On the evening of June 4, citizens in Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno Karabakh, ended the protest rally that had been going on for 4 days, after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan urged them to do so. What happened in Nagorno Karabakh was an unprecedented manifestation of civic unrest, protesting the lack of justice and the arbitrary actions of the power ministries and law enforcement authorities.
How did the protests erupt?
Based on a mixed set of reports, protests began as a result of an incident between the national security services and two civilians. The national security officials beat up the two individuals, while police looked on. The police eventually detained the two citizens, but not those inflicting violence.
The son of the director of the National Security Service of Nagorno Karabakh was reportedly also involved in the incident.
Protests erupted as a result of the incident. On the same day, on June 1, the citizens blocked one of the central streets of Stepanakert. The demonstrations lasted four days.
Citizens demanded the resignation of Police and National Security Service heads. The State Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Arayik Harutyunyan came to the protesters several times to hear their demands.
Hayk Khanumyan, the leader of the National Revival Party of Nagorno Karabakh and his party members expressed solidarity with the actions of the demonstrators.
On Sunday evening, a delegation of demonstrators met with President Bako Sahakyan and presented their demands.
On Monday, the National Assembly convened an extraordinary session and set up a special commission to investigate the causes of the incident with the intention of holding the perpetrators accountable.
Despite this decision, citizens continued their protests and kept the street closed. They were joined by people from various parts of Karabakh. Songs from Armenia’s Velvet Revolution were heard. In their speeches, citizens complained about social inequality and lack of justice as well as the arbitrariness of power structures. They demanded the release of political prisoners, including, the former Commander of the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army Samvel Babayan (currently imprisoned in Armenia).
The first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrossian made a statement, noting that what happened in Armenia should not be allowed in Karabakh, given the state of war with Azerbaijan.
The Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I made similar calls.
Protesters put an end to their calls only after Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan urged them to do so. On his Facebook page, Pashinyan called on them to halt the demonstration and wait for the results of the work of the newly formed parliamentary commission. “The ball is in the government’s court,” he said.
Read more:
What is going on in Artsakh? From Stepanakert
Protesters in Karabakh Demand Resignation of Head of Police and National Security Service
Other instances of violence in Nagorno Karabakh
In January 2015 in Berdzor (Lachin), around 150 members of car rally traveling from Armenia to Stepanakert were attacked by police and individuals in civilian clothes, armed with batons and rifles. Jirayr Sefilian (currently imprisoned in Armenia), one of the commanders of the Shushi liberation operation, was among the participants of the rally. The participants of the rally protested against the authorities of Armenia (not Karabakh). None of those who inflicted violence was later held responsible.
In June 2016, Nagorno Karabakh parliament member Hayk Khanumyan was severely beaten by a group of individuals in civilian and military uniforms in front of the National Assembly building, right in the center of Stepanakert. They then kidnapped Khanumyan.
Hayk Khanumyan had been critical of the Karabakh authorities for the human and territorial losses in the war of April 2016, pointing to corruption in the government and army. He also expressed his support for the former commander of the Karabakh Defense Army Samvel Babayan, who had arrived in Stepanakert a day prior the beating, and had demanded that he be appointed Defense Minister.
No one was held responsible in Khanumyan’s case. Four people who voluntarily confessed were arrested on kidnapping charges. The “kidnapping” charge was eventually changed to “hooliganism,” and all of them were freed by presidential amnesty.
By Zara Poghosyan
Photo by Marout Vanian
Read the article in Armenian.
