Raffi Ovannisyan denied entry to Nagorno-Karabakh

Without explanations, Raffi Ovannisyan, the founder of the Armenian oppositional "Heritage" Party, was not allowed to come to Nagorno-Karabakh. The ban was imposed by Russian peacemakers, the party has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in April, also without any explanations, MPs of two oppositional factions of the Armenian Parliament were also banned from entering Nagorno-Karabakh.

Raffi Ovannisyan, who is also a former Armenian Foreign Minister and a presidential candidate in 2013, could not enter Nagorno-Karabakh on August 1. The incident occurred at the "Agavno" checkpoint, when Ovannisyan was on his way to Stepanakert to attend his grandson's christening ceremony, the "Heritage" Party has stated.

"Russian peacemakers showed the order of their commander to ban entry, which was accompanied by Ovannisyan's photo. The checkpoint staff failed to name any clear reason for the ban," a party source has noted.

Ovannisyan himself has accused the incumbent Armenian authorities of the ban on his entry into Nagorno-Karabakh.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 1, 2022 at 06:44 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.