the difficult economic situation.
Moreover, 550 citizens have no opportunity to undergo surgery because of the suspension of scheduled operations in all hospitals of Artsakh.
There are 7 children and 12 adults in intensive care departments.
Meanwhile, for a month now, the Azerbaijanis gave no opportunity to repair the power line accident that took place on January 9. That section is completely under the control of the Azerbaijanis.
Important explanations by the director of "#Artsakh Energo" company on electricity supply problems in #NagornoKarabakh due to #Azerbaijan-made cut off.
— Artak Beglaryan | #StopArtsakhBlockade (@Artak_Beglaryan) February 1, 2023
Sarsang reservoir water resources & electricity production decreasing, leading longer rolling blackouts.https://t.co/O9nQceYjIZ
Besides, Azerbaijan regularly stops the natural gas supply to Artsakh. Heating problems arise in schools, hospitals, and homes.
- PROSECUTION LAUNCHED OVER 15 SOLDIERS KILLED IN FIRE
An Armenian prosecutor on Wednesday decided to initiate a public criminal prosecution against the captain of a military unit, where fire had broken out.
A fire at a military base in Armenia killed 15 soldiers after they used gasoline for heating.
The prosecutor presented the facts, according to which, the captain violated the requirement established by the law on handling of automotive gasoline to light stoves.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also fired Gen. Vagram Grigoryan, who was in charge of a group of forces in the region that includes the unit where the fire occurred.
- UN ENDS PUBLIC HEARINGS ON ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN CASE
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) held public hearings between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Armenia pleaded with judges of the United Nations’ highest court to order Azerbaijan to break up a road blockade to Nagorno-Karabakh.
“The Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh has been almost entirely cut off from the outside world,” Lawrence Martin, a lawyer representing Armenia, told judges Monday. “They have been — and they continue to be — deprived of access to food, medicine and all the other necessities of life. Without swift action by the court their lives are in danger.”
#LawrenceMartin says #Karabakh #Armenians’ lives are at risk without International Court of Justice immediate actions
— Armenian News-NEWSam (@NEWSam_English) February 1, 2023
“They have been deprived of access to food, medicine and all the other necessities of life,” a lawyer told judges Monday.
______https://t.co/pkUFDUFVOU
Armenia’s main legal representative to the court, Yeghishe Kirakosyan, told judges that Azerbaijan has effectively tuned the Lachin Corridor into a one-way street.
“Ethnic Armenians may not enter Nagorno-Karabakh but they may leave,” he said. “Judges of the court, such blatant acts of ethnic cleansing have no place in (the) modern era.”
The #UN is the last instance for Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, said Yeghishe Kirakosyan, the representative of #Armenia for international legal affairs, at #UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearing on Armenia's claim against Azerbaijan.https://t.co/SrqrIBe42y
— Armenian News-NEWSam (@NEWSam_English) February 1, 2023
The Azerbaijan government also has filed a request for the court to order a halt to Armenia laying landmines and to “take all necessary steps” to enable Azerbaijan’s demining efforts.
Armenian representative Yeghishe Kirakosyan rejected the allegation, saying his country only laid mines on its own territory as a defensive tactic to combat Azerbaijani aggression. He called Azerbaijan’s land mine claims “yet another transparent attempt to deflect attention from its own wrongdoing.”
The court will likely issue a legally binding ruling within weeks on the provisional measure requests by both countries.
