Who remained in Artsakh?
“Hraparak” newspaper writes:
“With the arrest of businessman Ruben Vardanyan, the Russian-Azerbaijani tandem will try to solve an important problem: to hold hostage at least several hundred to a thousand Artsakh citizens, and especially the military-political elite, so that people will not dare to think about leaving Artsakh from now on, realizing that they will meet the fate of Ruben Vardanyan at the checkpoint.
It is beneficial for both sides that at least 25-30 thousand Armenians remain in Artsakh, which will ensure the presence of the Russians and give Azerbaijan the opportunity to maneuver in front of the international community, that it did not carry out ethnic cleansing, but the Armenians continue to live with them.
More than 50,000 Artsakh citizens have already been forcibly displaced to Armenia, but thousands continue to remain, including state officials and military figures. Three former presidents – Bako Sahakyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan and Arayik Harutyunyan, former commanders and generals of the Defense Forces, all deputies of the three opposition factions of the parliament – are in Artsakh.
Samvel Babayan is in Armenia with his party members, except NA Vice President Gagik Baghunts and female MP Gohar Sargsyan. There are also emigrants from the “Free Motherland”-KDM alliance, whose names we could not ascertain.
Artsakh also has the most tragic figure in the ruling elite of Artsakh, the current president Samvel Shahramanyan and almost all the members of the government headed by him.”
