Lemkin Institute criticizes Armenian government for violence against  participants of "Tavush for Motherland" movement

ArmInfo.The Lemkin Institute for the Prevention of Genocide has criticized the Armenian government for  its violence against protesters from the "Tavush for the Motherland" movement. 

As the Institute's statement on Twitter notes:  "Armenian police  detained 88 protesters as they attempted to block streets in Yerevan.  Protesters are angry over PM Nikol Pashinyan's decision to hand over  Armenian territory that it has controlled since the 1990s in exchange  for peace. The decision has also angered opposition parties in parliament  who have said that they will attempt to bring impeachment charges against  Pashinyan. While the Armenian government claims it made the decision to  cede Armenian territory in the interest of peace, the Lemkin Institute  recognizes the slippery slope and the dangers these developments might  pose to Armenian sovereignty, particularly in light of Azerbaijan's seizure  of Artsakh in September 2023 and its subsequent forced displacement of the  entire population of 100,000 to 120,000 Armenians. The Lemkin Institute  supports the right of Armenian people to peacefully protest and to advocate  for different policies in the face of genocide. We appeal to the Armenian  government, as well as all other governments around the world, to exercise  restraint and respect people's' fundamental human right to express their  dissent."

There have been protests in Armenia since April 19, 2024, against the  background of unilateral concessions by the Armenian authorities within the  framework of the so-called border delimitation process with Azerbaijan.  The protest actions were led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, primateof the  Tavush Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The police use  disproportionate force against the protesters and keep citizens in detention  cells for 72 hours without any justification. A campaign to denigrate the  AAC has also begun. The Armenian authorities are intimidating the people of  Artskh, threatening to deprive them of their benefits. Human rights  organizations and the civilized world are silently watching these  persecutions.