Armenia Detains Scores in Protests Over Controversial Land Concessions to Azerbaijan
The arrests follow mass demonstrations in Yerevan against the government's decision to cede several border villages to Azerbaijan, aiming to secure peace after decades of conflict.
- Over 150 protesters have been detained while attempting to block streets in Armenia's capital, expressing widespread opposition to the land deal.
- The land concessions involve territories controlled by Armenia since the 1990s, part of efforts to demarcate borders and achieve a long-sought peace agreement.
- Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan has emerged as a prominent leader of the protests, urging citizens to intensify their opposition and calling for governmental change.
- Recent conflicts and a Moscow-brokered ceasefire have underscored the fragile relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with tensions escalating over Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Despite the protests, the Armenian government maintains a parliamentary majority, with opposition parties considering impeachment proceedings against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.