LOS ANGELES—The leading Armenian youth movements in the Western US—the Armenian Youth Federation, the ARF “Shant” Student Association and the All-Armenian Student Association—issued a statement Thursday expressing unequivocal solidarity with the people and the heroic soldiers of Artsakh and strongly condemned Azerbaijan for its savage attacks on the independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

Below is the complete statement.

The Armenian Youth Federation – Western United States (AYF-WUS), Armenian Revolutionary Federation “Shant” Student Association (ARF Shant), and All-Armenian Student Association (All-ASA) jointly stand in solidarity with the youth of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and condemn the recent, inhuman aggression on the Line of Contact by Azerbaijan.

To our courageous soldiers: we may be physically far from you, but our hearts and minds are with you. While we anxiously watch events unfold from afar, you stand on the front lines ready to fight for and defend the Armenian nation and our indigenous homeland. Your unwavering bravery in the face of a well-funded oil dictatorship’s military is a testament to the unbreakable will of the global Armenian people. Despite the enemy’s attempts to intimidate you, you remain resolute, ready to deliver a decisive response to any attack. We salute you.

To the representatives of the failed Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group: you have continuously fallen short to condemn blatant acts of Azerbaijani aggression and war crimes. Your reckless disregard for accountability has emboldened Azerbaijan toward a violent and hateful path, risking total destabilization of the region. It is imperative that you abandon your failed policy of false parity, unequivocally condemn Azerbaijan, and include the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic at the negotiation table to ensure lasting peace.

To the despotic and delusional Ilham Aliyev: your dictatorial regime is leading Azerbaijan down a path of destruction. Your attacks on the independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic are a desperate attempt to maintain your suffocating hold on your failed state. Recent Panama Papers leaks have further exposed you and your family as corrupt kleptocrats and your citizens are beginning to wake up to it. Be mindful that any challenge to the security and sovereignty of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is a provocation of the entire Armenian nation.

To our community: We join you in expressing our support and solidarity to the free people of Nagorno-Karabakh. We ask you to be vigilant and engaged in these trying days. More importantly, we call on you to be active participants in the future growth and sustainability of the independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic moving forward.

Join us this Friday at 1 PM at the Consulate General of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles to protest Azerbaijan’s war crimes, and to demonstrate the collective strength of the Armenian nation.

Armenian Youth Federation,
Armenian Revolutionary Federation “Shant” Student Association,
All-Armenian Student Association