Torchlight Rally Held in Geneva in Support of Armenia and Artsakh

A large torchlight rally was organized in Geneva, one of Switzerland's largest cities, in support of Armenia and Artsakh. Ani Gasparyan, a music producer based in Switzerland, informed Armenpress about the event. The participants of the rally, chanting slogans such as "Artsakh," "Armenia," "We Will Win," "Aliyev the Jihadist," and "Erdogan the Murderer," marched from the Wilson Palace to the Palais des Nations, where the UN Human Rights Office is located. According to Gasparyan, the rally participants were also demanding the recognition of Artsakh's independence.

“In addition, representatives from several Swiss parties and organizations were present, including greens, socialists, and representatives from all leftist parties. I would especially like to highlight the contribution of Ueli Loenenberger, the honorary president of the "Greens" party, who has not spared efforts to support us since the very first days of the war unleashed by Azerbaijan,” Gasparyan concluded.

The rally was organized by the Armenian-Swiss Union and was joined by all Armenian associations. Previously, the Geneva City Council had adopted a resolution condemning Azerbaijan's military aggression against Artsakh. The document calls for recognizing the right of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to self-determination as the only guarantee for their safety.

Representatives of the Swiss city's legislative body urged the administrative council to intervene so that the Federal Council addresses the issue of freezing the assets of the Aliyev clan, which has been leading Azerbaijan since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

It is noteworthy that on September 27, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale assault on Artsakh, targeting even peaceful civilians. As of October 16, Artsakh's military has shot down 16 helicopters, 21 planes, 181 drones, 552 armored vehicles, mainly tanks, 86 vehicles, 10 armored transports, 4 "TOS-1A" heavy flamethrower systems, 4 "Smerch," and 1 "Uragan" type multiple rocket launchers from the opposing side. The adversary has suffered more than 5,839 casualties. According to preliminary data, there are 633 casualties on the Armenian side.

The Azerbaijani armed forces have also targeted military and civilian infrastructures in both Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia, resulting in the deaths of 2 civilians in Gegharkunik, while 33 civilians in Artsakh lost their lives, and 106 were injured. Preliminary data suggests that over 6,700 private properties have been seriously damaged, more than 640 vehicles, and around 1,110 infrastructural, public, and industrial facilities.

Journalists from both international and local media outlets have been injured due to Azerbaijani shelling. A state of emergency has been declared in Armenia and Artsakh since September 27. A ceasefire came into effect at 12:00 PM on October 10; however, the Azerbaijani armed forces carried out diversionary operations and also shelled peaceful settlements in Artsakh after the ceasefire.