Pashinyan’s post on war anniversary sparks outrage
Pashinyan’s post on war anniversary
Two years ago, on 19 September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a military operation in Karabakh. It lasted a single day but left 223 Armenians dead, including 20 civilians — six of them children.
After the fighting ended and the territory, blockaded for 10 months, was unsealed, almost the entire Armenian population fled their homeland. Around 120,000 people relocated to Armenia.
There was no official statement from the government to mark the anniversary, and the foreign ministry also remained silent — despite having accused Azerbaijan of “ethnic cleansing” two years earlier.
Instead, prime minister Nikol Pashinyan posted a Facebook video in the morning about the “wonderful start” to his working day. The post sparked a wave of public anger.
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“Tomorrow your time of happiness will come”: Pashinyan’s post
The prime minister shared a video on his Facebook page showing the start of his working day.
“Elvina Makaryan’s song is a wonderful way to begin the day,” he wrote.
The clip featured part of the Armenian singer’s track Sunset, with the lyrics: “Sun, you must rise again, tomorrow your time of happiness will come.”
“Remember what day it is” — Armenians remind the prime minister
Under Pashinyan’s video, posted on the anniversary of the fighting, hundreds of users voiced their anger. Here are some of their comments:
“What are you talking about? A wonderful day? 19.09.2023 — maybe for you it was wonderful.”
“Today is the second anniversary of the genocide of the people of Artsakh. I don’t understand — was it really necessary to post this song on social media today? What is this disrespect towards our dead?”
“Remember what day it is — thousands of people are in mourning.”
“On this day, just two years ago, we lost our homeland! You should feel at least some shame.”
“Couldn’t you have issued a message, an address to us today? We understand that talking about Artsakh is taboo. But more than a hundred thousand Armenians were forced to leave their homes, so many people were killed. At least say a word about them.”
“He’s writing a letter to Aliyev [in the video Pashinyan is seen typing on his computer] and congratulating him on this ‘wonderful day’.”
“They died so that we could be happy”
On 13 September, the town of Hrazdan hosted one of the concerts of the Festivar music festival, held with government support and financed from the state budget. The date itself stirred public anger: on 13 September 2022, Azerbaijani forces invaded Armenia’s sovereign territory. Fighting raged on several fronts until 14 September, leaving 224 Armenians dead and nearly 300 wounded.
The ruling team, however, saw nothing unusual in organising a concert on that day.
“Our compatriots died so that we could live, they died so that we could be happy. They gave their lives for the statehood of the Republic of Armenia, for the well-being of the people, for the happiness of all of us and our children. The soldiers who fell defending the homeland are happy in heaven, seeing that thanks to their sacrifice today their children, loved ones and compatriots smile, rejoice, sing and dance,” said Arthur Hovhannisyan, secretary of the ruling Civil Contract faction.
In his view, holding a concert in no way diminishes their heroism. He urged the relatives of the dead to look at the situation differently:
“The concert was held precisely thanks to them [the fallen soldiers]. We should not destroy what they left us with endless mourning.”
