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MP Tigran Abrahamyan of the opposition Pativ Unem faction blamed the Armenian leadership for silence amid increasing pressure on Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) from Azerbaijan.

“Azerbaijan's attempts to take control of the [Lachin] corridor connecting Artsakh to Armenia, which is basically a road, have created a rather complicated situation,” he wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.

“Messages sent from Artsakh, Russian peacekeepers and Azerbaijan in this regard are contradictory. The only thing that is crystal clear is that Azerbaijan is doing its best to at least gain control over cargo shipments from Armenia to Artsakh and vice versa.

“Whether it will be done jointly with the Russian side or in another way no longer matters. It would deal a heavy blow to the security of Armenia and Artsakh, marking a major step in the process of Azerbaijan's takeover of Artsakh,” the lawmaker said.

He also pointed to the blockade of the Artsakh-Armenia road by a group of so-called Azerbaijani “eco activists”, who demanded an investigation into "illegal” mining activity in Karabakh on Saturday, as part of Azerbaijan’s efforts to introduce a control mechanism there.

“Azerbaijan is increasing pressure on Artsakh amid the tacit consent of the Armenian authorities, speeding up the unfavorable process for us,” Abrahamyan said.