The Public Council of Artsakh calls on all political forces, state bodies, public figures, and the media to refrain from hate speech, threats, and dangerous rhetoric that divides Armenian society, the council noted in a statement.

"The political manifestations of the ruling forces within the framework of the election processes in the RA [i.e. the Republic of Armenia] are outside civilized and democratic formats.

The Public Council of Artsakh strongly condemns the hate speech being generated by the [Armenian] authorities and spread in the public sphere within the framework of the election processes, which is often accompanied by threats, labeling, and dangerous examples of deepening hostility and division between various groups in [Armenian] society.

It is particularly worrying that in the context of the political struggle, forcibly displaced people of Artsakh are once again being targeted, attempting to portray them as a source of internal political tension, or use their image for provocative purposes. Such a practice is not only unacceptable, but also dangerous, taking into account the sensitivity and security challenges existing within Armenia’s society.

We also consider the video disseminated, with the participation of masked individuals, as a clear provocation, which aims to cause fear, tension, and suspicion among the [Armenian] public. We are confident that it has nothing to do with the people of Artsakh and was staged artificially to involve the name of the people of Artsakh in internal political provocations.

The Public Council of Artsakh calls on all political forces, state bodies, public figures, and the media to refrain from hate speech, threats, and dangerous rhetoric that divides [Armenian] society.

The election campaign should not turn into hostility, and the forcibly displaced people of Artsakh should not become targets of political speculation and provocations.

We urge the competent authorities [of Armenia] to give a proper assessment to such phenomena, prevent possible provocations, and ensure public security and social solidarity.

The dignity, security, and rights of the people of Artsakh cannot be used as a tool for internal political struggle,” the Public Council of Artsakh said in the statement.

A video was circulated on the internet in which several masked individuals address Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the Artsakh dialect and using offensive language. They are presumably holding machine gun.

And during an election campaign in the Arabkir district of Yerevan, PM Pashinyan had commented on this video and responded with harsh language. Also, he had urged those masked men to voluntarily hand themselves over to law enforcement, adding that he would “find and kill” them one by one.

Source: https://news.am/en/news/1036669