Lemkin Institute urges Armenia to respect people’s right to dissent

The Lemkin Institute has urged the Armenian government to exercise restraint and respect people’s fundamental human right to express their dissent.

The statement from the Institute comes amid anti-government protests in the country, which have seen the detention of dozens of protesters over the past few weeks.

Protesters are angry over PM Nikol Pashinyan’s decision to hand over Armenian territory that it has controlled since the 1990s to Azerbaijan.

The decision has also angered opposition parties in parliament who have said that they will attempt to bring impeachment charges against Pashinyan.

“While the Armenian government claims it made the decision to cede Armenian territory in the interest of peace, the Lemkin Institute recognizes the slippery slope and the dangers these developments might pose to Armenian sovereignty, particularly in light of Azerbaijan’s seizure of Artsakh in September 2023 and its subsequent forced displacement of the entire population of 100,000 to 120,000 Armenians,” Pashinyan said.

“The Lemkin Institute supports the right of Armenian people to peacefully protest and to advocate for different policies in the face of genocide. We appeal to the Armenian government, as well as all other governments around the world, to exercise restraint and respect people’s’ fundamental human right to express their dissent.”