In Front of Our Eyes, They Continue to Hand Over Our Homeland to the Enemy: Statement from Artsakh's "Justice" Faction

The Artsakh "Justice" faction has issued a statement:

Dear compatriots,

It is with grief that we must note that for the first time in 30 years, Artsakh is marking the anniversary of its declaration as a republic without the participation of the high leadership of the Armenian authorities. It is also the first time that the authorities of Artsakh are not living up to their height. For the first time, parliament members are invited to a session without the right to speak.

The "Justice" faction of Artsakh considers it unacceptable to participate in such a parliamentary session, which, according to the "Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly" law, cannot be considered a special session where one cannot express their position; thus, the "Justice" faction of Artsakh will not participate in this session. Dear citizens of Artsakh, we are therefore compelled to present our statement online.

Since September 2, 1991, just a few months before the declaration of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, in the spring of 1991, Azerbaijan carried out Operation "Ring," capturing and expelling thousands of residents from 24 Armenian villages. An atmosphere of disappointment, anxiety, and uncertainty prevailed in Artsakh and Armenia.

On September 2, 1991, a joint session of the regional councils of the NKAO and the Shahumyan district took place in Stepanakert. A declaration was adopted to proclaim the Republic of Artsakh within the borders of the NKAO and Shahumyan districts, based on the Soviet Union's Law on the Procedure for Exiting Union Republics from the Composition of the Soviet Union adopted on April 3, 1990.

Months later, on December 10, 1991, a independence referendum was held in Artsakh. The referendum was conducted under the sound of artillery explosions and shelling, yet with full hope that they were building an independent homeland... and it turned out that... in April-May 2018, Armenia was again restless, rejecting the old in anticipation of the new.

They thought they were rejecting the flawed phenomena of the past so that the new could come, alas, we were mistaken because we rejected the Armenian identity, the idea, and subordinated the Artsakh struggle to "revolution" and started to destroy everything that was Armenian, characteristic of the Armenian identity. We transformed from Armenians into blacks and whites, former and current, heroes became traitors, and Aliyev became cultured, beginning to think about fulfilling the desires of the Azerbaijani people.

They dismantled the institutions of the state, judges became whimperers, soldiers became malnourished. On September 27, 2020, war erupted: a war that many had been talking about for two years, a war that our political team warned about during the 2020 Artsakh national elections. A war when, right in this hall, in the summer of 2020, our faction suggested conducting military exercises because the cold breath of impending war was in the air, but it was rejected.

We had a disgraceful war where Armenians lost thousands of brave soldiers, large portions of the homeland, and the fates of thousands of families were distorted. We lost because both governments skillfully diverted the entire war—one appeared "practical" and "concerned," while the other was supposedly "drinking coffee with the soldiers" as they won, while Armenians were being slaughtered and annihilated.

It has been nearly a year since they have been figuratively nibbling at our Mother Armenia. Right before our eyes, they continue to hand our homeland to the enemy, and later, under the pretense of saving some part (as was done with Artsakh), Nikol Pashinyan will also recognize Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, and one fine day, just like November 9, it will turn out that there is no longer a question of Artsakh or an Armenian question.

The date September 2, 2021, is terrifying to accept that we can never bring back our thousands of brave soldiers, but for the sake of the salvation of the Armenian statehood, for the Armenian nation at this time, we must analyze, draw lessons, and adequately evaluate a number of extremely important issues, for which the national political thought has no right or opportunity to be mistaken, for a mistake is equivalent to destruction.

The state is called to implement the principles of national ideology, and if the authorities fail to carry out that task, they must be removed from power. By fighting, the people keep the homeland, but by fleeing, they save their lives, but they lose their homeland, which they place on the path of destruction for themselves and their descendants.

This idea has been raised multiple times during various-format meetings with our partners in Armenia and the "I Have Honor" alliance. We are confident that we can do it.

And finally, an exceptionally important reminder: In 1992, when around 60% of the territory of Artsakh was occupied by Azerbaijan, it was hard to imagine that it would be possible to make a breakthrough in that life-and-death struggle. But, as a result of skillful governance and resource mobilization, it was possible not only to restore what was lost but also to liberate part of our occupied homeland.

Today, we must approach the solutions to these problems with the same logic.

Dear compatriots, every year on September 2, festive events were held in Artsakh. This year, too, a number of events are scheduled, but these authorities deprived us of our pride and life-giving holiday; today it turns 30, yet it is filled with mourning and sadness.

Happy Republic Day to the Armenians of Artsakh!