On January 1, a group of approximately 15 men gathered in the center of Yerevan to hold a rally in honor of Garegin Nzhdeh’s birthday. Nzhdeh was a military commander and statesman of the 20th century. During the rally, the men chanted “One nation, one state, one will” and “Armenia for Armenians.” The march began near the statue of Nzhdeh, and the men also used a specific form of Nazi greeting, “Sieg Heil,” but replaced it with “Always Armenian.”

The news about the rally was shared on Facebook and Telegram. Some users expressed their disapproval of the participants linking the name of Garegin Nzhdeh with Nazism, which they believed would tarnish his reputation. Additionally, some people suspected a possible connection between the organizers of the event and the current authorities.

The international response

Among the first to respond was Israel’s Ambassador to Armenia, Joel Lyon; he expressed concern over the chanting of “Sieg Heil” during the rally in Yerevan on January 1, 2024.

In his microblog on X, he demanded that the Armenian authorities take a decisive stand against neo-Nazism and any form of anti-Semitism, and show determination against glorifying Garegin Nzhdeh, who collaborated with the Nazis. The ambassador also mentioned the page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, however, there has been no response from them.

Deeply disturbed by the march in #Yerevan, on 1.1.2024, echoing ‘Sieg Heil’ chants. Glorifying Garegin Nzhdeh, a Nazi collaborator is unacceptable. 🇦🇲Authorities must take a firm stand against any form of neo-nazism & antisemitism. @MFAofArmenia

— Joel Lion🎗 (@ambassadorlion) January 3, 2024

Israeli, Azerbaijani and Turkish media covered the rally. Azerbaijan’s Azernews wrote that neo-fascism in Armenia is experiencing a new stage of revival and has many sympathizers.

Azernews, a news agency based in Azerbaijan, has published an article expressing disappointment over Europe’s lack of concern for Armenia’s current situation. The article further criticizes the neo-fascist youth of Armenia for blaming Azerbaijan for their problems. It warns that such a society could lead Europe to another disaster. The author also calls out European politicians for playing double standards and protecting Armenia, urging them to consider their motives carefully. This article can be found on several other Azerbaijani websites as well.

It’s worth noting that the gathering had a very small number of participants, with only 14 people visible in the group photo. Most of them were wearing masks. This movement did not receive public support in Armenia and received very little media coverage. As such, claims that neo-fascism has many followers in Armenia are unfounded.

Who were the organizers?

Channel 5 produced a report on the rally, stating that it was organized by the “Hosank” movement. According to the movement’s website, “Hosank” is the only ethnic religious political movement in Armenia.

According to the website, the founder and leader of the movement is Hayk Nazaryan, born in California, USA, in 1989. The website claims that any agency network or oligarch does not fund the movement. While the exact date of the movement’s creation is not mentioned, the first post on its Facebook page was made on January 31, 2022.

Hayk Nazaryan has stated on his Facebook page that he considers the similarities between the flag of his ethno-religious movement, “Hosank,” and the flag of National Socialist Germany as a compliment. His Facebook page is full of discriminatory statements, including racism, homophobia, sexism, and other biases. Moreover, he has used discriminatory language in public speeches and interviews numerous times.

Previously, Hayk Nazaryan has been given multiple opportunities to speak through Armenian mass media.

In 2018, Public TV Company produced a reportage about him, highlighting that Nazaryan was the first American-Armenian to sign a contract with the Armenian armed forces and relocate to serve in the army. In the report, he discusses Garegin Nzhdeh, displaying pictures and books about him in the room. The Armenian sign of eternity and images of Nzhdeh are also visible.

In recent years, Hayk Nazaryan has given interviews to various news outlets, including “168.am”, “Pastinfo,” and “Vem Radio.”

Ofelya Simonyan