YEREVAN. – A criminal case was “tailored” two years ago along the lines of which an absurd charge was brought against me, and the case was sent to court. The third president, former ruling Republican Party of Armenia chairman Serzh Sargsyan stated this Thursday to his supporters in front of the court where the said criminal case involving him and several others is being heard.

"Last year I said right here that Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] will never be part of Azerbaijan. Some did not understand why I was not talking about the absurd diesel [fuel] case [against me], but about national issues. (…). These illegalities were not only against me; there were many outright illegalities.

These persecutions, as I have already said publicly, were part of a chain of anti-Karabakh actions launched in Armenia since 2018, aimed at discrediting the people standing at the roots of the Artsakh struggle, burying the Karabakh issue and our national aspirations. (…) [But] we will continue our struggle," Sargsyan said.

Also, the ex-President sent this message: "All those (…) who think that the status of Artsakh is resolved should come to understand that Artsakh, or rather what is left of Artsakh, will never be part of Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, it was not possible to prevent the [recent] tragedy [of war], but I see a way out of that tragedy. The [Armenian] capitulators must leave [power], the [Armenian] people must elect a pro-state government which must quickly get to work in order to increase the security of the Republic of Armenia and of the welfare of our citizens; there is no alternative."