The plight of a petty provocateur Sargsyan seeks to rekindle attention

Recently, Armenia's ongoing territorial claims against Azerbaijan were once again brought to the forefront. In a provocative move, the so-called "Independence Day of Artsakh" was celebrated in Armenia, with apparent tacit approval from its leadership, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The event saw the latest separatist leader, Samvel Shahramanyan, and his associates visiting the Yerablur military cemetery.

This act of provocation could have been avoided, yet it unfolded as planned. Any attempts by officials in Yerevan or by Armenia's supporters in Paris, Washington, Brussels, and other capitals to justify this action will no longer be of consequence. We have all witnessed it firsthand and can draw our own conclusions.

Including the fact that former Karabakh separatist and third President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, has persistently attempted to regain power. On this occasion, he made sure to remind us of his presence. His speeches were predictably dull, and, I would add, foolish and provocative. But Sargsyan's repertoire has always been limited to this, and it remains so.

Therefore, it is not surprising that he proclaimed that the “Artsakh issue” should return to the international agenda. This statement alone is enough to identify him as a provocateur, pushing the region toward the brink of a new war. This is unsurprising given Sargsyan’s background. After spending eight years studying philology at Yerevan State University, he went on to work as a lathe operator at the Yerevan Electrotechnical Plant. To say the least, it is a remarkable application of philological knowledge.

It seems that Sargsyan did not acquire much in terms of knowledge and instead sought to make a living by other means. Eventually, he chose the path of a party functionary. His willingness to follow orders, his servility, and his obsequiousness helped him become head of the propaganda and agitation department of the Stepanakert City Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party, and later, an assistant to the first secretary of the Nagorno-Karabakh Regional Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party, Genrikh Poghosyan.

Sargsyan's ambition for power knew no bounds, including criminal actions. Ironically, his mediocrity allowed him to rise to prominence in the Armenian political scene. He started as one of the leaders of the Karabakh faction and later became the President of Armenia. In both roles, he was involved in committing war crimes.

Serzh Sargsyan's hands are stained with the blood of both Azerbaijani and Armenian people. He is the one who attempted to justify the horrific Khojaly genocide. His disgraceful admission in an interview with Thomas de Waal, where Sargsyan essentially boasted about the crimes committed by Armenian forces, reveals his true character. It is a disgrace to international law that Sargsyan remains free and is not in Baku, facing justice alongside other former leaders of the Karabakh junta.

For many years, the so-called "Karabakh clan" retained power in Armenia, using their supposed achievements in occupying Azerbaijani lands as a justification. However, their extensive abuses and lawlessness eventually led to the "Barbecue Revolution." As a result, Serzh Sargsyan and the members of the "Karabakh clan" were ousted from power.

Note who was behind this: Nikol Pashinyan, a mediocre populist. This context helps evaluate the true intellectual and political caliber of both Sargsyan and other members of the "Karabakh clan."

It’s no surprise that Sargsyan is now attempting to draw attention to himself with provocative statements, blaming the current government for all of Armenia’s issues.

“The current authorities are moving towards forgetting the ‘Artsakh’ issue and renouncing it,” he claimed. This is a blatant lie. Nikol Pashinyan also aimed to keep all occupied Azerbaijani territories under Armenian control. He was the one who proclaimed in Khankendi that “Karabakh is Armenia, and period.” He also instigated clashes in the Tovuz region in the summer of 2020, clearly hoping to involve the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in a conflict with Azerbaijan.

It was Pashinyan who ordered the bombing of civilian Azerbaijani cities during the 44-day war. Even after the war, the current Prime Minister of Armenia continued to fund and arm Karabakh separatists. As a result, Azerbaijan's restoration of its territorial integrity occurred despite the plans of both the previous and current Armenian governments.

Serzh Sargsyan is fully aware of this. His lies are a desperate attempt to draw attention to himself, as he has no other means of making an impact. In Armenia, Sargsyan and his family are seen as symbols of corruption. Moreover, he is the one who never ended up on the Khankendi-Yerevan flight. Known as "Serzhik" from his Komsomol days, he remains a petty provocateur.