Protesters in Nagorno-Karabakh gather outside Russian peacekeeping contingent’s HQ, block entrance

STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. Demonstrators in Nagorno-Karabakh are holding a peaceful protest since August 15 outside the Russian peacekeeping contingent’s headquarters in Stepanakert.

Artur Osipyan, one of the leaders of the demonstrators who are united under a group calling itself the People’s Movement for Unblocking the Corridor, told ARMENPRESS correspondent Van Novikov that their goal is to lift the blockade of Lachin Corridor and that they are calling on the Russian peacekeepers to ensure the safety of a caravan which they plan to organize in the direction of Hakari bridge in a peaceful demonstration.

“We had appealed to the peacekeepers before with a letter. We are not telling them to go and lift the blockade, we are demanding them to ensure the safety of our peaceful procession to Hakari bridge and to try and resolve the issue in unity. But they gave an absurd response to our letter. As a sign of protest, we went and closed the entrance to their deployment site until they start treating us seriously and not try to make us abandon our goal,” Osipyan said, calling on others to join their movement.

The Russian peacekeepers unsuccessfully attempted to open the entrance to their HQ.