Protesters in Yerevan demanded the return of Armenian prisoners from Azerbaijan

More than five thousand people came out in Yerevan for a rally of unity on the anniversary of the proclamation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The participants of the action called for the return of Karabakh Armenians to their homes and the release of Armenian captives who are in Azerbaijan.

As "Kavkazsky Uzel" wrote, today in Yerevan the opening ceremony of the "Call of Artsakh" memorial complex took place, timed to coincide with the Day of the Proclamation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, and a large rally of unity was planned for the evening at Freedom Square in Yerevan.

A unity rally on Freedom Square dedicated to the Day of the Proclamation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic began at 19:00 (18:00 Moscow time) and lasted an hour and a half. The action was organized jointly by political and public associations of Armenia and Karabakh on the initiative of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun. The main theme of the action was declared to be the struggle for the collective return of Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh.

The participants held the flags of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, portraits of Armenian prisoners in Baku, and posters: “Artsakh is our homeland”, “We demand the realization of the right to return”, “We demand the immediate release of prisoners”, “Preserve national dignity”. According to the organizers, more than five thousand people came to the rally, a correspondent of the “Caucasian Knot” reported from the scene.

Nagorno-Karabakh State Minister Nzhdeh Iskandaryan noted in his speech that the displaced persons "must not lose hope of returning to their homeland, not despair and be worthy of the name, blood and title of Armenian."

"The return of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh's self-designation) is a matter of honor for the entire nation. Let us arm ourselves with faith, prudence, be united and overcome this test as well. Let the anthem and flag of Artsakh live forever, let Artsakh be reborn, free and independent. We must fight for our rights," Iskandaryan said.

Founding Director of the Genesis Armenia analytical foundation Abraham Gasparyan stated in his speech that the Armenian public and the Armenian diaspora abroad support the demands of the Karabakh people for a collective return. "This position must be clear and a priority for the Armenians, we must demand this from the international community. Without Artsakh, Syunik is in danger, Yerevan is in danger, the very existence of Armenia is in danger," Gasparyan said.

Metaxe Hakobyan, a member of the National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh, presented to those present at the rally a statement by the Karabakh parliament on the occasion of the Day of the Proclamation of the Republic. "The Artsakh issue is not closed. We can be persecuted, arrested, intimidated, but we will fight for our rights," she said, speaking at the rally.

The statement by the Karabakh parliamentarians notes that "the proclamation of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh is based on the legislation of the Soviet Union in force at that time, and is therefore legal and cannot be questioned in light of the pressure and arbitrary interpretations by the dictatorial forces."

"The National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh demands that the Armenian authorities and calls on competent international organizations and mediating countries make the release of prisoners and hostages, the return of Artsakh Armenians to their homes and the right to a free, safe and dignified life in their historical homeland the subject of negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan," the statement read by Hakobyan says.

The statement notes that real peace and long-term stability in the region require fair and balanced solutions acceptable to the parties, "and not temporary situational coercion based on violence and geopolitical trade."

Member of the Bureau of the ARF "Dashnaktsutyun" Armen Rustamyan stated in his speech that "peace on paper", the cessation of hostilities without guarantees and periodic concessions threaten the future of Armenia.

"Endless concessions cannot lead to peace. "Against the backdrop of the settlement of the Artsakh issue in its favor, including in the context of the refusal of the Armenian authorities to accept the agenda of the return of the Artsakh Armenians, nothing will prevent Azerbaijan from putting on the agenda the issue of resettling Azerbaijanis to Armenia and, posing as the injured party, demanding compensation from Armenia. Armenia as a single entity may lose its significance and become an arena for a clash of geopolitical interests," Rustamyan said.

According to him, "only a change of power in Armenia can save Armenia and protect the rights of Armenians." "This regime has long broken its promises and is trying to reproduce itself, but our people cannot fall victim to deception again. The key to success and the way out of this situation is to unite the nation in order to preserve its statehood. To do this, it is necessary to remove the current government and elect those who are able to solve the accumulated problems," the Dashnaktsutyun representative said.

The rector of the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi, Andreas Tavadyan, also called on those present to unite for the struggle. "The independence of Artsakh was not born on paper, it was won with blood. Today, the land of Artsakh is in the hands of the enemy, but the spirit of Artsakh is alive. Artsakh is not just geography, it is a symbol of faith, patriotism and justice. If we remember our martyrs, live and live, then Artsakh will not be destroyed. We must not lose hope, and this is necessary not only for us, but also for future generations,” the cleric said, calling on Armenians to “pray for the repose of the souls of the dead, for the health of the wounded, for the release of prisoners and for the return of our people to Artsakh.”

Former commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army Movses Hakobyan expressed concerns that the constant concessions of the Armenian authorities will lead to the loss of the Syunik region (southern Armenia). “At first, it will be calm in Syunik, but in the long term, Syunik will be lost for the Armenians. This must not be allowed to happen. The political authorities of Azerbaijan do not renounce the threat of using force,” Hakobyan said during a briefing at Freedom Square.

The declaration of independence of Nagorno-Karabakh is of the utmost importance for the Armenians of Karabakh, it is “not just a date on the calendar, but one of the most important pages of our history, the day when we dared to speak out for the right of our people to live freely,” said Artak Mkrtchyan, a public figure from the Martuni region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Today, September 2, is not only a day of remembrance for us, but also a day of strength and unity. We do not remain silent in the face of injustice, we do not renounce our identity and our rights. "We remember, demand, and promise that our right to live freely and independently will never be forgotten," Mkrtchyan told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The displaced persons from Karabakh are now fighting not only for their right to return, but also for the integrity of Armenia, said forced migrant Nare Simonyan. "The south of Armenia, Syunik, is under threat. By preserving Syunik, we will preserve the road to Artsakh. Unfortunately, the government does not act in the interests of the people, so the voice of the people must become louder and more demanding. Only by returning Artsakh will Armenia live in peace,” the refugee said.

“We must not forget that many heroes died for the Armenian land, so it is necessary to continue their work,” said Genrikh Markaryan, a participant in the 44-day war of 2020.

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