Protesters Storm Armenian Parliament after PM Agrees Nagorno-Karabakh Deal

Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia have signed an agreement to end the military conflict over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the deal "incredibly painful both for me and for our people."

It comes after six weeks of fighting between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenians.

The peace deal took effect on Tuesday from 01:00 local time (21:00 GMT Monday).

Under the new deal, Azerbaijan will hold on to the areas of Nagorno-Karabakh that it has taken during the conflict. Armenia has also agreed to withdraw from several other adjacent areas over the next few weeks.

During a televized online address, Russia's President Vladimir Putin said that Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to patrol the frontlines. The country's defense ministry confirmed that 1,960 personnel would be involved, state news agency Tass reports.

The new ceasefire agreement prompted anger in Armenia, with protesters storming Parliament, reportedly also looting the Prime Minister's office, reports the BBC. 

Protesters ripped his nameplate off his office door as others chanted “Nikol has betrayed us."

Crowds also forced their way into the Armenian parliament building as brawls broke out on the podium and objects were thrown. The Parliament Speaker, Ararat Mirzoyan, was caught up in the violence and beaten unconscious by an angry mob. 

Turkey will also take part in the peacekeeping process, according to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, who joined President Putin during the address. President Putin said the agreement would include an exchange of war prisoners, with all economic and transport contacts to be unblocked. 

President Aliyev said the agreement was of "historic importance," and amounted to a "capitulation" by Armenia.

Armenia's Prime Minister said that his decision was based on "deep analyses of the combat situation and in discussion with the best experts in the field".

"This is not a victory, but there is no defeat until you consider yourself defeated," Mr. Pashinyan said.

The Armenian leader in Nagorno-Karabakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, said a ceasefire was unavoidable after the loss of Karabakh's second-biggest town, Shusha (known as Shushi in Armenian).

Battles were already taking place on the outskirts of Karabakh's main city of Stepanakert, and if the conflict had continued, "the whole of Karabakh would have been lost," he said on Facebook.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan calls on citizens gathered on the street to disperse. 

"All citizens who have nothing to do with the perpetrators, please go home. All citizens who believe in me, please prepare for battle. There is no doubt that we did everything we could. I have answers to all your questions," he said in a statement.

By Ana Dumbadze 

Source: the BBC

Image: bne IntelliNews