A group of soldiers gathered near the government building, deciding to return their state medals and orders as a sign of protest against what they described as anti-national policies.
Hovsep Ghazaryan said the authorities were trying to rewrite history to avoid admitting their mistakes. “They are trying to erase the struggle for which we shed blood. They tell us that our last 30 years of struggle were fake, that it didn’t exist. In protest against this disgrace, my fellow fighters and I have decided to return the orders we received during the 44-day war,” he said, according to Panorama.am .
“We can no longer wear these orders when the values and sacrifices behind them have been erased,” Ghazaryan said, adding that seven war participants were returning their medals to the government.
He noted that they had received decorations from both the President of Armenia and the President of Artsakh. “I will return my 2nd degree Battle Cross order and the Combat Service medal,” he stated.
“These authorities are destroying the idea of struggle, nullifying it. With this step, we express our protest and declare that we will continue fighting. You will soon learn about our next steps,” Ghazaryan added.
No government official came out to receive the medals. The veterans left the medals on the ground, reports Pastinfo.
“As for the medals lying on the ground, that is your shame,” Ghazaryan said.
