Your trusted source

A group of women from Hadrut, an Artsakh region passing under Azerbaijan’s control according to a Russian-brokered ceasefire deal signed by the Armenian prime minister and Azerbaijani president on November 9, are rallying outside the French Embassy in Yerevan.

The women, whose brothers, husbands, fathers or sons are still on the frontline, seek France’s support to return to their homes.

“Hadrut and Shushi should not have been included in that statement, especially Hadrut, which has always been Armenian, but they took it and handed it over to them. We demand that Hadrut remain an Armenian territory and gain an independent status,” Srbuhi Balayan, a resident of Aygestan village, 4 km away from the town of Hadrut, told Panorama.am.

Srbuh, who is currently studying at the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography, says their house has been burnt down, but they are ready to live even in tents in their native land before they construct new houses.

"I recited patriotic poems on the stage of Hadrut school at every event and I believed that Artsakh’s independence would be recognized one day, but now all of it fell apart. We left Grchavank, Spitak Khach, Katarovank, the palace complex of Melik Yegan, Azokh cave in Hadrut, we left the historical and cultural monuments, of which I have been proud all my life.  Hadrut alone hosted 5-6 festivals every year, including wine, grapes, zhengyal bread festivals,” she said.

Lusine Movsisyan, another woman from the town of Hadrut, says her husband is still on the frontline.

“I came to Armenia with my children. They said our house was set on fire. If you hand over Aghdam, do not hand over Hadrut at least. Why should Hadrut be surrendered to the Azerbaijanis? I do not have the answer to that question," Lusine Movsisyan told Panorama.am before the rally.

The woman says she could not help crying after the content of the statement on Artsakh ceasefire was made public, but she decided to remain strong and start fighting.

“We are ready to return and live in Hadrut, as we have left the graves of our parents and relatives there. We have left the bodies of our relatives, missing people there ... This is a tragedy which I don’t wish to befall even the enemy,” she said.

The rally is expected to continue in front of the Russian and US Embassies in Yerevan.