The raging battle against the state emblems of the Republic of Artsakh is yet another manifestation of the xenophobic behavior of the authorities and armed forces of Azerbaijan against the Armenians. This is what Human Rights Defender of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Gegham Stepanyan wrote on his Facebook page.
“The case of wiping the state emblems of Artsakh with needles from the bus transporting minors on the Goris-Kapan road and the demands to remove the flag of Artsakh from various settlements and constructions in Artsakh serve as brilliant examples of the complete absence of tolerance of Azerbaijanis towards the Armenians living in Artsakh.
It is necessary to take into consideration the fact that the state emblems of Artsakh form an integral part of our cultural values, and so intolerance towards them serve as further evidence of the fact that Azerbaijan is systematically combating Armenian cultural values in Artsakh.
The state emblems serve as the symbols of the right of the people of Artsakh to live in their homeland, to preserve their identity and to self-determination, and any encroachment against them is itself targeted against the dignity and common system of rights of our people,” Stepanyan added.