Lemkin Institute Calls on RA Authorities

The Lemkin Institute has defended the right of Armenian citizens to peaceful protest and called on the country's government to exercise restraint and respect people's fundamental right to express their dissent.

"The Lemkin Institute supports the right of the Armenian people, who face the threat of genocide, to engage in peaceful protest and to advocate for alternative policies. We appeal to the government of Armenia and the governments of other countries in the world to demonstrate restraint and respect the fundamental right of people to express their dissent," the organization stated in its announcement published on social media.

It was noted that police had previously detained dozens of protesters who attempted to block the streets of Yerevan. The protests were sparked by the Armenian government's decision to hand over several territories to Azerbaijan, as recorded by the Lemkin Institute.

The organization pointed out that this decision by the authorities has caused outrage among opposition factions in the parliament. "While the government claims that it has decided to cede Armenian territory for the sake of peace, the Lemkin Institute recognizes the risky nature of this path and the danger that these events may pose to Armenia's sovereignty, especially in light of Azerbaijan's invasion of Artsakh in September 2023 and the subsequent forced displacement of the entire population of over 100,000 people," the statement reads.

It is worth noting that protests in Armenia began when it became known on April 19 that Yerevan and Baku had agreed to start border demarcation from the Tavush region.