The son of legendary freedom fighter Mekhak Mekhakyan, My Step faction deputy Argishti Mekhakyan, told Aravot Daily that the agreement signed between Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan in which over 10,000 square kilometers of land in Artsakh must be conceded to Azerbaijan is a personal tragedy for him.
“I lost my father a second time. I lost the chapel I built within myself over the years. I lost myself. Resigning or leaving the political party is not the issue. That means nothing to me anymore. We all have much more important things to do now, and that is what I am thinking about,” the deputy said.
Mekhak Mekhakyan had carried out the heroic defense of the mountain range extending from the upper hills of Talish to Martakert. He also liberated the strategic villages of Mataghis and Talish, and he died on May 1, 1994 at 33 years old. He had four children. In honor of the hero, Jabrayil was renamed Mekhakavan.
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The deputy said that he went to Artsakh to clarify questions at the suggestion of deputy Taguhi Tovmasyan when he heard about the trilateral agreement.
“When I learned of the news that night, I was surprised. I thought that they were either joking or I was dreaming. My mental state was unexplainable. The next day, I went to Artsakh at the suggestion of my colleague, Taguhi Tovmasyan, to at least clear up some of our questions. I met with the President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan, soldiers, and Artur Aghabekyan. We discussed the current situation. Arayik Harutyunyan told us the same thing in a private discussion as he said publicly. It was, of course, extremely difficult for us to learn about what happened and what will happen next. To my surprise, the people of Artsakh, at least the government officials, were extremely optimistic. If many of us are feeling broken due to this horrible situation, they are already thinking about what they need to do, how to develop our territories, and how to turn the situation in our favor. I also have a message of my own. I am reliving my entire childhood now, and I understand the mental state of all the families who lost children, husbands, and fathers. But I am persistent, and I will not give up. The easiest thing for me to have done was to resign, leave, and live with my pain, but I will not give up. I will fight until the end as best I can,” the deputy said.
We asked the deputy if he is able to see any way out of this situation. “I am not only looking at this situation as a deputy. This is a personal tragedy for me and my family. I think that we need to hold immediate discussions. Any possible ways out need to be discussed on all levels, and we need to take clear steps. What happened is worse than all of the worst-case scenarios we’ve ever imagined,” Argishti Mekhakyan said.
He visited Dadivank, Karvachar, and Stepanakert. He met with soldiers. He provided us with videos and photos, which we are sharing below.
“Our soldiers were broken due to the losses of their commanders and combat friends, but they remained persistent. Any bad political events are direct attacks upon our soldiers. We need to take balanced steps now more than ever,” the deputy said.
Nune Arevshatyan
