Artsakh MP blames Pashinyan for Artsakh’s surrender to Azerbaijan

MP Metakse Hakobyan of Artsakh’s opposition Justice faction held Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accountable for the surrender of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to Azerbaijan in November 2020.

Speaking to reporters at a protest near the Armenian parliament on Tuesday, she brushed aside the claims of Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party members that Artsakh’s last president ceded it to Azerbaijan as he signed Artsakh’s capitulation following the Azeri attack in September 2023.

“The Artsakh president is not authorized to sign any document on its capitulation or dissolution. Artsakh was surrendered by Nikol Pashinyan on November 9, 2020,” the MP stated, highlighting that he could have stopped the war with Azerbaijan twice in October.

“He could’ve stopped the war, however, he did not take such a step not to be branded a “traitor”. As a result, we suffered thousands of more casualties, while he was eventually banded a “traitor”. If the war had been stopped on October 10, we would have retained control of Hadrut, Shushi and had a stronger and bigger Artsakh. Nikol Pashinyan surrendered Artsakh when he signed the statement on 9 November 2020 and then did not comply with his signature unlike Aliyev,” Hakobyan said.