Armenia ex-President believes defeat in Karabakh was planned

PanARMENIAN.Net - Former President Robert Kocharyan has said there is "good reason" to believe that the defeat in the 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) was planned by the authorities of Armenia, Sputnik Armenia reports.

In a press conference for Russian media, Kocharyan cited "very serious doubts" about the authorities' actions.

"Both during and, especially, after the war, very serious doubts were expressed about the actions of the authorities and the Prime Minister himself. [Those doubts] were expressed by me, two colonel-generals, the third president and a host of other people," the ex-President said.

"It is not normal when the authorities cannot provide reasonable explanations. For example, why the mobilization, including the replenishment of the Armed Forces, was stopped on the 3rd day of the war? Why were experienced military officers, generals, colonels replaced or dismissed before the war? Why did the Prime Minister not accept [Russian President] Vladimir Putin's offer on October 19, knowing [from the General Staff] on the fourth day that the war would be lost?" Kocharyan said.

Pashinyan came under fire after signing a statement with the Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents to end the war in Karabakh after almost 45 days. Under the deal, the Armenian side was forced to return all the seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities.