Pashinyan: There Will Be No Armenians Left in Nagorno-Karabakh in the Coming Days

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia delivered a troubling message during Thursday's Cabinet meeting, expressing deep concern over the ongoing exodus of Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Pashinyan characterized the situation as a direct result of Azerbaijan's ethnic cleansing policy, which continues to displace the Armenian population from the region.

"Analyses show that there will be no more Armenians left in Nagorno-Karabakh in the coming days," Prime Minister Pashinyan declared. He labeled this ongoing displacement as an act of ethnic cleansing and depopulation, echoing concerns that Armenia has raised with the international community for a considerable period.

While acknowledging the importance of statements from various international players condemning the ethnic cleansing taking place in Nagorno-Karabakh, Pashinyan emphasized the need for concrete actions to address the crisis. He cautioned that mere condemnations, without substantive political and legal measures, risk becoming empty gestures with no real impact.

"If statements on condemnation are not followed by proper decisions of a political and legal nature, condemnations become acts of agreement with what is happening," Pashinyan stated, highlighting the urgency of international intervention to halt the ongoing crisis.

The prime minister's remarks come in the wake of the arbitrary arrest of Ruben Vardanyan, the former Minister of State of Artsakh, by Azerbaijani authorities. Pashinyan expressed his deep concern about such arrests, calling them extremely disturbing and urging Armenian state agencies to take the necessary steps to protect the rights of arbitrarily arrested individuals, including pursuing legal avenues, including international courts, for their protection.

Ruben Vardanyan was abducted by Azerbaijani authorities while traveling from Artsakh to Armenia and subsequently transferred to Baku, the Azerbaijani capital. He faces charges of "financing terrorism," a development that has raised further concerns about the treatment of individuals associated with the Nagorno-Karabakh government.

It is worth noting that Prime Minister Pashinyan refrained from mentioning Ruben Vardanyan by name during his remarks on the arrest, possibly reflecting the sensitivity of the situation and the ongoing diplomatic efforts to address the issue.