Relatives of fallen servicemen demand exhumation and repatriation of  remains from Artsakh

ArmInfo. Relatives of servicemen killed in the 44-day 2020 war for Artsakh gathered outside the Armenian government building demanding the exhumation of their loved ones buried in the now-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and their transfer to Armenia.

Speaking to reporters, Ruzanna Stepanyan, coordinator of the  "Pan-Armenian Front" movement, stated that they are seeking  a direct   meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The movement  intends to deliver an urgent letter to the Prime Minister, Foreign  Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, and the French Embassy.  "We are prepared  to wait a maximum of three days for a response from the Prime  Minister before taking further actions. We would like to submit a  letter to the French Embassy, as we believe that the surrender of  Artsakh occurred under the auspices of the European Union and with  the assistance of several EU leaders, including Emmanuel Macron,"  Stepanyan clarified.

The movement coordinator added that that a similar appeal was  previously sent to the International Committee of the Red Cross  (ICRC) headquarters in Geneva. "In countries where humanitarian  issues are ignored, citizens do not feel protected, and this, in  turn, has a serious psychological impact on them.  Relatives of  servicemen who fought for Artsakh have gathered outside the  government building. After the Azerbaijani aggression in 2023, they  abandoned the graves of their loved ones, hoping to return to their  homeland. And while the Armenian Prime Minister calls on them to  forget this, Azerbaijanis are distributing videos of the desecration  of the graves of Armenian servicemen," Stepanyan noted. 

She added  that the families report that previous requests to various  government agencies have yielded no concrete results. One mother  received a response from the Foreign Ministry's press service  containing only general statements that authorities "continue to  raise these issues during meetings."

Given the government's perceived inability to resolve the matter  through diplomatic channels, the relatives have proposed a temporary  alternative: that authorities at least ensure their safe passage to  the checkpoint at the Hakari Bridge. Following the demonstration at  the government building, the group proceeded to the Ministry of  Foreign Affairs to continue their protest.