- Feb 5, 2002
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Ethnic cleansing survivors feel left behind in Armenian peace deal
YEREVAN, Armenia — Born and raised in her ancient Christian homeland of Artsakh (known internationally as Nagorno-Karabakh), 34-year-old legal professional and human rights advocate Marina Simonyan has spent her entire life under the shadow of violence and conflict, living through three different wars.
Like many from the Republic of Artsakh, which was a predominantly Armenian autonomous region within the internationally recognized borders of Muslim-majority Azerbaijan, speaking about the horrors of what happened leading up to and during the September 2023 invasion by Azerbaijan that forced over 120,000 people to flee is not easy. But these are stories that she feels the world must hear, as her people struggle to start new lives as refugees in Armenia proper.
"I was born in the 1990s, and when my parents were telling me what happened during the '90s, I was skeptical. I was telling them, 'Well, we are living in the 21st century, and it is highly unlikely that something like that will happen again,'" Simonyan told reporters gathered for a September witness testimony event organized by the advocacy organizations Save Armenia and the Center for Truth and Justice, admitting that her assumption proved to be incorrect.
Continued below.
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YEREVAN, Armenia — Born and raised in her ancient Christian homeland of Artsakh (known internationally as Nagorno-Karabakh), 34-year-old legal professional and human rights advocate Marina Simonyan has spent her entire life under the shadow of violence and conflict, living through three different wars.
Like many from the Republic of Artsakh, which was a predominantly Armenian autonomous region within the internationally recognized borders of Muslim-majority Azerbaijan, speaking about the horrors of what happened leading up to and during the September 2023 invasion by Azerbaijan that forced over 120,000 people to flee is not easy. But these are stories that she feels the world must hear, as her people struggle to start new lives as refugees in Armenia proper.
"I was born in the 1990s, and when my parents were telling me what happened during the '90s, I was skeptical. I was telling them, 'Well, we are living in the 21st century, and it is highly unlikely that something like that will happen again,'" Simonyan told reporters gathered for a September witness testimony event organized by the advocacy organizations Save Armenia and the Center for Truth and Justice, admitting that her assumption proved to be incorrect.
Continued below.
The plight of Artsakh Christians and their dream to return home: 'Forgotten by everyone'
Leaders with the Artsakh government-in-exile are voicing their displeasure in the wake of the Aug 8 peace agreement and memorandum of understanding between Armenia and Azerbaijan brokered by
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