Former Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan addressed the 34th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Artsakh on his Facebook page, emphasizing that the right to live in one’s homeland with dignity is inalienable.
He stressed that the Armenian people will never abandon justice or their rights.
“September 2 is a historic day. On this day in 1991, Artsakh declared its independence based on legal grounds, democratic will, and historical justice for its rights. Yet today, over three decades later, tens of thousands of Artsakh Armenians have been forcibly displaced, leaving behind memories, ancestral graves, churches, and thousands of years of a people's history,” Tatoyan wrote.
On September 2, Tatoyan, along with many citizens, visited the Yerablur Military Pantheon, laying flowers at the graves of fallen heroes in honor of Artsakh’s Independence Day.
He emphasized the continued need to protect the rights of the people of Artsakh.
“From 2020 to 2023, Azerbaijan carried out ethnic cleansing in Artsakh. Tens of thousands endured suffering, were subjected to atrocities and forced displacement in full view of the world, without consequences.
Armenia’s authorities did not even condemn these genocidal actions.
As a result, no Armenians live in Artsakh today. But the right to live with dignity in one’s homeland cannot be erased. On this Independence Day, we must remember that history does not end — it continues as long as there is memory, struggle for rights, and the pursuit of historical justice.
Today, under the false ‘Western Azerbaijan’ narrative, the Azerbaijani authorities continue their expansionist demands on the entire Republic of Armenia, including Armenian churches and cultural heritage. This will persist as long as Armenia’s leadership obediently fulfills Azerbaijan’s demands for the sake of retaining power,” the post reads.
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale offensive against Artsakh, subjecting the entire region to heavy shelling. The next day, Artsakh’s authorities accepted a ceasefire proposed by Russian peacekeepers, agreeing to Baku’s terms: disarmament and dissolution of the Republic. Forced displacement of over 100,000 Artsakh Armenians began on September 24. According to reports, only about 20 Armenians remained. On September 28, President Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree on dissolution, which came into force on January 1, 2024.
