In an act of protest, several Kirants residents have set fire to their homes and agricultural lands on Thursday. This land, part of an area within and surrounding the Armenian border village, is scheduled to be unilaterally conceded to Azerbaijan, an action that has sparked considerable unrest. The situation quickly escalated when police, who had cordoned off the village, and firefighters intervened, trying to extinguish the fires to prevent further damage.
Located in Tavush province, Kirants is one of four villages that will be affected by PM Pashinyan’s planned handover. The village is set to lose 54 agricultural plots belonging to 36 villagers, two houses, and several commercial structures, including a shop. On Thursday, the shop owner began emptying his premises after initially being told to vacate within 24 hours; however, officials later extended this deadline to one month.
Adding to the tensions, other residents began burning their immovable property and plots of land that will fall under Azerbaijan’s control as a result of the border delimitation carried out by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government. These acts of defiance come after residents were abruptly informed that they needed to vacate the area within a day for it to be handed over to Azerbaijan.
In the wake of these events, authorities distributed forms requiring villagers to formally relinquish their property rights in exchange for government compensation, the amount of which remains undisclosed.
The residents’ sense of security is deeply shaken. The land cession”hailed by Prime Minister Pashinyan as a major achievement”will leave their homes dangerously close to Azerbaijani troops, exposing them to potential threats. The proximity of the local school to the new border, just a few dozen meters away, further amplifies their fears. This sentiment is echoed by many in the surrounding Tavush communities.
Meanwhile, for the fifth consecutive day, security forces have sealed off all access to Kirants, permitting only locals to enter or leave the village located 160 kilometers north of Yerevan.
The announcement of the territorial concessions on April 19 triggered protests across Tavush, with Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan leading the charge. The movement reached Yerevan on May 9, with demonstrators calling for Pashinyan’s resignation. Their next major rally is scheduled for Sunday, May 26.
