Former Artsakh Minister of culture calls the Organization of Festivities on the Day of Azerbaijan’s aggression against the NKR an elaborate act of mockery

ArmInfo.  Former Artsakh Culture Minister Sergey Shahverdyan called the organization of festive events on the day of Azerbaijan’s aggression against Artsakh, which marked the beginning of the Armenian exodus from the NKR, a sophisticated mockery.

"On September 19, four mass festivals are scheduled in Armenia at once—three in Yerevan and one in the village of Khachik—as well as a large festive concert in Kapan. Festivals, music, entertainment, a festive atmosphere. And all of this—on September 19. On a day that, for the Armenians of Artsakh, is associated with the beginning of the 2023 national catastrophe, the loss of their homeland and the expulsion of the entire Armenian population of Artsakh.

On a day observed as the "Day of the Expulsion of the Armenians of Artsakh from Their Homeland and Demands for Justice." On the same day, thousands of Armenians from Artsakh will participate in the "March of Silence" at Yerablur, commemorating the dead and reliving the tragedy that changed their lives. Can this really be merely a coincidence? And here the question arises: how did this become possible at all?" Shahverdyan asked.

He posed what was rather a rhetorical question: how did it happen that just three years after more than one hundred thousand Armenians were expelled from Artsakh, the date of the national catastrophe became simply another free date on the calendar for the organizers of mass celebrations?

"We can talk as much as we want about national unity, about the united Armenian people, about solidarity. But solidarity is not tested by words. It is tested precisely at moments like these. When thousands of our compatriots go to Yerablur in silence on this day, while mass festivals and festive concerts are being held nearby—what does this say about our attitude toward their pain? I am not saying that all of Armenia should come to a standstill on September 19. No one is obliged to give up ordinary life. But there is a difference between ordinary life and organizing major public celebrations on this day, which could quite calmly have been held on another day," he added in his Facebook post.

Shahverdyan expressed the conviction that the events could have been postponed or their format changed, or at least that people could have thought about what those for whom September 19 is the day of the loss of their home, loved ones, past and future feel.

"That is precisely why I am asking this unpleasant question: is holding numerous festive events on this day—while fully understanding what September 19 means to the Armenians of Artsakh,

—a sophisticated form of mockery of their memory and pain? I very much want to believe that it is not.

That it is merely indifference, inattention or a lack of a basic sense of tact. Because if even the national catastrophe of our people is not a sufficient reason to postpone a celebration for one day, then a much more serious question arises: what does solidarity mean to us today, at all? September 19 is only one day. The celebration can be held tomorrow. Memory and respect cannot be postponed," he concluded.

It should be noted that on September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan, under the pretext of an "anti-terrorist operation," carried out another act of aggression against Artsakh. As a result of the enemy aggression, hundreds of people from Artsakh were wounded; at the time, more than 200 deaths, including civilians, were also reported. On September 20, Artsakh fell. Azerbaijan began the forcible subjugation of the NKR. In addition, late in the evening of September 20, it became known that Azerbaijan had deliberately fired on two vehicles belonging to the Russian peacekeeping contingent, killing 6 people, including the deputy commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent.   On September 22, the process of abolishing the Artsakh Defense Army began. During search operations from September 21 to 24, the NKR Ministry of Internal Affairs discovered the bodies of 105 people from Artsakh, including children and elderly people who had been brutally killed. Today, Artsakh has been completely disarmed, and all of its indigenous population—more than 120,000 people—was forced to flee to Armenia under threat of physical reprisal.

We should also add that on September 25, an explosion occurred at a fuel depot near Stepanakert, when a gasoline tanker exploded. At the time of the explosion, a large number of people were at the site, standing in line for gasoline in order to leave Artsakh amid the latest Azerbaijani aggression. According to Armenia’s Investigative Committee, 218 people were killed in the explosion at the fuel depot, and the identities of 215 of them have been established. At least 120 people sustained injuries of varying severity, mainly burns.  At present, according to the investigation, the whereabouts of 21 people are unknown

As a result of the enemy aggression that began in the autumn of 2020 and ended with the complete ethnic cleansing of Artsakh in September 2023, more than 150,000 people from Artsakh became homeless.