2024-07-07 20:45:28
The statement of the “Justice” faction of the NA of the Republic of Artsakh:
“Dear brothers and sisters,
Among the significant historical realities of the recent history of the Armenian people, the Karabakh movement, indeed, became the powerful stimulus of the centuries-old national-liberation struggle of the Artsakh Armenians and, through it, the entire Armenians, becoming a firm starting point for the national awakening of the Armenians at the end of the twentieth century. Regardless of when and where the first mass manifestations of the Karabakh movement – rallies, demonstrations and marches – took place, the focus of the movement was the February 20 extraordinary session of the regional council of the 20th convocation of Nagorno-Karabakh People’s Deputies, which adopted a historic decision to transfer the region from Azerbaijan to Armenia. about presenting a petition before the Supreme Councils of the Azerbaijan SSR, the Armenian SSR and the USSR. Ignoring all norms of international law, Baku preferred the path of confrontation. Peaceful rallies were countered by the series of genocidal crimes committed by medieval fanaticism against the Armenian population in Sumgait, Baku and other Armenian-populated settlements. However, the Armenian people united and, with the support of the world-wide Armenians behind them, were able to defend the right to live freely in their historical homeland in the war imposed on them and create an independent state, the Republic of Artsakh.
After the signing of the 1994 ceasefire agreement, Azerbaijan unleashed two more wars against the Artsakh Republic: the April 2016 and the 2020 forty-four day wars. Baku’s aggression was accompanied by many war crimes, gross violations of international humanitarian law norms, reaching up to the complete blockade of Artsakh, and as a result of the deplorable events of September 2023, depopulation.
Dear compatriots,
Despite these disasters, we are convinced that the Motherland is our inalienable wealth. In our consciousness, perhaps a little creeped out, but justified, there is a perception that the struggle is not over, that there will be a return. Therefore, we must constantly work in that direction, realizing that the page of the Artsakh problem is not closed.
On this symbolic day, we bow before the defenders of the Motherland and devotees of the nation, commemorate all our martyrs.
February 20 has not lost its meaning.”