In response to questions regarding claims that President Arayik Harutyunyan had large businesses in Artsakh that he sold before the war began, and why Arayik Harutyunyan’s resignation is not being demanded in Artsakh when there have been demands for Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation in Armenia after the capitulation agreement was signed, the mayor of Shushi, Artsvik Sargsyan, said, “Arayik Harutyunyan never hid the fact that he had businesses and properties, and he even spoke about that openly during his presidential campaign. But I am not aware of whether or not he sold them. Regarding whether or not people are demanding his resignation in Artsakh, I have not heard anything about that. There are people speaking about it in closed circles, but no one is openly voicing it. Regarding Arayik Harutyunyan, I must say that he might have been lied to as well. The rumors that should have been provided to him were also false. Lying was also very common in our army. On the night of November 5th, he came to Shushi to understand what was happening. In the shelter, where I was also present, General Seyran Ohanyan explained that the situation was unbearable, and a dire situation arose in Shushi. He listened, and he asked a colonel how the situation was. The colonel said that it was very good.”
Sargsyan continued, “I did not see anything ‘good.’ I knew that the Azerbaijanis had reached Karin Tak. I knew that the Azerbaijanis were on their way. If that much was true, he was constantly going to sort the positions and returning. If that was all true, then what was good? I did not see a good situation. The fact that Harutyunyan was told that the situation was good was a crime. The mayor of Shushi, like many others, believes that the Armenian defeat in this war was planned. “If it was not organized, if they left their positions, if the troops came from Hadrut, then it was possible to stop them at any point. They said that the troops were leaving Hadrut, so they could have shelled and eliminated those troops. But they were able to reach Shushi from Hadrut on foot. How wasn’t that planned?”
Ashot Hakobyan
