Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s attitude towards the perpetrators of the Khojaly genocide is considered his greatest paradox. Those who criticize Pashinyan are immediately imprisoned in Armenia. A while ago, the former foreign minister, Vardan Voskanyan, publicly gave the Armenian premier several recommendations on regulation, and on the very next day, a criminal case was initiated against his son.
Former presidents, ministers and politicians in Armenia are either imprisoned or under investigation. Mourad Papazian, Co-president of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), was barred from entering Armenia for failing to well-arrange Pashinyan’s visit to France. The same can be said about the leader of the Armenian diaspora in the Netherlands. Moreover, Yerevan blacklisted several popular Armenians in Moscow for criticizing Pashinyan.
At the same time, Pashinyan is striving to ensure the stay of the Armenians, who mercilessly fought against Azerbaijan and committed the Khojaly genocide, in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region. He keeps making serious efforts to achieve an international guarantee for the armed Armenians to live on the territory of Azerbaijan.
The Armenians involved in the fierce fighting against Azerbaijanis in Karabakh may also pose a threat to Pashinyan himself. The Armenian premier understands this very well.
Shortly, Armenia can again resort to military provocations on the border with Azerbaijan and in Karabakh. The statements made by Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov on June 26 indicate that Baku has no intention of tolerating the activities of illegal Armenian armed detachments.
Pashinyan’s attitude towards the normalization of Azerbaijan-Armenia relations is very simple and based on three concepts.
ı. The concept of making the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process ineffective at any time.
ıı. Pashinyan’s attitude towards the element he agreed to discuss is different. He, first of all, defines the rule for ignoring that element. Then, a discussion on that element begins.
ııı. Managing the situation by war. Pashinyan explained this very clearly at one of the press conferences.
The parameters that can affect negotiations and military processes are of decisive importance. To that end, both Armenians and Karabakh Armenians, who fought mercilessly against Azerbaijan in Karabakh, are a very important factor for Pashinyan. He is not interested in the military activity of former fighters in Armenia, because they can turn their weapons against Pashinyan himself. Pashinyan is striving to create a military force of Karabakh Armenians on the territory of Azerbaijan. Pashinyan himself and his immediate surroundings come up with all these ideas.
These ideas have a certain systematicity as well:
ı. As for the trilateral statement of 10 November 2020, Pashinyan completely denies the document’s provision on illegal Armenian armed groups in Karabakh. Both his statements and those of Andranik Kocharyan, Chair of the Standing Committee on Defense and Security of the National Assembly, are testimony to this fact.
ıı. The Armenians, who fought against Azerbaijanis in Karabakh, undergo regular training sessions.
ııı. The term “Ministry of Defense” of “Artsakh” was brought to the agenda. However, this term was not used even during the 30-year-long occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia.
ıv. Pashinyan often repeats the phrase "Karabakh Armenians do not understand me correctly". This confirms that he has not deviated from the classical Armenian approach to the Karabakh issue.
Pashinyan is not going to voluntarily agree to the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations. Disappointment in negotiations has always led to war. And now a very big war may erupt.
For these reasons, Karabakh Armenians need to start without delay discussions and debates among themselves. Armenians, who brutally fought against Azerbaijan and committed the Khojaly genocide, should be distinguished from other peaceful ones. Armenians, who are ready to co-exist with Azerbaijanis expelled from Karabakh, should be accepted in a completely separate category within Azerbaijan.
Pashinyan should transfer Karabakh Armenians involved in crimes against Azerbaijanis to the territory of Armenia. If he is unable to do this, he can turn to his patrons. Those Karabakh Armenians can be returned to Iran and transferred to Russia. The option of moving to the United States and France can also be considered.
Pashinyan will not go to normalization until the issue of Armenians who brutally fought against Azerbaijan in Karabakh is resolved. Political and military disruption will renew and intensify. Political steps against normalization are also obvious.
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