VIDEOS: Kirants Village Residents Plead to Save Their Homes from Surrender to Azerbaijan

Kirants, a border village in Armenia, has recently become the center of attention. Ani Khachatryan and Ani Gevorgyan from The Armenian Report have been on the ground for the past two days, listening to and reporting on the villagers' concerns.

On May 15, 2024, a meeting took place between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It was the 9th meeting of the Commission on Delimitation and Border Security. The meeting was led by Mher Grigoryan, the Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia, and Shahin Mustafayev, the Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan. They met to discuss the border between the two countries.

Following a joint statement from the Armenian government and Azerbaijan, angry residents of Kirants decided to block the interstate road. They are demanding to speak with the representatives from the Commission on Delimitation and Demarcation, Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan, and the governor of Tavush province.

The governor has agreed to meet with the residents but under one condition: no journalists are allowed. This has angered the locals. They have already met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan twice without media or cellphones, and they feel deceived by these private meetings. This time, they are refusing to meet without journalists present. They believe transparency is crucial and feel that their voices are not being heard.

The residents of Kirants are calling on Armenians to come to their village and support them. They believe that without help, they are losing their homeland. They are urging people to join them in their fight.

The situation has escalated further as police officers have now blockaded the village. No one is allowed to enter. It appears the authorities are worried that if more people see the villagers' pleas for help, the crowd might grow too large to control.

This situation in Kirants is a reflection of the larger land concession by the Armenian government. The villagers’ fight for transparency and support shows the deep-seated urgent issues and the need for a peaceful resolution that respects the voices of those directly affected.