Artsakh protester accuses Armenian leadership of undermining democracy

At the 8th European Political Community summit in Yerevan on Monday, a voice of dissent emerged outside the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concerts Complex. Nare Simonyan, a woman forcibly displaced from Artsakh, accused the Armenian leadership of eroding democratic principles and warned European leaders that their support for the current authorities risks damaging democracy’s global reputation.

“European leaders must tell the ruling regime that they are harming democracy in Armenia. Supporting them also undermines the very perception of democracy worldwide,” Simonyan declared during the protest.

She argued that democracy is rooted in freedom of speech, yet claimed that the government restricts this right daily. Simonyan pointed to the presence of political prisoners, including archbishops and journalists, as evidence of systematic repression. “They invent laws every day to restrict our rights. Not only do they refuse to defend the rights of hundreds of thousands of displaced Artsakh Armenians, they actively obstruct their exercise,” she said.

Simonyan further accused the authorities of abandoning Artsakh’s cultural heritage and promoting divisive rhetoric.