Osipyan called on Armenian citizens to seek justice for Karabakh refugees.
Nikol Pashinyan should apologize to all internally displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh for his remarks about "fleeing," as it was his political actions that led to the mass exodus of Armenians from the region, said arrested activist Artur Osipyan. The opposition figure continues his hunger strike in prison.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on May 22, it became known that Karabakh activist Artur Osipyan, arrested in Yerevan, has gone on a hunger strike, demanding an apology from Nikol Pashinyan. Observers are confident that Osipyan's persecution is politically motivated, as he did not break the law. Authors of Facebook comments also spoke out in support of Artur Osipyan. On May 25, activists in Yerevan came out to the Armenian government building demanding Osipyan's release.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan used insults and threats during meetings with voters in response to questions from refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh. After this, clinic employee Armine Soghoyan, who asked about casualties in the Karabakh wars, was asked to resign, and Artur Osipyan was detained. He is charged with hooliganism, incitement to violence, and obstructing a campaign. On May 20, the court sent him to pretrial detention for two months.
On May 29, the 11th day of his hunger strike, Artur Osipyan addressed the Armenian public from the pretrial detention center. His lawyer David Hovhannisyan conveyed his appeal, publishing it on his Facebook page*.
“From the moment of my arrest, I was forced to declare a hunger strike. The reason for my hunger strike is that Prime Minister candidate Nikol Pashinyan, unable to answer my questions during the election campaign, began publicly insulting me, calling me a ‘fugitive.’ He then extended this definition to all Artsakh residents. I demand that Nikol Pashinyan publicly apologize through his Facebook page* to me personally and to all those Artsakh residents who did not shy away from the war, made their families a shield for Artsakh, defending our homeland,” Osipyan said in his statement.
The activist notes that the Armenians of Karabakh, “remaining in conditions of complete blockade for ten months and subjected to another military aggression by Azerbaijan, without receiving assistance from either the peacekeeping forces or the Armenian authorities,” were forced to leave the region “to save 30,000 children facing starvation from physical "destruction."
Artur Osipyan led the opposition "Revolutionary Party" in Nagorno-Karabakh and was a co-founder of the "My Right" movement. He is known for fighting the corrupt system, and during the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, he called for a peaceful march to unblock the Lachin corridor.
"And all this happened after Nikol Pashinyan recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, and after our army's final efforts to prevent the mass extermination of civilians. What "escaped" is Pashinyan talking about? Why such disregard for his own people? This is unforgivable," Osipyan said.
He called on "all fair political forces and individuals to take an objective approach and keep this issue on the agenda."
Sociological candidate Hayk Trunyan supported Osipyan on his social media page. "You may have different opinions about the people of Artsakh (Karabakh), but illegally depriving a person of liberty, and especially putting them in danger of their lives, is unacceptable," he wrote.
Trunyan believes that Osipyan "has not committed any illegal acts and does not pose a public danger." He also emphasized that "Osipyan is a citizen of Armenia, a participant in the 44-day war, and an internally displaced person from Artsakh."
The scholar called on society "not to remain indifferent to what is happening," as "indifference to the fate of a person leads to the loss of the value of human life and a return to the practice of violence and humiliation." Recalling that Osipyan is "on a hunger strike and his life is in danger," he called on the authorities to "show responsibility and prevent tragic consequences."
Blogger Tigran Galfayan also spoke out on his social media page in support of Artur Osipyan, describing him as "a man of high moral principles and an active civic stance."
In his opinion, Osipyan has committed no illegal acts and his arrest should be considered unfounded. Galfayan considers Osipyan's criminal prosecution unlawful. He expressed concern about the current situation, questioning whether "such processes correspond to the goals and expectations associated with the revolutionary changes in the country."