Just 24 days after the trilateral statement of 10 November announcing the end of the Artsakh war in 2020, on 4 December, the “De-occupation of Hadrut” non-governmental organization was established. This is an invaluable step to continue the struggle of our holy martyrs for the sake of Artsakh, for the sake of Hadrut. This is a spontaneous step to correct the crooked back of an Armenian. This is a sovereign step towards restoring our national dignity. This is a step that signals resistance to rediscovering the future of Armenianness.

Mr. Karen Zadoyan, President of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, mentioned this in his speech on 29 January, during the official opening ceremony of the “De-occupation of Hadrut” non-governmental organization.

The speech is presented in full below.

“The establishment of such resistance centers is very important as a result of the self-organization of our compatriots from Hadrut, Shushi, Mardakert, Martuni, Askeran, Kashatagh, Shahumyan, who were forcibly displaced as a result of the war, because the creation of these structures also justifies the legal and political grounds of the fact of occupation and the demand to return of those parts of the homeland.

The process of establishing such structures is currently underway; support for that process is a priority for the Armenian Lawyers’ Association. The “De-occupation of Shushi”, “Return to Dizak”, “Return to Kashatagh”, “Kumayri” non-governmental organizations of Artsakh Armenians and a number of other structures have been established and/or are in the process of being established with the support of the Association.

I think that the collective efforts of the “De-occupation of Hadrut” NGO and the people of Hadrut to establish other similar structures should lead to the formation of a common agenda of resistance, with the following goals:

• Recognition of the right of the people of Hadrut to self-determination.
• Raising the issue of the de-occupation of Hadrut before the international community and including it in the negotiating agenda of the OSCE Minsk Group.
• Solving social, health, economic, legal, employment problems of IDPs from Hadrut; and protecting the rights of Hadrut residents on local and international platforms,
• International legal protection of Hadrut historical and cultural monuments,
• Preparation for return to Hadrut.

In my opinion, to achieve all this, it is necessary that:

• The “De-occupation of Hadrut” non-governmental organization and structures with similar agendas, to the fullest extent possible, provide:
• Their independence and sovereignty;
• Harmonious cooperation and solidarity with each other, as well as with other interested bodies, institutions and organizations;
• Building strong internal and external organizational capacity;
• Solving the primary and urgent problems of the beneficiaries living in Hadrut administrative district
• Constantly put forward the items of their own agenda.
• The state bodies, the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, the Diaspora, the professional civil society, donor organizations, the private sector and the mass media must make their practical efforts to support:
• Development of organizational capacity of “De-Occupation of Hadrut” NGO, other newly established structures with similar agendas, creation of a favorable environment for their activities,
• Provision of financial, information and other resources for the implementation of the above-mentioned agenda issues.

“I once again congratulate all of us on the establishment of the “De-Occupation of Hadrut” non-governmental organization, and wish our newly established NGO uninterrupted and effective activity,” Karen Zadoyan said in his speech.

It should be added that the “De-occupation of Hadrut” NGO was registered on 4 December, 2020, and aims to unite the people of Hadrut, the people of Artsakh and the Armenians in general around one idea – to see the liberation of occupied Hadrut and Artsakh and to take active steps for that.