It is difficult to deny that Armenia's political elite, media outlets, experts, and oligarchic circles have recently launched a propaganda campaign against Artsakh Armenians. Naturally, the hate speech propagated at the highest levels quickly permeates all sectors of society, fueling mutual accusations, disputes, and sowing discord and conflict between two parts of the same nation—an outcome that ultimately serves the interests of our enemies. Unfortunately, on issues that weaken the Armenian nation, the positions of the Yerevan and Baku authorities appear surprisingly aligned. This is the reality we face.

The "Armenia vs. Artsakh" divide among Armenians is not a new phenomenon. It began to take root during the post-independence period, particularly in the late 1990s. In 1997, by a decision of Armenia's military-political leadership, Artsakh's first president, Robert Kocharyan, was invited to Yerevan, appointed as prime minister, and, a year later, elected president of the Republic of Armenia. Before him, another prominent figure from Artsakh, Serzh Sargsyan, held high-ranking positions in the Armenian government, including minister of defense, head of the State Security Department, and chair of the National Security Committee. Other senior officials of Artsakh origin also occupied influential positions in Yerevan.

In short, the so-called "Karabakh clan" became a target of disdain, provoking jealousy and envy in some, and outright hatred in others. This sentiment became especially apparent after 2008, when Serzh Sargsyan succeeded Robert Kocharyan, who had completed his two terms in office. However, as most Artsakh officials were celebrated veterans of the First Karabakh War, and as long as this discourse about the “formers” was not abused, a certain level of forgiveness and tolerance persisted. The atmosphere of mutual animosity began to intensify after 2018, fueled by the anti-Artsakh rhetoric of a well-known individual who rose to power from the street through a populist movement, along with his team.

Over the past seven years, this hatred has steadily escalated, culminating in the exodus of Armenians from Artsakh. Even after this tragic displacement, the language of insult and humiliation directed at our compatriots—forced out of their millennial ancestral homeland—did not disappear in the Motherland. This attitude began to crystallize when the individual occupying the prime minister's chair proclaimed, "Shushi is an unfortunate, gloomy city. Do we need Shushi?" This statement was a harbinger of his intent to abandon not only Shushi but also all of Artsakh, a plan that materialized through ethnic cleansing on September 19, 2023. Hostility toward Artsakh Armenians further deepened when he openly declared that "all Artsakh scum" should be driven out of Yerevan.

The "outburst" of hatred gradually spread to the public sphere, including among Pashinyan's officials, both high-ranking and minor. The president of the National Assembly accused the people of Artsakh of not staying to fight for their rights. The foreign minister disseminated misinformation, claiming that Artsakh had rejected negotiations with Azerbaijan in Sofia and Bratislava during the summer of 2023. Meanwhile, Civil Contract MP Khachatur Sukiasyan attempted to persuade the media that the people of Artsakh did not fight, aligning with Alen Simonyan's statement that "they only suffered about 10 casualties." In reality, during Azerbaijan's military operations against Artsakh in September 2023, 265 servicemen and volunteers lost their lives, 21 civilians were killed, and 14 individuals were either kidnapped or went missing.

Sukiasyan and the officials mentioned above are effectively subjecting the courageous Artsakh Armenians—who heroically resisted Azerbaijani aggression—and their families to psychological torment through the distortion of facts and the desecration of the memory of the fallen. Their goal is to absolve the leader of the ruling political force from the stigma of surrendering Artsakh. However, that stigma cannot and will not be erased, as the truth is clear and immutable: Nikol Pashinyan recognized Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan on October 6, 2022, in Prague. That is it—he recognized it, plain and simple. There is no need to seek scapegoats.