ADELAIDE: On 17 September 2025, identical motions were unanimously adopted by both the South Australia House of Assembly and Legislative Council, calling for Pro-Armenian measures, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).
The motions, mark the fifth anniversary of the 2020 Artsakh war and the second anniversary of the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, while also directly calling on Azerbaijan to: immediately release 23 Armenian hostages; withdraw from the internationally recognised borders of Armenia; end the deliberate destruction of Armenian Christian and cultural sites in Artsakh and; allow Armenians to return to their homes under international guarantees.
Mr Tom Koutsantonis MP, the Member for West Torrens, championed the motion in the South Australian House of Assembly, whilst the motion in the Legislative Council was championed by The Hon. Connie Bonaros.
In the Upper House, members of the Australian Friends of Artsakh network Tammy Franks MP and Jing Lee MP spoke in support of the motion, whilst in the Lower House, Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Vincent Tarzia MP also spoke in support of the motion.
Discussions around a potential motion, commenced following the re-launch of the ANC-AU Adelaide branch in June 2025, when members of the ANC-AU National Office and Adelaide Branch, Elena Gasparyan and Koryun Movsesyan, met with legislators across both chambers to promote Armenian-Australian issues, including the ongoing issues faced by our compatriots ethnically cleansed from Artsakh.
South Australia has a strong record of supporting the Armenian-Australian community, having recognised the Armenian Genocide in 2009 and the rights to self-determination of the people of Artsakh in late 2020.
The ANC-AU has written to all members of the South Australian Parliament acknowledging their unanimous support of the motion. The letter said: “On behalf of the Armenian-Australian community of South Australia and Armenians across the country, we wish to express our heartfelt gratitude for your support of the recent motions tabled in the South Australian House of Assembly & Legislative Council on the Anniversary of the Artsakh War.”
Political Affairs Director Sebastian Majarian said, “For Armenians across Australia still carrying the scars of genocide and war, the South Australian Parliament’s unambiguous support tells us we are not forgotten — that our pain is seen, and that justice still matters."
“This motion underscores what has too often been left out of the international peace processes between Armenia and Azerbaijan: accountability. Azerbaijan continues to hold a proverbial gun to Armenia’s head, threatening its very existence, while our hostages rot in jail, and international laws are repeatedly violated. By passing this motion, South Australia has sent a powerful message: that justice and truth cannot be negotiated away," added Majarian.
