Angered by Presence of Artsakh Armenians, Pashinyan Allies Walk Out of Parliament Hearing

A parliament committee hearing on Wednesday to discuss the socioeconomic and other challenges facing displaced Artsakh Armenians turned into a show of anger by lawmakers from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party and other government officials, who stormed out of the meeting angered at the presence of Artsakh Armenians.

The hearing, which was initiated by opposition Armenia Alliance lawmaker Lilit Galsyan, who chairs the parliament’s committee on human rights, also included the participation of international legal experts and members of Artsakh’s parliament.

When Galstyan presented the “representatives of Artsakh’s parliament,” the pro-Pashinyan Civil Contract lawmakers and other government officials walked out of the meeting, which was already in session for 30 minutes.

Mariam Poghosyan, a Civil Contract lawmaker later told reporters that Galstyan’s description of the Artsakh Armenians attending the hearing countered the government policy as put forth by Pashinyan.

Poghosyan said at the hearing that the government will not tolerate the existence of “a second state” in Armenia, echoing Pashinyan’s often angry position at the mention of the word Artsakh.

Arega Hovsepyan, an Artsakh Armenian who is currently an opposition lawmaker, countered Poghosyan’s assertions.

“Just a few years ago, you visited Artsakh and held meetings at its National Assembly,” Hovsepyan said, addressing the pro-Pashinyan hearing attendees.

“Some of you sat at dinner tables and raised toasts there. Do not forget the past … Some time later, you will not be in power. So make sure you won’t be too embarrassed to walk on the streets,” she added, according to Azatutyun.am.

Ara Ghazaryan, an expert on international law also present at the hearing, likened the walkout to Azerbaijani officials’ behavior during international court cases related to the Karabakh conflict.

“I have been involved in legal proceedings against Azerbaijan for 16 years” said Ghazarian.

“From the very first cases, Azerbaijan demanded that the European Court [of Human Rights] not use the Armenian names or documents from state and public bodies of Artsakh. From the outset, the European Court rejected these demands … The European Court has even recognized decisions of Artsakh courts as legitimate acts and issued rulings based on them,” he added.

“I’ll root you out,” Pashinyan lashed out at an Artsakh Armenian during an election campaign stop in May. “Don’t you dare to say that there is an Artsakh National Assembly or a government in Armenia,” he added angrily. I’ll root out all of you.”

Artur Khachatryan, the secretary of the Armenian Alliance, was the first to speak at the hearing. He emphasized that, pending the realization of the right to return of Artsakh Armenians, they must live in decent conditions in Armenia. To this end, he said, the primary issue remains proper housing.

Artak Beglaryan, Artsakh’s former state minister who currently heads the Union of Artsakh, also singled out the housing issue among a number of other concerns.

He noted that the situation deteriorated drastically when the state ceased providing rent subsidies. According to him, the poverty rate among the people of Artsakh stands at 60 to 70 percent, and an equal proportion of the able-bodied population is unemployed.

Beglaryan specifically highlighted the issue of hate speech and expressions directed at the people of Artsakh, noting that this matter requires state attention rather than officials themselves propagating hate speech. He accused law enforcement agencies of acting selectively regarding this issue.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the timeframes for obtaining citizenship, Beglaryan noted that applications submitted in January were approved only in July or August. While acknowledging the issue of the authorized body’s heavy workload, he emphasized that the state must take adequate measures, as acquiring citizenship is directly linked to the issue of securing housing.

For his part, Armenian Alliance lawmaker Gegham Manukyan pointed out that while 8,000 people have received certificates for housing to date, only half of them—4,000—have actually utilized them.

According to him, integration within the general education sector has proceeded smoothly. However, he said, the situation is not quite as promising regarding higher education.

Galstyan, the parliamentary committee chair, emphasized that the issues facing the people of Artsakh are so serious, deep-rooted, and widespread that they require daily attention and resolution.

“Today, in the National Assembly, we will discuss a wide range of issues that are vital to our people—issues concerning the social, economic, and legal challenges that the Armenians of Artsakh are facing in Armenia today.”

“As a result of the sustained aggression and genocidal acts perpetrated by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Artsakh, our compatriots were subjected to and ethnic cleansing nearly three years ago; 120,000 of our compatriots were forced to abandon their ancestral homeland—where they had lived for millennia—and seek refuge in the motherland. Naturally, this forced displacement gave rise to a multitude of humanitarian, legal, social, economic, cultural, and psychological issues—problems that are numerous and multifaceted,” she detailed.

Galstyan emphasized that, despite the many challenges, the people of Artsakh continue to survive today.

“Over the past three years, these issues have not been properly assessed, analyzed, or evaluated,” she stressed.