When Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was answering parliamentary deputies’ questions, the displaced residents of Kashatagh and Karvachar were protesting outside of the government building. They were demanding a final resolution to their living conditions, as well as a home in Armenia, not Artsakh.
“Men held onto Jabrayil with the clothes they were wearing. They held onto Ishkhanadzor as well, and the women left on the very last days. And now, try to convince these people to return to the furthest villages of Martakert and work in agriculture or build homes. That is impossible. They’re saying that they will build the homes and give us the furniture. But if we don’t go, we won’t get anything. They need to come to an agreement with us before making these decisions. We are not able to return to Karabakh and start our lives from scratch in this situation,” the displaced residents said, adding that they left their homes with the clothes they were wearing.
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“I renovated my home and took out a loan so that everything would be brand new and so my children could enjoy it. I gave it to the Turks. My son went to war and didn’t return. We left everything behind and came with what we are wearing,” Anush Petrosyan said, whose son died in Jabrayil. She moved to the Mijnavan village of Kashatagh 20 years ago and started her life from scratch. Anush does not wish to return to Artsakh. She said that she went to Mijnavan from Yerevan. If she is able to return to Mijnavan, she will, but not to Artsakh. Now, she is renting. “We did not receive the 68,000 AMD until now. The homeowner did not receive the 30,000 AMD promised until now. I am not able to move from house to house. How long can I live on the streets? I did not even receive the money meant for my dead son. His name is on the list, so perhaps I will receive that soon.”
Another displaced individual said that they are preparing to appeal to the international courts. “I do not believe in the government. Where is the money they promised? They put the burden of defeat on our shoulders. Retirees from Artsakh receive their pensions after the 20th of the month, and before we receive that, we end up accumulating debt. They speak about the 300,000 AMD, but look how worthless the Armenian dram is; we spent all of it to pay off loans. Promises, decisions… stop feeding us with those decisions. They need to give us a specific time frame so that we can shut up and live. But they keep saying today or tomorrow.”
The displaced citizens were insulted that they did not even have time to gather their belongings, furniture, and electronics. “The administration, the Armenian government, and Arayik Harutyunyan lied to everyone. Why did they place the police ‘position’ in Zangelan? They closed off the roads so that people could not gather their belongings. They did not even allow us to gather our electronic devices.”
Nikol Pashinyan’s assistant, Nairi Sargsyan, came out of the building to listen to the citizens’ protests. In response to the protesters’ demand for a meeting with Pashinyan, Nairi Sargsyan said that the Prime Minister is currently at the National Assembly building, and Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan will receive them. The displaced citizens responded that they brought sleeping bags to stay the night. “We’ve met with Mher Grigoryan many times. We don’t want to meet with him again.”
Nairi Sargsyan said that if they are not satisfied with a meeting with Mher Grigoryan, a meeting with the Prime Minister will be arranged.
A group of five citizens went to meet with Mher Grigoryan.
Lusine Budaghyan
