The Blood of Thousands of Fallen Sons Demands that We Stand Up: Statement from the Supreme Body of the ARF

The Supreme Body of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) has issued a statement in connection with the anniversary of the 44-day war, which we present below.

“One year ago, on September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan unleashed a war against the two Armenian states, targeting also peaceful civilians and civilian infrastructures. Hours after the war started, the ARF Central Committee of Armenia announced the cessation of domestic political struggle and emphasized the vital necessity of national unity and a coordinated response to Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression, calling on its members and the public to volunteer, to which hundreds of our compatriots responded and headed to the front. During the 44-day war, we also presented numerous proposals aimed at rectifying the situation to the authorities. Unfortunately, the authorities remained indifferent to the calls for national mobilization. Moreover, for three years, their destructive actions in the domestic, political, and diplomatic spheres had catastrophic consequences on the battlefield and led to a devastating defeat.

A year after the war, we stand at a fateful juncture—confronted with disrupted sovereignty, severe human and territorial losses, and serious security threats directed at the Republics of Artsakh and Armenia.

The imperative to ensure the existence of the Armenian statehood and to halt the Turkification of Armenia demands that we urgently rid ourselves of the authorities that betrayed our national interests in the territory of defeat, that undermined the sovereignty, national security, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, and that failed to guarantee the realization of the right of self-determination of the people of Artsakh.

Dear compatriots, our political agenda remains the same. The blood of thousands of fallen sons, who died for our right to live, demands that we stand up to challenge the threats to the existence of the Armenian statehood and the domestic political crisis, and to achieve a dignified peace through a reinforced and strong statehood.”