Thousands of people took to the streets of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, in protest against the government’s decision to cede four territories to Azerbaijan. As reported locally, the demonstrations have been growing steadily since the controversial agreement was made to return four villages to Azerbaijan, particularly upsetting locals in the Tavush region.
The decision came as a consequence of Armenia’s pursuit of peace. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced the choice as part of a strategy to adjust the border between the two countries in order to avoid further conflict. Subsequently, the scale of protests has escalated, with calls now being made for Pashinyan’s resignation.
One leading figure in the demonstrations is Bagrat Galstanyan, a cleric of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Galstanyan has labelled the territorial decision as unilateral and unconstitutional. He challenged the prime minister to resign within an hour, and after receiving no response, he extended his ultimatum by fifteen minutes. As his calls went unanswered, he appealed to the Armenian parliament to take steps to remove Pashinyan from office and promised acts of peaceful civil disobedience if such measures were not taken.
Adding to the international outcry, the Christian Emergency Alliance drew parallels between the situation and the historic expulsion of Armenian Christians from their ancestral lands in Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan.
In the face of these protests and international criticism, the Armenia Ministry of Foreign Affairs is proceeding with its negotiations with Azerbaijan. In a recently released statement, the ministry announced that both countries’ foreign ministers welcomed advances on delimitation and agreed to continue talks on pending issues where differences still persist.
The groundswell of opposition to the Armenian government’s decision reflects not only local sentiment but also draws the attention of the international community. Observers are awaiting the next step in this unfolding political and legal drama.