“Zhamanak” believes that the death of Karen Petrosian, a resident of an Armenian border village, in Azerbaijani captivity was a premeditated murder committed ahead of the Armenian-Azerbaijani summit in Sochi. “This is a manifestation of unlimited meanness which requires sensible judgment and analysis, rather than emotional evaluations,” comments the paper. It suggests that the Azerbaijani authorities are either exceedingly self-confident, thinking that they can get away with the killing, or very desperate.
Lragir.am says Petrosian’s death shows that the Armenian military and government have failed to take additional security measures necessary for preventing more residents of the northeastern Tavush province from accidentally crossing the Azerbaijani border. The online journal notes that two other Tavush villagers crossed into Azerbaijan in similar circumstances earlier this year. “Why is there no appropriate patrol regime in the border villages?” it says. “It would have controlled the movement of people in the existing tense situation, warned them of risks and dangers and also reduced the likelihood of [enemy] incursions.”
Ara Papian, a political analyst, tells “Hraparak” that Russian arms sales to Azerbaijan is one of the reasons for increased skirmishes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces. “Another external factor is the deterioration of the Russia-West-Ukraine relationships,” says Papian. “After all, Russia lacks the resources to launch activities on two fronts.”
“Aravot” reports on the Russian government’s decision to impose significant restrictions on Internet access in public places. The paper says that late last month the government ordered social media to give Russian security services access to their subscribers’ personal data. “Soviet-era dissident Vladimir Bukovsky has said once that the Internet is a weapon that will defeat the KGB,” it says. “In the long-term historical sense, he is right. Modern technologies will increasingly allow people to overcome the above-mentioned hurdles.”
(Tigran Avetisian)