A march, led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, was held in Armenia on Saturday as
part of the three-day mourning in memory of those killed in a six-week war with
Azerbaijan, AFP reported.

The war over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh
came to an end last month with a Moscow-brokered peace agreement that saw the Armenians
cede swathes of territory to Azerbaijan. Russia deployed close to 2,000 peacekeeping
troops to Karabakh as part of the deal.

Nikol Pashinyan has
been under tremendous pressure from the opposition to step down after the
clashes killed nearly 3,000 Armenians. As as the country began its period of
mourning, the opposition continued to put pressure on the prime minister to
resign over the handling of the conflict.

They have called Pashinyan a “traitor” for agreeing to end the
war on Azerbaijan’s terms. But Pashinyan has said he has no plans to step down and the
peace deal was the only option he had, ensuring Karabakh’s survival.

Also Read: Karabakh ceasefire breached, says Russian army

Meanwhile, Pashinyan
led thousand to a memorial complex in the capital Yerevan where the victims of
the war are buried.

“The entire
nation has been through and is going through a nightmare. Sometimes it seems
that all of our dreams have been dashed and our optimism destroyed,” Pashinyan
said in a video address just before the memorial march.

Many critics said on
Saturday said the leader of the Caucasus country should stay away from the memorial cemetery.

“He must not
desecrate the graves of our children,” Misak Avetisyan, who lost a son in
the war, told reporters, adding that Pashinyan should get down on his knees and
“beg for forgiveness”.

Also Read: Azerbaijani forces enter last district handed over by Armenia

Saturday’s march gave rise
to tensions in the country. Many critics chanted “Nikol the traitor”
as authorities dramatically beefed up security at the cemetery.

Later on Saturday,
several thousands of opposition supporters gathered for a memorial rally in
Yerevan’s Freedom Square.

“This war did not
have to happen,” said former Prime Minister Vazgen Manukyan, adding that Armenia
under Pashinyan had lost “all allies.”

Pashinyan’s critics
have called on supporters to stage a national strike from December 22.

Pashinyan was
propelled to power in 2018 after he channelled widespread desire for change
into a broad protest movement against corrupt post-Soviet elites. But post the
war, many said Pashinyan has betrayed Armenia’s interests and called for his
resignation.