Armenian opposition holds anti-government rally ‘to achieve change of government”

YEREVAN, November 8. /ARKA/. The opposition Hayastan (Armenia) alliance, led by ex-president Robert Kocharyan, has brought today its supporters for an anti-government rally to the downtown Freedom Square.

Before the beginning of the rally, the gathered people observed a minute of silence to pay tribute to all Armenians who fell in last year’s war in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

The rally’s slogan is "Let's start a nationwide resistance." In a statement issued earlier the opposition alliance said it was necessary to begin a national resistance movement to achieve a change of government. It said the nation needs a government that is able to lead the country out of this dire situation, to ensure decent peace and security for the country, and to overcome the socio-economic crisis.

The opposition alliance said a second rally is planned for tomorrow.

The rallies are timed to coincide with November 9, the day when the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a Russia-brokered statement a year ago to end hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh .

Earlier reports claimed that on November 9, 2021 Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders would sign some documents, but the Armenian side denied them. The Russian side stated that the exact date of the meeting was not set yet.

On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijani armed forces, backed by Turkey and foreign mercenaries and terrorists, attacked Nagorno-Karabakh along the entire front line using rocket and artillery weapons, heavy armored vehicles, military aircraft and prohibited types of weapons such as cluster bombs and  phosphorus weapons.

 After 44 days of the war, on November 9, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a statement on the cessation of all hostilities. According to the document, the town of Shushi, the districts of Agdam, Kelbajar and Lachin were handed over to Azerbaijan, with the exception of a 5-kilometer corridor connecting Karabakh with Armenia. 

A Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed along the contact line in Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor.

On August 24, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that according to the available data, during the 44-day war some 3,773 Armenian servicemen were killed and 243 went missing. Also, some 114 Armenian Pows and other captives were returned home from Azerbaijan. -0-