YEREVAN, ARMENIA – The Representative of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Supreme Body of Armenia, Vice-President of Armenia’s Parliament Ishkhan Saghatelyan, addressed the people with a message on April 22, briefly presenting the program, schedule of steps and actions aimed at removing Pashinyan’s government. The full statement, translated from Armenian is presented below:
Dear Compatriots,
Dear Ideological Friends,
Our country has reached a new stage that, if continued, will be destructive for Armenia and Artsakh. We are not only facing new concessions by the the homeland, but more broadly, the real danger of losing our statehood. These are not just words, but a a bitter reality.
All the facts have been presented and the evidence given․ He who has eyes has seen, he who has ears has heard. Now is the time for work. I have come here to announce that we, with our team, with all our resources, with our thousands of compatriots and supporters, are taking our struggle to the streets, to remove this unpatriotic, genocidal government. This is not a struggle for power, this is a struggle for an Armenian Artsakh, for statehood, and for the Armenian existence. This is not a struggle by one force, one party, one organization or individual, this is a nationwide struggle that must turn into a national resistance. This is a struggle for the preservation and development of the Armenian statehood, all those who think similarly, we are with them, and they are with us. They are our comrades-in-arms, they are the friends of our struggle, the pioneers of this resistance movement.
Dear compatriot, you are not fighting to bring any of us to power, you are fighting for yourself, for your children, for your parents, for your sisters and brothers. You are fighting for the dignified future of the Armenian people, for our right to live prosperously, free, independently. This struggle is an existential, sacred struggle, therefore, there is no alternative, there is no retreat, there is no other way. My friends and I will go to the end; we have potential, which is our people, and we have the will and determination.
About upcoming projects: On April 23, the traditional Torchlight Procession will take place, the procession of our demands, our unity, to symbolize our struggle, our covenant. We invite all of you to the Torchlight Procession. On that day we must show to the whole world and prove that we own Artsakh, we own our statehood, we own the future of the Armenian people, for which we are ready to fight, and from April 25 we will start uninterrupted protests and steps all over Armenia.
First, starting on April 25, our protesters will march from the regions of Armenia, from four symbolic places, to the capital Yerevan. During that period, starting on April 25, different actions, steps, actions and marches will take place in Yerevan every day. We will inform you about our whole program on an hourly basis each day.
This is a sacred struggle, this is a struggle for the sake of Artsakh and Armenia. Therefore, we have no place to retreat, we have no alternative, we are going to the end, to victory.
Right now, I announce from this symbolic place: WE ARE STARTING.
