Activist calls out Armenian leaders for abandoning sieged Artsakh

Political activist Avetik Chalabyan has called out Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s administration for abandoning Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and urged strong support for its people suffering under the months-long Azerbaijani blockade.

Chalabyan, the coordinator of the Hayakve ballot initiative, and its members visited the Artsakh Republic Permanent Representation in Yerevan on the 32nd anniversary of Artsakh’s independence marked on 2 September to express support for the Artsakh Armenians and tell them that the Armenian people “will always stand with them.”

“Today, we mark Artsakh Republic Day in a situation where the country has been blockaded for nine months now and abandoned by the Armenian authorities,” the activist told reporters.

"Our brothers and sisters in Artsakh are fighting heroically. We must be worthy of this struggle and realize that by living a carefree lifestyle in Yerevan, going to restaurants and concerts, we cannot be worthy of the fight that our 120,000 brothers and sisters in Artsakh are waging. We must really stand with them and prove that we are all one nation and are fighting for one homeland," Chalabyan added.

The Azeri blockade, in effect since 12 December 2022, has cut off the Artsakh people from food, medicine, and other essential supplies.