Some 80 young people held a candlelight march through the streets of Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh to mark the forty day anniversary of the mass killings of the Yezidi community in Iraq at the hands of the Islamic State (IS). (The 40th day after death is a traditional memorial service in the Armenian Apostolic Church) Carrying placards reading “No to Genocide”, the marchers made their way to the St. Hakob Church in Stepanakert.

Ani Hovhannisyan, one of the march organizers from Berdzor, said that participants were uniting with others holding similar marches in Yerevan and France to mark the 40 day anniversary of the genocidal acts committed against Yerzidis and other minorities in Iraq. “By marching, we condemn all perpetrated genocides and call for such crimes not to be repeated,” Hovhannisyan told Hetq. The march was organized by six local civic organizations.

Artak Beglaryan, co-president of Artsakhakertoum, told Hetq that he was convinced that the Artsakh government would assist all Yezidis expressing a desire to relocate in the country. Beglaryan referred to the words of Artsakh presidential spokesman Davit Babayan who told reporters in early August that the government would do all possible to assist Yezidi refugees. “We don’t want to promise hills of gold. That would be incorrect. But we will try to assist them within our means,” were the words of Babayan at the time. According to ElinaMkhitaryan, who heads the Artsakh Division of Repatriation and Migration, to date not one Yezidi has petitioned the Artsakh government for relocation.