Armenians of Australia held a protest action against Azerbaijan’s aggression towards Nagorno-Karabakh at the Azerbaijan Embassy in Canberra on Friday.

The protesters wanted to hand over a letter that was rejected by the Azerbaijan Ambassador to Australia, but Nigol Touman Chapter Chairman, Aram Tufenkjian read it aloud, the Armenian Naational Committee of Australia reported.

“Dear Ambassador Jamshidov,

We, the members of the Armenian Youth Federation of Australia, stand at your Embassy’s doorstep with representatives Armenian-Australian community, to add our voice of discontent with our brothers and sisters of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.

The attacks your government and military initiated on April 1-2 were unprovoked, and a threat to the sovereignty of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh, who practiced their right to self-determination nearly 25 years ago.

The helicopter shellings, tank fire and drone explosions - all well-documented in this modern age of communications - are evidence of your attempt to destroy Armenian civilians; their homes, churches, businesses and schools.

Further evidence of these attempts by Azerbaijan is the brutal murder by shelling of our fellow Armenian youth from Martuni. Why did 12-year-old Vaghinak Grigoryan have to die while on his way to school? Why did his 3 classmates, one of them his brother, have to be wounded?

We cannot forgive this.

We also cannot forgive the war crimes that have also been documented during the previous week by your government. Three of our elderly in Talish were butchered in their homes. Their ears cut off.

This is not something Australians take too kindly to. This is not something we forgive.

We demand that you stop your attacks immediately. We demand that you accept the internationally accepted right to self-determination for the people of Nagorno Karabakh.

We will never give up our land. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our fellow Armenians across the world in defence of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.”