YEREVAN. - Members of “Hands off Karabakh. March of dignity” initiative will gift a “bloody Russian boot”to the Russian Embassy in Armenia.

The protest participants wanted to put the boxes with their presents near the Embassy’s post box, but Yerevan’s Deputy Chief of Police Valeri Osipyan urged them to leave the boxes on the pavement (photos).   

The policemen standing in three rows don’t allow the protestors to approach the Embassy building.

The protestors earlier stopped by the Armenian MFA building, where they demanded Russia to recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. They scanned “Free and independent Armenia”and carried banners reading “Karabakh is ours, ” as well as photos of the soldiers killed during the four-day war.

The protestors specifically state and demand:

1. Armenia and Karabakh are not going to cede a square foot of land to Azerbaijan. On the contrary, there is a vital objective to curb the adversary, creating an extended zone for security guarantees of our own people.

2. The Armenian soldier was and continues to remain the only defender of peace and security in Karabakh, while the international peacekeepers should be allocated in Azerbaijan to defend the indigenous people of that country - the Talysh, Lezgians, Avars, etc. 

3. Ensure immediate, secure and voluntary return of Armenian refugees - including from Shahumyan region - to their historic lands occupied by Azerbaijan.

4. Recognize the independence of Karabakh in line with the international law.

5. Stop the supply of modern Russian offensive arms and mass destruction weapons to Azerbaijan, since they were and will be used against Armenia and Karabakh,” the disseminated statement reads.  

At the invitation of Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian, the Russian FM Sergey Lavrov will pay an official visit to Armenia on April 21-22. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will receive FM Lavrov.