Armenian protesters organized a 24-hour sit-in outside the Russian Embassy in Yerevan, urging Moscow to fulfill its obligation, according to the 2020 Karabakh war ceasefire it brokered with Armenia and Azerbaijan, to ensure free movement of people and traffic along the Lachin Corridor. 

The protests also took place outside the American and French embassies and the European Union’s representation.

“Azerbaijan’s impunity has led to the fact that Karabakh is cut off from the outside world,” one of the protesters said through a megaphone.

The protests were organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), a prominent Armenian opposition party.

The sit-in organizers expressed dissatisfaction, stating that verbal statements alone cannot compel Baku to unblock the road between Karabakh and Armenia. They called for more robust actions from foreign powers, particularly Russia, which played a role in brokering the ceasefire agreement that ended the 2020 Armenian-Azerbaijani war and currently has peacekeeping forces deployed in Karabakh.

“Russia needs to take much more practical steps because Azerbaijan’s brazenness is transcending all limits,” Gegham Manukyan, an ARF leader, told reporters.

According to him, Russia’s inaction regarding reopening the roadway contributes to Azerbaijan’s reluctance to take action. Manukyan, nevertheless, emphasized the importance of Russian peacekeepers remaining in Karabakh to safeguard the security of the Armenians and prevent any potential ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan.

Major opposition groups also hold the Armenian government responsible for the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Karabakh. They argue that PM Nikol Pashinyan’s commitment to recognizing Azerbaijani sovereignty over the Armenian-populated region has given Baku the confidence to intensify its pressure on the Karabakh Armenians.