"I call on my fellow grandmasters. we have no right to justify what is happening with our silence". Levon Aronian

Levon Aronian sent an open letter to the chess community.

“I am writing to you out of respect, confusion and desire to share my feelings with you.

I write to you about what I think about every day, and I write in my native language, Russian, because I hope it will allow me to express myself clearly.

The city of Stepanakert, where people close to me live, and the whole of Artsakh have been under siege for more than nine months. This means that practically no food is supplied there, including food necessary for the normal development of children. medications, including those needed by older adults with heart disease.

The world is already beginning to pronounce the word "genocide". And this in the 21st century.

The blockade is not due to necessity, strategic importance or any other reason. In general, it is difficult to specify the reason when ordinary people are deprived of the most necessary things. First of all, food. And also gas and electricity.

I think that ordinary Azerbaijanis do not need this blockade. This is just part of the behavior of a person who places himself above God's law and universal morality. The man who calls the members of my people dogs. This person's name is Ilham Aliyev.

I do not believe that human qualities are determined by nationality. In all nations there are bad people and there are good people, this is a trifle.

But there are good people who remain silent because they are afraid of the bad ones. I'm tired of being silent, and I think the people who sympathize and can't watch 120,000 people starve are the majority.

I appeal to my fellow GMs. We have no right to justify what is happening with our silence. And I am sure that my Azerbaijani colleagues are not at all interested in the inhumane situation that Ilham Aliyev is creating for the people of Karabakh.

We cannot by our silence allow something to happen, for which humanity will be ashamed for centuries."