A peaceful march in support of philanthropist and former Nagorno-Karabakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, who was arrested and charged by Azerbaijan, has started Yerevan.

Vardanyan was arrested when leaving Karabakh with tens of thousands of Armenians, who were forced to flee when Azerbaijan launched a fresh offensive, killing and injuring hundreds of people.

On September 19, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh, which left hundreds of Armenians killed and thousands of others displaced. On September 20, the authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh agreed to a ceasefire on Azerbaijan’s terms, including the dissolution of the Defense Army. On September 18, President of the Republic of Artsakh Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree, according to which the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) will cease to exist by January 1, 2024.