Action against Destruction of Armenian Khachkars Held near UNESCO Mission in OttawaMarch 2, 2006 - 18:43 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenians in Canada protest against the Azerbaijani destruction of Old Julfa cemetery carrying a model of khachkar (stone cross) in front of UNESCO building in Ottawa on 25 February 2006. Tens of thousands of khachkars, some as old as the 8th century, were destroyed by the Azerbaijani government from 2000-2005. Aware of the "successful" destruction, Iranian Turks and Azerbaijanis are now calling for Armenia's destruction. Yesterday the Armenian Community of Toronto held a peaceful candlelight procession to protest against the ongoing demolition of medieval Armenian cemeteries and historic stone crosses (khachkars) in the southern Nakhichevan region of Julfa by the Azerbaijani armed forces. As the Armenian Community of Toronto told PanARMENIAN.Net the candlelight procession is organized by the Inter-Denominational Armenian churches of Torontothe Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church, St. Gregory Armenian Catholic Church and Armenia Evangelical Church. The cemetery, home to more than 10,000 Armenian khachkars, was subjected to sustained attacks throughout the 20th century and again, starting in 2002, when Azerbaijani forces crushed hundreds of the crosses and shipped the destroyed crosses from the region by rail. The most recent attacks, in December 2005, have been the worst. Nakhichevan is a historic part of the Armenian homeland and was an integral part of the first Armenian Republic of 1918-1920. It was arbitrarily severed from Armenia and placed under Azerbaijani rule as part of the Soviet Union's accommodation with Kemalist Turkey and Moscow's "divide and conquer" policy. During the Soviet era, the indigenous Armenian population was pushed out of Nakhichevan due to discrimination, economic pressure, and other policies advanced by the Soviet Azerbaijani authorities. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | OSCE vows support for Armenia “in all three directions of security” Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. 151 detained as civil disobedience campaigns continue in Yerevan Citizens have been blocking streets in the Armenian capital, demanding Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation. IDBank issues 2nd tranche of dollar bonds of 2024 On May 13, 2024, IDBank placed registered coupon bonds under the abbreviation AMANLBB2PER9. Russia provides info about arrested Armenian ex-MP Russian law enforcement agencies have provided information about the arrest of Tigran Urikhanyan. |