Artsakh Armenians and representatives of opposition political forces staged a protest at the intersection of Kievyan and Halabyan streets, near the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex, ahead of the 8th summit of the European Political Community. They held placards in Armenian and English reading: “Welcome to the funeral of democracy,” “Your silence destroys temples,” “Artsakh is Armenia,” “Yes to the EU, no to Pashinyan,” “Return 19 Christian Armenians,” and “Freedom to Armenian prisoners,” Sputnik Armenia reports.
Former State Minister of Artsakh Artak Beglaryan, speaking outside the complex, said: “We all know, including European leaders, that mass crimes have been committed against us. Some politicians and experts call it genocide, others call it ethnic cleansing simply to avoid the legal qualification of genocide, nothing more,” Factor.am reports.
He stressed that regardless of the position of Armenia’s authorities, the people of Artsakh continue to have both the right of return and a clear determination to exercise that right.
Participants in the protest called on the international community to take concrete steps to ensure the realization of that right.
“Your adopted human rights policy is being violated by Armenia. Stop supporting him (Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan – ed.) so he can wage a stronger and more armed struggle against us. We are fighting for our rights, we want to live with dignity in Armenia and return to Artsakh,” one participant said, addressing European officials.
Protesters also drew attention to the fact that Armenian detainees are still being held in Baku and demanded that EU member state leaders and senior representatives exert pressure on Azerbaijan.
Mané Tandilyan, co-founder of the Country to Live party, addressed European officials in English, stating that behind Armenian hospitality, warm receptions, smiles, and handshakes, they fail to see the pain experienced by the Armenian people.
“You do not see it because the current authorities of Armenia do not reflect the feelings, experiences, and pain of the Armenian people. You must know that Armenian detainees held in Baku are imprisoned simply for their nationality; their only ‘crime’ is being Armenian. Do not close your eyes, do not close your ears. This is what the Armenian nation demands from the whole world,” Tandilyan said.
Representatives of several political forces took part in the protest, including the Country to Live party and the Wings of Unity initiative.
On May 4, Yerevan hosted the 8th summit of the European Political Community, to be followed on May 5 by the first Armenia–European Union summit. Around 50 high-level delegations arrived in Armenia, including European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. French President Emmanuel Macron also arrived in Yerevan, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Armenia for the first time.
