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world news Diaranson 11 november 2020

Russian peacekeepers deploy to secure Nagorno-Karabakh truce

(AP) — Dozens of Russian
peacekeepers destined for
Nagorno-Karabakh be-
gan deploying Tuesday,
hours after Armenia and
Azerbaijan agreed to halt
fighting over the separat-
ist region and amid signs
the cease-fire would hold
where others hadn’t.

The truce came after signifi-
cant advances by Azerbaijani
forces that the Armenian-
backed leader of Nagorno-
Karabakh said made it impos-
sible for his side to carry on. left hundreds, possibly thou- ian said he was left with no
It was celebrated in Azerbai- sands, dead. That includes choice and the army had told
jan, but left Armenians bitter, some 1,300 Nagorno-Kara- him it was necessary to stop
and many stormed govern- bakh troops, according to the the fighting. 12 have already landed in borders with both Armenia
ment buildings overnight, region's officials, and scores Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Armenia, on their way to and Azerbaijan and has been
demanding Parliament in- of civilians on both sides. Aliyev called the agreement Nagorno-Karabakh. A total worried by the fighting af-
validate the agreement. Several cease-fires an- “a glorious victory.” of 1,960 Russian peacekeep- ter stray mortar rounds and
The two countries have been nounced over the past six The pact was announced by ers are to be deployed under rockets on occasion injured
locked in a conflict over Na- weeks crumbled almost im- President Vladimir Putin a five-year mandate. people and damaged build-
gorno-Karabakh for decades, mediately, but the current personally early Tuesday, sev- Russia, France and the U.S. ings in rural areas near the
and there were concerns the agreement appeared to be eral hours after Azerbaijan — co-chairs of the Minsk borders. Turkey hailed Azer-
hostilities could escalate and holding, with neither side downed a Russian helicopter Group, set up in the 1990s by baijan's “victory."
draw in Turkey, which threw reporting any more fighting that was flying over Armenia, the Organization for Security “This is a great success,"
its weight behind Azerbaijan, since it came into force. killing two crew members and Cooperation in Europe Turkish Foreign Minister
and Russia, which has a secu- aboard. to mediate the conflict — Mevlut Cavusoglu told a
rity pact with Armenia. It came days after Azerbaijan, The agreement calls for Ar- have been trying to secure a news conference. "Territories
If the truce proves lasting, it which has claimed numerous menian forces to turn over cease-fire for weeks, but the that were under occupation
would be a major diplomatic territorial gains, pressed its control of some areas it held efforts yielded little progress. for 30 years are being taken
coup for Russia, which ap- offensive deeper into the re- outside the borders of Na- Putin on Tuesday called the back.”
pears to have brokered a deal gion and took control of the gorno-Karabakh, including fighting in Nagorno-Kara- Leaders of Azerbaijan and
where others failed and was city of Shushi, strategically the Lachin region, which the bakh “a truly great tragedy” Turkey announced that An-
in a tight spot since it has ties positioned on heights over- main road leading from Na- and expressed satisfaction kara will be involved in mon-
with both sides. Turkey also looking the regional capital gorno-Karabakh to Armenia over “agreements reached to itoring the cease-fire along
seemed to come out well, of Stepanakert. passes through. The agree- end the bloodshed." Some with Moscow as part of a
though it remained to be Nagorno-Karabakh’s sepa- ment calls for the road, the lawmakers touted Russia's peacekeeping center, which
seen if it would be able to ex- ratist leader Arayik Haru- so-called Lachin Corridor, to success. will be set up to host both
pand its influence by secur- tyunyan admitted on Tues- remain open and be protect- “Russia managed to do what Russian and Turkish military.
ing a higher-profile role in day that “had the hostilities ed by Russian peacekeepers. neither (U.S. President Don-
the peace process. continued at the same pace, It also calls for transport links ald) Trump, nor (French Russian Foreign Ministry
Nagorno-Karabakh lies we would have lost all of Art- to be established through Ar- President Emmanuel) Ma- spokeswoman Maria Zakha-
within Azerbaijan but has sakh (an Armenian name for menia connecting Azerbaijan cron did — to end a war,” rova said Tuesday that the
been under control of eth- Nagorno-Karabakh) within and its western exclave of Yelena Panina, at lawmaker in center will be located in
nic Armenian forces backed days.” Nakhchivan, which is sur- Russia's lower house of Par- Azerbaijan and isn't con-
by Armenia since a separat- Armenian Prime Minister rounded by Armenia, Iran liament, said Tuesday. “Our nected to the peacekeeping
ist war there ended in 1994. Nikol Pashinian said it was and Turkey. country has once again reaf- efforts outlined in Tuesday's
Heavy fighting erupted in “extremely painful for me Russia’s Defense Ministry firmed its status of a guaran- agreement. Rather, it is “a
late September — the biggest personally and for our peo- said Tuesday that at least 22 tor of peace in South Cau- completely different mission,
escalation of the conflict in a ple,” calling the situation a planes will be used to trans- casus.” The truce was also another part of joint efforts,"
quarter-century — and has “catastrophe.” But Pashin- port the peacekeepers, and welcomed by Iran, which has Zakharova said.

Iran pardons 157 detained after antigovernment protests

(AP) — Iran pardoned 157 protests that challenged the oners to keep the virus from have repeatedly triggered ing part in 2018 protests in
people held on charges government over the last spreading in the country's nationwide political unrest the southern city of Shiraz.
stemming from their al- three years. crowded cellblocks. in recent years. In Novem- His execution revived de-
leged participation in an- The amnesty was part of a Tuesday, Nasrin Sotoudeh, a ber 2019, security forces mands for Iran to stop carry-
tigovernment protests, customary clemency order leading human rights lawyer smothered protests that were ing out the death penalty.
the country's judiciary by Supreme Leader Ayatol- who was temporarily released prompted by a sharp increase
announced on Tuesday, lah Ali Khamenei to mark the from prison over health con- in gasoline prices, arresting
the biggest such release birthday of the Prophet Mu- cerns last week, tested posi- over 1,000 and killing hun-
of those swept up in the hammad. Khamenei, who tive for the coronavirus, her dreds, according to rights
harsh crackdowns. has the final say on all state husband wrote on Twitter. watchdog Amnesty Interna-
matters, issued a decree par- Sotoudeh's case took on new tional.
Judiciary spokesman Ghol- doning 3,780 prisoners last urgency when he learned The cases of those caught
amhossein Esmaili told week. that “so many” inmates in in crackdowns have drawn
reporters that the people As the coronavirus pandemic the ward were infected, he international outrage. In
freed had been imprisoned ravaged Iran, propelling its added, suggesting runaway September, Iran executed a
for “spreading propaganda death toll to highest in the transmission in Iran's pris- 27-year-old wrestler accused
against the system" and tak- Middle East, the government ons. of stabbing a water supply
ing part in several waves of released over 100,000 pris- Economic grievances in Iran company employee after tak-