Armenian Veterans Place War Medals on Government Steps in Protest

Photo Credit: Mediamax

A powerful protest took place in Yerevan as veterans of the Artsakh wars, including participants of the 44-day war, left their military medals and honors on the steps of the Government building. These medals, awarded for their courage and sacrifice in defending the Armenian nation, were returned in protest against what the servicemen described as the authorities’ “anti-state and anti-national policies.”

The protest carried a symbolic meaning. The men who once risked their lives to defend Artsakh and Armenia against Azerbaijan now say they cannot hold on to medals that no longer represent the values they fought for. They accuse the current government of erasing history, dishonoring sacrifice, and paving the way for the loss of Armenian statehood.

One participant said, “This Government is trying to edit our history. It is trying to erase the life, the hardships, the struggle that we went through, for which we shed blood, just to justify its own mistakes.” For him and his comrades, the medals are not simply pieces of metal; they symbolize decades of resistance against Azerbaijan’s aggression and the fight for the survival of Artsakh Armenians.

Another protester explained that the struggle of the last thirty years—the very foundation of the Republic and the defense of Artsakh—is now being dismissed as a lie by the authorities. For this reason, they decided to return the medals they were once proud to receive. They say the government’s narrative denies the truth of Armenia’s national struggle and helps Azerbaijan’s efforts to rewrite history.

Hayk Navasardyan, a 44-day war participant, said that the medals they return are tied to greater values than symbols can show. “The current authorities are consistently devaluing and emptying of meaning all the values for which we fought and for which we received medals and orders. With this step, we want to show that we do not agree with the policies pursued by this Government.”

For these veterans, the values behind the medals—sacrifice, honor, and the defense of Armenian lands—live in their hearts. They believe that those values are now being trampled by the very authorities that should be protecting them.

Volunteer and 44-day war participant Albert Tadevosyan stated that they do not want to live in a country that will soon cease to exist if current policies continue. His words reflected the fear that the Armenian nation is being weakened from within, while Azerbaijan and Turkey continue their campaign against Armenian statehood.

Another protester, Arman Mkhitaryan, showed the betrayal they feel. “We were defending the border, but it turned out the Turk is inside the country, sitting in the heart.” For him, returning the medals is a temporary act until the day comes when Armenians are once again worthy of them—until the liberation of the homeland.

Rafik Gabrielyan, who also returned his medal, stressed unity with his comrades. Just as they stood shoulder to shoulder during the war, they stand united in protest today.

The protest culminated with the servicemen placing their medals and orders on the ground at the steps of the Government building. No government representative came forward to accept them. These medals, once symbols of bravery and sacrifice against Azerbaijan, were left lying on the cold steps of the state that is now turning its back on its own defenders.

Serviceman Armen Petrosyan recalled the story of his most precious medal, earned during a battle where he and his unit confronted an Azerbaijani officer. With visible pain, he left that medal behind as well. “It is with pain that I give up this particular one,” he said.

This act of defiance was not just against a government—they see it as a stand against a dangerous rewriting of Armenia’s history, against surrender to Azerbaijan, and against policies that erase the cause of Artsakh. For them, the medals are only meaningful if Armenia itself survives with dignity.

The message of the protest is clear: Armenia’s true defenders will not remain silent as their sacrifices are stripped of meaning. They fought against Azerbaijan and its Turkish allies for the survival of their people, and they will continue to resist policies that betray the struggle of Artsakh Armenians and the values of the nation.

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