In Yerevan, protesters demand deployment of EU peacekeepers in conflict zone

People continue to die because of the hostilities on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the activities of Russian peacekeepers look ineffective amid deaths of people. Activists and human rights defenders demanded to deploy international military forces on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Being the chair of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, granted the request of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan, to bring the CSTO peacekeeping forces into the country. According to analysts, the reputation of Armenia suffered from the introduction of the military forces.

Today, in Yerevan, activists have come out to hold a protest action in front of the government building with the demand to introduce mechanisms to ensure the safety of local residents of Armenia.

The protesters expressed their indignation about the inaction of the Armenian authorities against the background of the situation on the border with Azerbaijan, human rights defender Zarui Ovannisyan says. According to her, the authorities do not pay due attention to human rights problems in the country, especially to the observance of the rights of residents of border areas to life and access to medicine.

The protesters demand from the authorities to stop the mortality of people on the border with Azerbaijan, notes Shoger Matevosyan, a participant of the protest action.

According to the protestor, the current government is unable to carry out military reforms, so “let them resign and those who are able to change the situation will come in their place.”

Nina Karapetyants, the head of the Helsinki Association of Armenia, believes that Armenia should take advantage of international rights, including regarding invitation of peacekeepers.