No One Has the Right to Demand Such a Thing from Me, Says Martuni Mayor Edik Avanesyan

No one has the right to demand such a thing from me. This was stated by Edik Avanesyan, the mayor of Martuni city in Artsakh, during a conversation with NEWS.am, addressing the rumors circulating online about the dismantling of the statue of Armenian state and military figure Garegin Nzhdeh in Martuni.

It is noted that, according to the spread rumors, Azerbaijanis have demanded through Russian peacekeepers the dismantling of the statue located on Garegin Nzhdeh Street in Martuni, which has not yet had an official unveiling.

The mayor said, “The statue is not yet completed, it has not been finalized, someone has gone there on their own and opened the statue, and such conversations are being spread. We will also issue a statement on this topic.”

He emphasized that there is a council decision regarding the location of the statue, and even if it is moved, there should be a council decision in place. “Do not read the rumors circulating on the internet. There is a council decision, and a site for the statue has been selected,” he stated.

When asked whether Azerbaijanis have demanded the dismantling of Garegin Nzhdeh's statue, he replied that such a matter is not being discussed. It is worth mentioning that the statue of Garegin Nzhdeh has been conceived and financed by Arthur Khachatryan, director of the “Ferdzit” construction company.