People holding state positions traveled hundreds of kilometers from Kovsakan, Dizmayri and New Karachinar and participated in the rally in Stepanakert. They weren’t forced to come. This is what former Minister of State of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic), leader of Free Homeland Party Arayik Harutyunyan told journalists today, responding to the question whether the news about the Free Homeland Party forcing people to go to the rally held with the participation of Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in Stepanakert was true or not.

“Nobody can force anyone to do anything in Artsakh. Show me a state institution that has declared that it will participate in the rally. I declare that there were more than 10,000 people from the Free Homeland Party alone,” he stated.

When told that the people were handed coupons for petrol in order to drive and participate in the rally, Arayik Harutyunyan said when such rallies are organized, there has to be fuel, but not for everyone since many people came with their cars. He regretted that the political party hadn’t been able to provide the people with food.