EXCLUSIVE: This is the story of an Artsakhtsi businesswoman who was displaced from her home after Azerbaijani forces invaded her homeland during the 2020 Artsakh war.
Inna Sargsyan and her family had a successful business in their hometown of Hadrut in Artsakh.
During an interview with The Armenian Report, Sargsyan told us that they had a factory and a store in Hadrut — they were among the top taxpayers in Artsakh until they lost everything.
After Azerbaijani forces occupied Hadrut by brutally murdering civilians and servicemen — the Sargsyan family was one of the fortunate ones to escape the Azerbaijani mass deportation and ethnic cleansing.
The family has settled in Yerevan, where they now rent a small shop to bake and sell pastries — including Jingyalov Hac (a traditional Artsakh dish — flatbread stuffed with finely diced herbs and green vegetables).
The Sargsyan family has been forced to start from scratch. She tells us that neither Artsakh nor the Armenian government has offered them compensation for their losses. Their dream is to go back to their lost territories and continue their business and livelihood.
During the 44-day war, Sarsgyan lost her relatives, she says, many of the servicemen who were martyred had also become like relatives as they regularly shopped from her store in Hadrut.
“80% of Yerablur Pantheon Cemetery has shopped from us in the past,” she said as she began to get emotional.
According to Sargsyan, Armenians have not learned their lessons from war. “Azerbaijan is not ready for peace, we must be strong so that they take us into account,” she explained.
Details in the video.
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