Artsakh NA speaker calls Armenian premier`s statements on Artsakh  movement absurd

ArmInfo.Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called Ashot Danielyan's statements regarding the Artsakh movement absurd, emphasizing that they cannot discredit the Armenian people's heroic struggle for freedom and  peace.

"Pashinyan's 'judgments,' based on ignorance and lies regarding  Artsakh and the Artsakh movement, expressed by him in the European  Parliament and in meetings with journalists in recent days, have not  only provoked the indignation of thousands of our compatriots who  have not come to terms with the occupation of Artsakh, a crime  against humanity, but also require specific comment.

Absurd statements regarding the Artsakh movement cannot discredit  this shining example of our people's heroic struggle for freedom and  peace," Danielyan said in a statement.

He emphasized that the powers of the government of any country,  including Armenia, are limited by the borders of that country. He  stated that outside these borders, actions (initiating criminal  cases, etc.) regarding events that occurred on the territory of  another state (regardless of whether it is recognized or not), making  "decisions" regarding the rights of that state's population, and  controlling its fate constitute a gross violation of fundamental  international principles and a crime. 

"The people of Artsakh have never given the current authorities of  the Republic of Armenia the right to act on their behalf and make  Artsakh the subject of a simple deal. If what is happening is peace,  and not absolute and permanent capitulation, then why do Azerbaijani  troops continue to remain in the occupied 240 square kilometers of  the Republic of Armenia? Why are the 150,000 residents of Artsakh,  subjected to ethnic cleansing and genocide, not returning to their  homes? Why are the Armenian hostages not returning to their homeland  from Baku prisons? Why is irrefutable evidence of Artsakh's Armenian  identity- Armenian settlements, ritual structures, historical and  cultural monuments, etc.-being completely destroyed?" Danielyan  asked.

The head of the NKR parliament emphasized that distorting the essence  of the Karabakh movement, the acts of ethnic cleansing and genocide  committed against the people of Artsakh in recent years, and falsely  presenting them as "peace" to members of the European Parliament, who  for several years have been passing resolutions condemning the crimes  committed by Azerbaijan with the complicity of Turkey, is contempt  for this institution.

"Turning the process of realizing the right to self-determination,  which for decades has been carried out in full compliance with  international law and with the unconditional support of the UN  Security Council and all authoritative international organizations,  into a 'territorial dispute', and the Armenian authorities'  continuous reproduction of Azerbaijani propaganda rhetoric is a gross  violation of international law. And the radical change in the  attitude of international bodies on this issue in recent years is due  not only to geopolitical events, but also to the attitude of the  Armenian authorities toward Artsakh and the Artsakh movement," the  head of the Artsakh parliament noted. He added that the Artsakh  authorities are not surprised that those who do not understand the  concept of a homeland, those who deny and denounce the 1,700-year-old  Armenian Apostolic Church and national faith, those who have gained  power through intrigue and subterfuge and identify with the state,  discredit everything sacred, including other institutions and  processes that shape the identity of the Artsakh people, including  the Karabakh movement.

"The inalienable right of the people of Artsakh to  self-determination, to return to their homeland, to live in security,  and to control their own destiny cannot be eliminated by lies,  deception, manipulation, or become the subject of petty deals. As a  representative of the elected body of the people of Artsakh, I assure  you that we will continue to fight by all legal means and instruments  for the restoration and realization of the violated rights of the  people of Artsakh, enjoying the constant and powerful support of  forces and individuals who care about the issue of Artsakh and the  people of Artsakh," Danielyan concluded. Let us recall that the Prime  Minister of Armenia declared from the rostrum of the European  Parliament on March 11 that the Artsakh movement is closed, and that  Artsakh residents expelled from their homes must forget about  returning to their homeland, accept Armenian citizenship, and settle  in the Republic of Armenia.