Concerns Raised Over New Passport of Artsakh-Born Citizen Indicating Azerbaijan

Naіra Zоhrabyan, a member of the Prosperous Armenia faction, expressed concerns on her Facebook page regarding the new passport of a citizen born in Artsakh. She stated:

“Is there any explanation for this? This passport was provided to me by this lady's husband, who urged me to make it public. Marina was born in the village of Chartar in the Martuni region of Artsakh. After the expiration of her passport, she was sent from Artsakh to Yerevan, where she received her new passport on December 3, 2019, in the Davtashen passport division. This passport is valid until 2029 and indicates Azerbaijan as her place of birth, while her registration place is mentioned as Martuni, village of Chartar.

Now, I have a question: even if Artsakh was de jure part of Azerbaijan in the past, how politically appropriate is it to state Azerbaijan in the passports of citizens born in Artsakh? It is clear that, in accordance with the letter of the law, Azerbaijan must be written. However, I believe we should find another solution here. Interestingly, in the 90s, in similar cases, the place of birth was recorded as Armenia, considering that Artsakh is not yet a subject of international law.

I put this question up for discussion to find an adequate solution, and I kindly ask the new passport authority to correct Marina's passport and remove the name Azerbaijan.

P.S. In such cases, it is also possible to write not the state’s name, but just the locality, which would not contradict ICAO standards.”