On September 21, Armenia’s first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan published a statement sharply criticizing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, claiming he has “already secured his ‘honorary’ place on Armenia’s infamous traitors’ plaque.”

According to Ter-Petrosyan, “Pashinyan’s obsession and insolence know no limits.”

He accused the prime minister of a series of disastrous decisions, including:

• declaring “Artsakh is Armenia, period,” effectively provoking war with Azerbaijan and suffering a crushing defeat;
• foolishly rejecting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to halt the war;
• overseeing the depopulation of Artsakh, sacrificing 5,000 young soldiers, and leaving over 10,000 disabled;
• handing over Artsakh’s political and military leaders to Azerbaijan and tolerating the suffering of Armenian prisoners;
• treating over 100,000 displaced Artsakh refugees in Armenia with ingratitude and neglect, knowing many may emigrate;
• cynically claiming to have brought peace to Armenia and demanding gratitude, while lashing out at the people when it was not given.

Ter-Petrosyan wrote that Independence Day “is not Pashinyan’s holiday, since he hates that independence, because it was brought not by him but by others.”

He concluded: “It can be firmly stated that Pashinyan has already secured his ‘honorary’ place on Armenia’s traitors’ plaque, alongside Meruzhan Artsruni, Vahan Mamikonyan, Vasak Syuni, Melik Shahnazaryan, and Melik Frangul.”