Day: September 24, 2023

Suren Surenyants, political scientist:

“As expected, the Washington round of Mirzoyan-Bayramov talks turned out to be ineffectual. I think that the negotiations in Washington were doomed to such an outcome for at least two reasons:

1) the Armenian-Azerbaijani institution of direct dialogue cannot work effectively, if only because there is a power imbalance between Yerevan and Baku, where Azerbaijan is trying to impose its entire agenda on Yerevan;

2) we may like or dislike Russia’s policy, but it is obvious that without the participation of Moscow it is impossible to achieve a resolution of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. Russia is not only the main moderator in the South Caucasus, a key mediator in this conflict, but also, in fact, a party and participant in this conflict, which also follows from the logic of the November 9 [2020] tripartite statement on the cessation of hostilities in Karabakh.

Of course, it does not follow from what has been said that the Moscow round of talks will be crowned with success. In general, it is difficult to imagine the resolution of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations without consolidated international efforts in this direction. And those cannot be in the conditions of a global conflict between Russia and the West, international chaos.

This situation, of course, creates new risks for the security of Armenia, such as the expulsion of Armenians from Artsakh.”

Ruben Mehrabyan, political scientist:

“A statement of the persistence of differences on key issues means that Aliyev is still firmly resisting, hoping that the Kremlin, after the meeting in Washington, will arrange another “St. Petersburg”, as it was after Vienna in 2016, put pressure on Yerevan, help Baku in once again slipping out from under American pressure, after which he will give another go-ahead to lawlessness in the interests of Moscow and Baku.

And this means that Yerevan MUST prevent this.

And this means leaving Moscow alone with its beloved Baku, thereby contributing to the consolidation of pressure on Baku, bringing its positions closer to Washington and Brussels.

But we are told from Prague that “a visit to Moscow is planned” [during an official visit to the Czech Republic, Pashinyan himself announced this].

Why a visit to Moscow?

I want to warn you: your incomprehensibly beloved Moscow, where you are going to go, went over your agent Serzhik [former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan] and did not spare him. Don’t think that it will spare you.

In short, you should not crawl back into this hole. Theres nothing for us there.

Meanwhile, what is called the peace agenda is a stubborn struggle for peace against the enemies of the world, and above all, against the aspirations of Moscow, which is the main enemy of the world.”

Comments from Baku

Azerbaijani MP Rasim Musabekov explained the lack of a documented agreement after the talks in America with Russian pressure on Yerevan:

“At the talks in Washington, Armenia balked at its demands and frustrated the initialing of the agreement with Azerbaijan. The continuation of negotiations in Moscow was announced. From there, the encouragement followed. The repair of the main gas pipeline in the Stavropol Territory has been completed and gas supplies to Armenia interrupted on May 1 have been restored.”

The MP also expects “an encouraging gesture from the Kremlin in the form of the beginning of the passage of Armenian trucks with agricultural products through the Lars crossing, which was stopped during the ministerial meetings in Washington.”

The mountain gave birth to a mouse. This is how Azerbaijani political scientist Farhad Mammadov summed up the talks in Washington.

“Progress… finish line… exhausted Blinken… And that’s it?! And all from the inconsistency of the position of the Americans themselves! At one time, they did not point to the occupier, did not apply sanctions against Armenia, but, on the contrary, supported it financially and politically.

There are topics on which there is no common understanding. Then Baku will take more steps to finalize it before the next meeting. The diplomatic battle will continue in Russia, it will be interesting…

The Americans need Azerbaijan to give up the enclaves… as I understand it from Pashinyan’s statement made in Prague – that’s exactly what… to help Pashinyan retain power…

And the Karabakh Armenians will remain in limbo…” he added.

Former Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Tofig Zulfugarov noted that the negotiations were difficult.

“At best, they could sign some text. Because, logically, after the meeting of foreign ministers in Washington, the heads of state should meet to sign the prepared document. After such a long meeting, a meeting of the leaders of the countries is expected. It is sensed that the United States intends to put a political end to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, because the Americans put on the negotiating table the question of a fundamental solution to the problems of the post-conflict period.”

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Persecution of believers in Azerbaijan

How Azerbaijan ended up on a special watch list due to “serious violations” of religious freedom. JAMNews presents material prepared by Meydan TV.

“I don’t want to be a citizen of Azerbaijan. Because they do not consider me as a citizen, they trample on my rights, slander, and bully me. They call us spies, traitors to the motherland. Do you see what they are accusing us of?” Rena Aliyeva, a believing Muslim woman, says.

Since the beginning of 2023, believers in Azerbaijan have been subjected to mass arrests. This is happening against the background of the aggravation of the Azerbaijani-Iranian relations. They escalated after an armed attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Iran, when the head of the security service of the embassy was killed and two of his subordinates were injured.

According to relatives of those arrested, they were all slandered and falsely accused of drug trafficking and spying for Iran.

Rena Aliyeva’s husband, Ruslan Aliyev, is a Shia Muslim. In April of this year, he was arrested on charges of drug trafficking, and subsequently the media presented him as an Iranian spy.

Rena Aliyeva claims that her husband was forced to confess to espionage, and he was arrested only because of his religious beliefs:

“They are pursuing such a policy. If the Ministry of Internal Affairs exposes these people as spies, then what does it have to do with drugs, because of which they were allegedly arrested? A spy has to have a passport, a lot of different IDs, a spy has to know a bunch of languages, he has to have an education. And my husband is a simple, uneducated person. They say that he is a traitor to the motherland, but what did he do that was so treacherous? He doesn’t have any position, he doesn’t work in the authorities, where does he get at least some information to pass it on to someone?”

“I decided, and the court does not order me”

On May 16, law enforcement agencies issued a joint statement saying that Rufulla Akhundzadeh and his son Almursal Akhundzadeh, who collaborated with the Iranian special services, developed a secret plan of action to organize an armed rebellion and assassinate officials in order to create a religious state of “Kerima” in the country.

According to the statement, part of this plan was the creation of secret groups on WhatsApp and Telegram. Ruslan Aliyev was detained as a member of one of these groups called “Qisas 313” (“Revenge 313”).

Rena Aliyeva says that her husband is a piano repairman and he joined that group solely to express his protest against the mass arrests of believers. He does not personally know Rufulla Akhundzade or his son Almursal.

“There has not yet been a trial, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs is already declaring him a spy. It turns out that the ministry makes it clear that we do not reckon with the people. Then let the court do not suit. How can such a mistake be made? And they allow it because they do not consider us. Thus, the ministry seems to be telling us: “Well, suppose you catch me in a mistake, and what will you do to me? I am the Ministry of Internal Affairs, I decided, and the court does not order me.”

According to estimates by independent human rights activists, more than 500 believers are currently under arrest, 34 of whom are members of the Muslim Unity Movement (DME) created in Azerbaijan in 2015, including the leader of the movement Taleh Bagirzade and his deputy Abbas Huseynov.

Aga-Ali Yahyaev, a board member of the DME, links the recent arrests to the aggravation of Azerbaijani-Iranian relations, and considers this to be targeted pressure on Muslims who profess Shiism.

Meydan TV illustration

“We will fight in the legal plane, and at the moment, basically, we are trying to attract the attention of international organizations. Hundreds of believers are accused from scratch, for years we ourselves and our families have experienced all the bitterness and severity of these accusations,” says Yahyaev.

“He was threatened with rape with a club, a bottle”

Arrested last December on charges of drug trafficking, Mirtofig Huseynov is also a member of the Muslim Unity movement. According to his father Mirjalal Huseynov, before his arrest, he received a call from an unfamiliar number and began to ask questions about his son’s religious beliefs:

“They asked: are you the father of Mirtofig? I answered yes. Is your son a Shiite? Yes. Does he pray? Yes. These questions seemed suspicious to me, and then the son disappeared, and then I found out that he was arrested.”

Mirjalal Huseynov claims that violence was used against his son during the arrest, that he was threatened with rape and thus forced to sign a confession:

“When I saw my son, he was in a bad state. I asked what happened. At first he was ashamed, but later he said that he was threatened with rape with a club, a bottle, and therefore he was forced to sign a confession.”

In a comment to Meidan TV, interior ministry spokesman Elshad Hajiyev denies the allegations made by the detainee’s father, saying they are defensive in nature.

“If not only a drug, but even nicotine is found in my son’s blood, I will not stand up for him. Why do they do this? What have we done to this state? The laws of the jungle reign in the country. There is no question of constitutional rights here. Of course, we live in a state of law, we have rights, but our rights are violated. We were left completely alone, on our own, no one is protecting us,” says Mirjalal Huseynov.

Jeyhun Mammadov, a member of the parliamentary committee on public associations and religious institutions, states that the arrests of believers are carried out by law enforcement agencies solely for security purposes. He believes that for the time being there is no need to bring this issue to the discussion of Parliament.

On May 15, the US Department of State released the 2022 State of World Religious Freedom Report.

In this report, in accordance with the law on religious freedom, Azerbaijan, along with Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan, is included in a special watch list due to “serious violations” in the field of religious freedom.

The section of the report on Azerbaijan states that the situation with religious freedom in the country is generally negative.

It is noted that the Azerbaijani government has strengthened its control over all types of religious activities.

The report also says that, according to non-governmental organizations, 19 people were arrested last year because of their religious activities, and most of them are members of the Muslim Unity movement.

“When relations between two states deteriorate, innocent people pay the price”

Rufat Safarov, a human rights activist who monitors the arrests of Shiite Muslims, says that recently the authorities have been pursuing a particularly aggressive, repressive policy towards believers:

“Believers right and left are accused of drug trafficking, isolated from society, because they share photos of high-ranking figures from among the military, cultural and religious elite of Iran on social networks. Because they don’t agree with government policy. Unfortunately, when relations between two states deteriorate, innocent people pay the price.”

According to Safarov, the protection of believers in Azerbaijan also leaves much to be desired. Sometimes society even justifies such arrests.

“I am not saying that there have never been spy networks and potential traitors on the periphery of Azerbaijan. Were and are. All these years, Iran has been extremely interested in expanding its spy network in Azerbaijan. But Azerbaijan’s official and pro-government media label people accused of drug trafficking as Iranian spies. The question arises: if this person is a spy, show us this, let us evaluate, if he is a drug dealer, then what does espionage have to do with it?”

The human rights activist also talked about the general non-observance of religious freedom in the country:

“Article 18 of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan says that religion is separated from the state. Undoubtedly, we have always encouraged the secular model of the state. But today we see that political and legal structures, the central executive power interferes with religion. The appointment of imams and akhunds to communities and mosques is handled by the State Committee for Religious Affairs. And, looking at such practice, how can we say that the state does not interfere in religion?”

This is not the first mass arrest of believers in Azerbaijan. There were also sthe o-called “Nardaran” and “Ganja” cases.

“Nardaran case”

On November 26, 2015, law enforcement agencies conducted an operation in the village of Nardaran near Baku, the population of which consists mainly of religious people.

According to eyewitnesses, “people in black masks” burst into the house of the chairman of the Muslim Unity movement, Haji Taleh Bagirzade, during prayer. Two police officers and four local residents were killed, and more than 60 people were arrested.

Taleh Bagirzade. Meydan TV illustration

Law enforcement agencies made a joint statement that a lot of weapons and ammunition were seized from that house, but there were no operational footage confirming this fact.

Most of those detained during the operation claimed that they were forced under torture to sign pre-prepared protocols of confessions.

Lawyer Fazil Namazli, who defended some of the accused, says that he had never before seen such cruel torture as those suffered by the defendants in the Nardaran case.

According to him, Haji Taleh Bagirzade was arrested because he criticized the government.

International organizations recognized Bagirzade as a “prisoner of conscience”.

But the arrests did not end there – after November 26, some more DME members and other believers were arrested in Baku and the regions.

“Ganja case”

On July 3, 2018, an armed assassination attempt was made on the former head of the executive power of the city of Ganja, Elmar Veliyev, and one police sergeant. A local resident, Yunis Safarov, was arrested on suspicion of the attempt. The law enforcement agencies claimed that it was a terrorist act and the main goal of Y. Safarov was the creation of an Islamic state in Azerbaijan, governed by Sharia law.

A week later, on July 10, riots broke out in Ganja. The official information said that on that day a radical religious group of 150-200 people tried to hold a rally.

Yunis Safarov. Meydan TV illustration

More than 70 people were also reported to have been arrested.

The parents of those arrested claim that their children suffered innocently.

Some human rights activists point out that serious violations took place in the Ganja case.

Human rights activist Ogtay Gyulalyev, who investigated those events, called these arrests politically motivated.

Aggravation of Azerbaijani-Iranian relations

The latest mass arrests of believers in Azerbaijan began in January 2023 after an attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Iran.

The attack took place on January 27th. The head of the security service of the embassy was killed, two of his subordinates were injured.

The President of Azerbaijan demanded an early investigation of the terrorist act and punishment of the terrorists.

The State Security Service of Azerbaijan, in turn, also announced the initiation of a criminal case into the attack on the embassy.

After that, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced the detention of more than 45 “Iranian spies”, but no information about the details of this operation was made public. From the words of relatives and lawyers of the detainees, it became known that they were accused of drug trafficking.

On February 1, the Ministry of Internal Affairs again disseminated information abouta special operation in which 39 people were arrested, “under religious cover” carrying out subversive and subversive activities. But the public was not told who these people were, or under what articles they were accused.

Office made the first official statement about the operation against believers. It was reported that 32 people were arrested that day. They were charged with various charges, from espionage to drug trafficking, but the details are still not known.

Relatives of the arrested believers say they will fight to the end. But at the same time, they complain about the lack of a fair judicial system in the country, and therefore do not have much hope. From time to time they hold actions protesting against illegal arrests.

With the support of “Mediaset”

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Armen Grigoryan’s interview with Voice of America

It is possible that the meeting between Pashinyan and Aliyev scheduled for July 21 in Brussels will take place earlier. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan stated this in an interview with the Armenian service of the Voice of America. However, the government has not yet received information about changing the date of the meeting.

Grigoryan, who is in the United States on a working visit, also talked about strengthening cooperation with the United States on security issues, the possibility of a new war, Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations, the functions of Russian peacekeepers and Russia’s fulfillment of its obligations.

• “Baku uses ‘coercive diplomacy’ against Yerevan” – Thomas de Waal

About cooperation with the USA. Does the alliance with Russia hinder Armenia?

The Secretary of the Security Council has been in the United States since July 4, obviously with a broad agenda for the visit. In an interview, he emphasized that Armenia uses “existing platforms” to expand cooperation with the United States in the field of security. Options are also being discussed on how to “open new doors”.

“We have made great progress. The results will be visible in the long run. Armenia is ready to move forward. Currently, Yerevan is seeking to deepen and expand the bilateral agenda with the United States,” he said.

When asked whether the fact that Armenia is a member of economic and military unions operating under the auspices of Russia hinders cooperation with the Americans, he replied that “at the moment there are no such problems.”

Grigoryan sees great potential for intensifying and strengthening the Armenian-American relations. Among the areas of cooperation, he singled out the economy and energy, while he assured that everything would be discussed – from minor issues to “broad cooperation in the field of security.”

On the CSTO and Russia: “We are waiting for the solution of the problems that have arisen”

Grigoryan said that Armenia openly discusses the problems that have arisen with the CSTO, a military alliance operating under the auspices of Russia, with the member countries of the structure. And to search for solutions, he uses the platforms of the organization itself.

“We see that the CSTO member states in a certain way, at least publicly, declare the legitimacy of the problems raised by Armenia [the President of Belarus made such a statement – JAMnews]. It is very important that our partners understand the legitimacy of the issues we raise. And we expect these problems to be resolved,” Grigoryan said.

According to him, the issue of Russia’s unfulfilled obligation to supply weapons, for which it was paid, remains on the agenda of the Armenian-Russian relations:

“All problems must be openly and calmly discussed with our partners in order to find a solution. These problems are of strategic importance for Armenia. I hope that the partners have an understanding of how important these problems are for the Armenian side, and that they will be resolved.”

Armen Grigoryan’s interview with Voice of America

On a possible war: “All responsibility for the escalation lies with Azerbaijan”

According to Grigoryan, the ongoing war and geopolitical processes in Ukraine have a negative impact on the South Caucasus.

“These processes are superimposed by the maximalist policy of Azerbaijan, military rhetoric and steps taken in the form of various escalations. Azerbaijan follows this path and tries to destabilize the region. All responsibility for the escalation lies with Azerbaijan,” he said, answering a question about the likelihood of a new war.

On negotiations with Azerbaijan: “There are still unresolved issues”

During the interview, the Secretary of the Security Council touched upon key issues on the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations:

• “There are issues that have not yet been resolved, but Yerevan is firmly committed to the peace agenda and is interested in the possibility of a peace agreement as soon as possible.”
• “The security and rights of the Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh do not concern the territories, but the people, their rights and security.”
• “It is necessary to create international mechanisms for Stepanakert and Baku to discuss the security and rights of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. There is an opportunity to create such a mechanism.”
• “The international community must be involved in overcoming the conflict, because without an international mechanism it is very difficult to imagine this.”
• “There are many unresolved problems in the negotiation process. One of the most important issues is the issue of border delimitation. Will it take place on the basis of the map of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces of 1975? There is no final agreement on the cards yet.”
• “The unblocking of roads will mean the implementation of the concept of the “Armenian Crossroads”. This also includes the construction of the North-South highway. Armenia, as a country, will become a more active participant in the regional trade turnover, which will bring it additional income, and economic activity can create additional security guarantees.”

Armen Grigoryan’s interview with Voice of America

“Armenia did not deviate from its obligations”

Grigoryan was asked if his statement about Armenia’s control of its roads after the unblocking of regional communications is an attempt to amend the November 9 statement [the document that marked the end of the war in Karabakh in 2020]. He gave a negative answer, stressing that the specific functions of the Russian services were enshrined in a decree of the President of the Russian Federation of November 10.

The Secretary of the Security Council explains that the border service of Russia should only monitor whether Armenia is fulfilling its obligations or not.

“In other words, they have been given the function to make sure that the road is unblocked, that Armenia does not deviate from fulfilling its obligations. And this is subject to verification, for example, with the help of cameras,” he stressed.

“Russian peacekeepers must fulfill their function”

According to the same agreement, Grigoryan recalls, Russian peacekeepers must ensure the safety of the Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh. However, since December last year, the Lachin corridor has been blocked, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with the outside world has been closed. And this is a “serious problem”. The expectations of the Armenian side regarding the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in NK did not come true.

He stressed that according to the November 2020 statement, the “presence of Azerbaijan” was not supposed to be in the Lachin corridor, Russian peacekeepers were supposed to ensure free movement along the corridor:

“Today there is no such movement. And we expect that the peacekeepers will fulfill their mission in full, so that the people living in Nagorno-Karabakh would not experience a humanitarian crisis. The ongoing crisis is deepening.”

“Oskanyan had this opportunity for 10 years”

Commenting on the proposal of former Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan to form a group of diplomats and negotiate with Azerbaijan, Grigoryan stressed:

“Vardan Oskanyan had a corresponding opportunity during his ten years in office, but if he could not do it in ten years, how will he do it in three months? The attitude towards the state is also surprising, that is, it is proposed to create a second state or a state institution for such questions. This is very frivolous. I don’t think it should be a discussion point.”

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Armen Grigoryan’s interview with Voice of America

Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh accompanied by medical workers board a bus at a temporary accommodation center in the village of Kornidzor on September 24.

Baku, September 18, AZERTAC

“Currently, the Armenian ideologists, referring to history, are raising the issue of impossibility of coexistence of Azerbaijanis and Armenians. Then, the question arises, how is it that before the start of the military conflict, the Armenian population have lived comfortably as respectable citizens in Baku and other parts of Azerbaijan, including Garabagh for a long time, having enough influence in the society,” said Head of the State Security Service of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons Ali Naghiyev as he addressed the international conference on “Increasing national and global efforts to clarify the fate of missing persons”.

Naghiyev noted that unlike the mono-ethnic Armenia, the Russian, Georgian, Jewish, and other peoples currently living in the country form the basis of the multinational and multi-confessional Azerbaijani state.

“We invite the Armenian population of Azerbaijan to live together with us. The Azerbaijani state and Azerbaijanis do not want war. Today, we are concerned about the rapid restoration of the Azerbaijani settlements destroyed as a result of military aggression, and return of the 750,000 IDPs to their homes as soon as possible,” Naghiyev added.

YEREVAN, Armenia –

Azerbaijan claimed full control of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region Wednesday after local Armenian forces there agreed to lay down their weapons following the latest outbreak of fighting in the decades-long separatist conflict.

Authorities in the ethnic Armenian region that has run its affairs without international recognition since fighting broke out in the early 1990s declared around midday that local self-defense forces will disarm and disband under a Russia-mediated ceasefire.

They also said representatives of the region will start talks Thursday with the Baku government on Nagorno-Karabakh’s “reintegration” into Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev trumpeted victory in a televised address to the nation, saying that “in just one day, Azerbaijan fulfilled all the tasks set as part of local anti-terrorist measures” and “restored its sovereignty.”

On Tuesday, the Azerbaijan army unleashed an artillery barrage and drone attacks against outnumbered and undersupplied pro-Armenian forces, which have been weakened by a blockade of the region in the southern Caucasus Mountains that is recognized internationally as being part of Azerbaijan.

Nagorno-Karabakh human rights ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan said at least 200 people, including 10 civilians, were killed and more than 400 others were wounded in the fighting. He said earlier that children were among the dead and wounded.

His casualty figures could not immediately be independently verified.

The hostilities worsened an already grim humanitarian situation for residents who have endured food and medicine shortages for months as Azerbaijan enforced a blockade of the road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.

Thousands of Nagorno-Karabakh residents flocked to a camp operated by Russian peacekeepers to avoid the fighting, while many others gathered at the airport of the regional capital, Stepanakert, hoping to flee the region.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a speech to the nation that fighting decreased following the truce, emphasizing that Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh are fully responsible for its residents security.

“If peacekeepers have proposed a peace deal, it means that they completely and without any reservations accepted the responsibility of ensuring the security of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, and provide the conditions and the rights for them to live on their land and in their homes safely,” he said.

Pashinyan, who has previously recognized Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh, said Armenia wouldn’t be drawn into the fighting. He said his government didn’t take part in negotiating the deal, but “has taken note” of the decision made by the region’s separatist authorities.

He again denied any Armenian troops were in the region, even though separatist authorities said they were in Nagorno-Karabakh and would pull out as part of the truce.

Protesters rallied in the Armenian capital of Yerevan for a second straight day Wednesday, blocking streets and demanding that authorities defend Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. was “deeply concerned” about Azerbaijan’s military actions. “We have repeatedly emphasized the use of force is absolutely unacceptable,” he said, adding that the U.S. was closely watching the worsening humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan’s move to reclaim control over Nagorno-Karabakh raised concerns that a full-scale war in the region could resume between the two neighbours, which have been locked in a struggle over Nagorno-Karabakh since a separatist war there ended in 1994.

During another war that lasted for six weeks in 2020, Azerbaijan reclaimed broad swaths of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories that were held for decades by Armenian forces. More than 6,700 people died in the fighting, which ended with a Russian-brokered peace agreement. Moscow deployed about 2,000 peacekeeping troops to the region.

The conflict has long drawn in powerful regional players, including Russia and Turkiye. While Russia took on the mediating role, Turkiye threw its weight behind longtime ally Azerbaijan.

Russia has been Armenia’s main economic partner and ally since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and has a military base in the country.

Pashinyan, however, has been increasingly critical of Moscow’s role, emphasizing its failure to protect Nagorno-Karabakh and arguing that Armenia needs to turn to the West to ensure its security. Moscow, in turn, has expressed dismay about Pashinyan’s pro-Western tilt.

The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Pashinyan on Wednesday, welcoming the deal to end the hostilities and start talks between Azerbaijani officials and representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said some of its peacekeepers were killed Wednesday, although it didn’t say how many and whether it happened before or after the start of the ceasefire. The ministry said the peacekeeping contingent had evacuated more than 3,100 civilians.

The separatists’ quick capitulation reflected their weakness following the Armenian forces’ defeat in the 2020 war and the loss of the only road linking the region to Armenia.

Thomas de Waal, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Europe think tank, said the separatist forces, which consisted of several thousand poorly supplied men, were “probably not a match for the Azerbaijani forces.”

While many in Armenia blamed Russia for the defeat of the separatists, Moscow pointed to Pashinyan’s own recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.

“Undoubtedly, Karabakh is Azerbaijan’s internal business,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “Azerbaijan is acting on its own territory, which was recognized by the leadership of Armenia.”

He voiced hope that Azerbaijan would respect the rights of Nagorno-Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian population.

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Aliyev and “condemned Azerbaijan’s decision to use force … at the risk of worsening the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh and compromising ongoing efforts to achieve a fair and lasting peace,” the French presidential office said.

 Macron “stressed the need to respect” the ceasefire and “to provide guarantees on the rights and security of the people of Karabakh, in line with international law.”

Azerbaijan’s presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev said Baku is “ready to listen to the Armenian population of Karabakh regarding their humanitarian needs.”

In announcing its military operation Tuesday, Azerbaijan aired a long list of grievances, accusing pro-Armenian forces of attacking its positions, planting land mines and engaging in sabotage.

Even though Aliyev insisted the Azerbaijani army struck only military facilities during the fighting, separatist officials in Nagorno-Karabakh said Stepanakert and other areas came under “intense shelling.”

Before the ceasefire, explosions reverberated around Stepanakert every few minutes on Wednesday — some in the distance and others closer to the city. Even after the truce was announced and the shelling could no longer be heard in Stepanakert, many residents decided to stay in shelters for the rest of the day.

Significant damage was visible in the city, with shop windows blown out and vehicles punctured, apparently by shrapnel.

The Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s Office said Armenian forces fired at Shusha, a city in Nagorno-Karabakh under Azerbaijan’s control, killing one civilian.

——

Associated Press writers Jim Heintz and Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia; Aida Sultanova in London; and Siranush Sargsyan in Stepanakert contributed.