YEREVAN (A.W.)— On Feb. 10, the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) of Armenia and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) “Nigol Aghpalian” Student Association held a protest in front of a Yerevan store that sells predominantly Belarusian products.
Protesters said they were boycotting the sale of Belarusian products in Armenia after the extradition of Russian-Israeli blogger Alexander Lapshin to Azerbaijan. Demonstrators held up posters that read, “Visiting Artsakh is not a crime,” “No to Belarusian products,” “Belarus is anti-Armenian,” and “Belarus is attached to Azerbaijan.”
Members of the AYF and ARF “Nigol Aghpalian” Student Association also stuck a note on the window of the store that read, “Due to the anti-human rights and anti-Armenian stance of the government of Belarus, Russian-Israeli blogger was arrested in Belarus and extradited to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has violated basic human rights by accusing him of committing a crime for visiting Artsakh. Visiting Artsakh is not a crime. Artsakh is a free and sovereign state. No to Belarus. No to Belarusian products.”
The AYF and ARF “Nigol Aghpalian” Student Association also announced that they will continue their protest and will take further action in the near future.