Arushanyan's Letter to Goris Residents from Prison

The Mayor of Goris, Arush Arushanyan, has addressed his fellow countrymen from prison. In the letter, he states:

“My dear Goris residents, on October 17, the results of the elections in the Goris community reaffirmed our collective commitment and determination to build a safe and secure future for our children on our sacred land. The resounding victory of our coalition in the elections is not only mine or that of the coalition; it primarily belongs to each of you, to our nation, and to all of our compatriots who carry the ideals of our ancestors within them, even those who did not have the courage to stand by our political team.

Unfortunately, I still do not have the opportunity to communicate with you directly and celebrate our victory together. I say ‘still’ because I am confident that justice will prevail soon, and I will be free, and we will unite our efforts for the advancement of our beloved community and homeland.

Dear sisters and brothers, with your choice, you have doubled and tripled the potential and energy that I am ready to invest in the community programs to be implemented in the coming years, in the responsible and honorable work entrusted to me as mayor. Every period brings new challenges and realities that demand urgent solutions. These challenges seem like tests directed at the Armenian people. However, we are not afraid, we do not shy away from any of these problems and obstacles, and we have sufficient strength and determination to break these tests down, turn them into grains of sand, and then entirely remove them from our path.

Since October 17, we have entered a new phase of developing our community, which we will again go through together, hand in hand, with a more significant dedication and enthusiasm. Our future depends on each of us, and I know that we, the residents of Goris, are united and unbreakable, persistent and ready to face the serious challenges ahead of us and to honorably overcome any trial.

Weakness, feebleness, timidity, and vulnerability are not in our nature. We will walk the path of victory with those who, for personal, political, or other reasons, did not vote for us, with those who were subjected to provocative actions during the campaign under unequal competitive conditions implemented by the ruling power, which was freely employing political, administrative, financial, and friendly resources, and sadly, were also part of the madness to divide society, promoting the narrative of dividing the residents of Goris into ‘black’ and ‘white’, former and present.

We shall also walk the road to victory with those who flooded the internet with cheap posts discrediting my personality, spreading false and defamatory information due to my imprisonment, and with those who, driven by despair and disappointment, chose not to participate in the elections.

Dear Goris residents, hatred, lies, deception, and animosity have no place in our actions. They must be uprooted from the thoughts and souls of all of our Goris residents, as well as from the entire Armenian people. There have never been and can never be ‘us’ and ‘them’ among us, there cannot be privileged and non-privileged—it is our responsibility to continue our work, remaining loyal to the comprehensive measures directed towards the development of our birthplace, the Syunik region, and the unwavering cause of nation-building initiated since 2017.

I would like to express my special thanks to all Goris residents who cast their votes of confidence for our coalition, who believed in our readiness to build and enhance the Goris community together, who did not betray the noble spirit and genetic memory of thousands of years of Syunik and Goris residents.

You have already seen that my teammates and I are ready to unconditionally and unequivocally overcome any obstacle with our sincere aspiration to build something new every day.

I also want to thank all of our compatriots who, although not residents of Goris, closely followed the electoral processes both within and outside Armenia. For us, the value of each Armenian, every Syunic and Goris resident, wherever they may be in the world and who carries the Armenian gene, remains absolute. We are committed to our identity and are ready to struggle alongside you in the pursuit of a brighter future and in ensuring a more powerful and protected homeland for future generations.

Today many speak about homeland and patriotism, but few act for the sake and benefit of the homeland. The feeling of debt towards the homeland and patriotism begins with self-awareness, sincere faith in God, and an innate urge to have one's own roof and family on one’s own land. Let us come together and form a united fist to build and enhance our great family—our dream community of Goris.”

The coalition's Facebook page notes that Arush Arushanyan wrote his letter of gratitude on October 17; however, it is presented with a slight delay.