Karabakh Armenians feel uncomfortable in Armenia What are Azerbaijan's detractors silent about?

Interesting news is emerging from Armenia: David Sargsyan, the so-called "mayor" of Khankendi, has had his pre-trial measure changed from house arrest to administrative supervision. Sargsyan's lawyer, Ruben Melikyan, reported this on social media, citing a decision by the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction. The petition for a more lenient measure for the former member of the Karabakh junta was made by the Investigative Committee of Armenia.

In general, Sargsyan will be allowed to go outside, but from 7 PM to 7 AM he must remain at home. He is prohibited from visiting leisure and service facilities, including shops. He is also forbidden from communicating with his former colleagues and other defendants in the same criminal case. These restrictions extend to more than 1,700 individuals, indicating a significant level of isolation.

David Sargsyan was arrested on May 27 for 20 days. Law enforcement officers searched his home, after which he and three other individuals were charged with fraud and the misappropriation of four cars. This story is interesting from many perspectives.

First, it's important to remember that David Sargsyan became the "mayor" of Khankendi as a result of a show that the Karabakh separatists called "elections." This show was staged on September 8, 2019. Clearly, no country in the world recognized the legitimacy of these "elections." Consequently, in reality, Sargsyan holds no legitimate authority.

However, while in that position, he actively spread lies about the "blockade" of Khankendi by Azerbaijan. He lamented the lack of food, medicine, and gasoline in the temporarily Armenia-occupied territory of Azerbaijan. Overall, he painted a very bleak picture, clearly hoping for sympathy from the international community for the Karabakh junta.

Sargsyan remained silent about the fact that it was the Karabakh junta that blocked a humanitarian aid convoy for the Armenians in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan from entering Khankendi, which has always been legally part of Azerbaijan. However, all secrets eventually come to light. After an anti-terrorist operation in Khankendi, it was revealed that the food warehouses were fully stocked, prompting outrage from Armenian bloggers.

So, Sargsyan was one of the accomplices in this campaign of spreading lies about Azerbaijan. He also deceived the Armenians illegally residing in the Karabakh region, clearly pursuing selfish goals. Moreover, it is particularly important to emphasize that he calmly left Khankendi for Armenia after the anti-terrorist operation. This alone invalidates the false claims about the "horrors" allegedly accompanying the departure of Armenians from the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

By the way, the last leader of the Karabakh junta, Samvel Shahramanyan, also left Khankendi for Armenia. Armenian media and bloggers report that he owns substantial real estate and commercial properties in Yerevan. This underscores how the Karabakh junta exploited the Karabakh Armenians for personal gain. David Sargsyan did the same, and he has been openly labelled as a criminal in Armenia.

Even in Armenia, however, members of the Karabakh junta are not enjoying a smooth or peaceful existence. Shahramanyan, in particular, faces mounting pressure and continues to make bold statements. Sargsyan has already faced the consequences of his actions. It’s easy to imagine the extent of his abuses in Khankendi, given his authority over the Armenians there. Meanwhile, foreign propagandists calling for Baku to release the Karabakh junta leaders while lamenting the "violation of the rights of Karabakh Armenians" now find themselves in an absurd position. Statistics alone reveal the folly of their claims.

As of June 1, 17,743 Armenians who had illegally resided in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan left Armenia by air and land transport, and only 7,435 returned. In other words, as of June 1, 10,308 Karabakh Armenians left Armenia and did not return. Clearly, both the former leaders of the junta and ordinary individuals who had illegally resided on the Azerbaijani land find themselves quite uncomfortable in Armenia. However, those accustomed to disparaging Azerbaijan remain silent on this matter. This fact only underscores their hypocrisy.

By Akbar Hasanov