Category: 2021

An Armenian cross-stone (khachkar) dedicated to the innocent victims of the Ukrainian and Armenian peoples was unveiled and consecrated in the city of Mariupol of Donetsk Region, AnalitikaUA.net reports.

The cross-stone was consecrated by Father Husik Nurijanyan.

Among the attendees of the ceremony were Vice-President of the Union of Armenian of Ukraine Davit Mkrtchyan and representative of the Union of Armenians of Ukraine in Donetsk Region Ruben Makaryan, representatives of the local authorities, clergymen, as well as guests from Armenian communities.

I don’t think he truly wants to celebrate the day of independence, and he is simply telling us that in order to cause us relatives of the deceased servicemen pain again and show that we elected him after he killed our relatives and that he will do it again. This is what Margarita Petrosyan, daughter of Captain Ishkhan Petrosyan who fell in the 44-day war in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), said during a meeting held by the relatives of deceased servicemen at Republic Square in Yerevan, touching upon the organizing of a festive event on Independence Day and the fact that Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan used the words “vivid celebration” to describe the event.

“We Armenians are not independent now. We are dependent on the Turks. We are not living in the future that he told us we would have. I don’t understand his actions and the silence of the parents and relatives. The authorities won’t take our words into consideration since they’re preparing to hold the event, and they will. Even if we go to Yerablur Military Pantheon to be with our sons, they will hold the event. If we had won the war and hadn’t lost the lands, I think it would be necessary to celebrate the boys’ victory, but what can we celebrate now? We lost Artsakh and are only left with Yerevan. Where are the people who were rejecting the former authorities? We are losing our country,” the daughter of the deceased officer said.

Assistant to the Prime Minister of Armenia Nairi Sargsyan is discussing the situation created in front of the government building with the relatives of deceased servicemen.

The relatives demand canceling the concert dedicated to Independence Day on September 21 which Prime Minister Pashinyan recently said would be “a vivid celebration”.

One of the parents offered the assistant to the Prime Minister to cancel or postpone the event and, instead, march to Yerablur Military Pantheon to pay tribute to the heroes who were martyred during the war. Other relatives mentioned that it would have been more appropriate to spend the funds for the event to solve the problems of servicemen and volunteer soldiers who were wounded or became disabled during the war. Another relative asked why the government was organizing a large-scale event at Republic Square when the coronavirus situation has worsened.

Nairi Sargsyan said there wouldn’t be a fireworks display, adding that the memorable events of the past 30 years of Armenia’s history would be shown during the event through enactment. According to him, the event is dedicated to Independence Day, which must be celebrated, and since this year marks the 30th anniversary, the government decided to celebrate it worthily and pay tribute to the victims. The relatives opposed and asked if the government could hold the event after the death anniversary of the servicemen, to which Sargsyan said the fallen soldiers died in different periods and it would be wrong to set a specific date since soldiers died this year as well.

Sargsyan offered the relatives to enter the government building and discuss the issue, but the relatives have different opinions (some support the government’s suggestions, others sharply refuse to enter the building and participate in any discussion).

Azerbaijanis stopped a microbus transporting children of Artsakh in the Vorotan sector of the Goris-Kapan road of Armenia today. This is what Deputy Mayor of Goris Karen Kocharyan said during a conversation with Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“The logo of Artsakh, the picture of a monument (“Papik-Tatik”) and the national flag were seen on the bus. There were about 25 children in the bus. The Azerbaijanis stopped the bus, told everyone to get off in a very obscene manner and started inspecting the bus. Luckily, Russian border guards noticed the children and saw them off,” Kocharyan said.

Deputy Mayor Kocharyan didn’t know whether the microbus was moving towards or coming from Artsakh.

After placing a police checkpoint in the Vorotan section, the Azerbaijanis have been stopping Iranian truck drivers and letting them go after inspecting them and charging money. Two days ago, Azerbaijanis detained two Iranian drivers, and today they stopped a driver who was taking bread to soldiers. The driver continued the road with the accompaniment of Armenian and Russian border guards.

Today armed police officers of Azerbaijan stopped a microbus transporting children of Artsakh in the Vorotan section of the Goris-Kapan road of Armenia and tore, with a dagger, the label portraying the flag of the Republic of Artsakh posted on the microbus.

Deputy Mayor of Goris Karen Kocharyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am that the Azerbaijanis obscenely lowered everyone from the bus and started inspecting the car, and luckily, Russian border guards spotted the bus and saw the children off.

In the video being disseminated on the Internet, one can see how the Azerbaijani policeman is speaking to the children and teens in a threatening voice.

“You need to know that there is no more Nagorno-Karabakh, Nagorno-Karabakh is already Azerbaijan’s, understood?” the Azerbaijani said to the Armenian children.

During a conversation with Armenian News-NEWS.am, Deputy Mayor Kocharyan had trouble saying whether the microbus was moving towards Artsakh or had come from Artsakh to Syunik.

After placing a police checkpoint in Vorotan section, for the past few days, the Azerbaijanis have been stopping Iranian truck drivers and letting them go after inspecting them and charging fees. Two days ago, the Azerbaijanis detained two Iranian drivers, and today, the Azerbaijanis stopped a driver who was taking bread to soldiers. The driver continued with the accompaniment of Armenian and Russian border guards.