Independence Anniversary Under Blockade: The Republic of Artsakh Turns 32

The worldwide Armenian community celebrates the 32nd anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh. On September 2, 1991, a joint session of the people's deputies of the Nagorno-Karabakh regional and Shahumyan district councils proclaimed the establishment of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) within the former boundaries of the NKAO and Shahumyan district. This act was a realization of a right reflected in the legislation of the time, particularly the law adopted on April 3, 1990, which granted national autonomies the right to independently determine their own legal status in the case of leaving the USSR.

On December 10, 1991, just days before the official collapse of the Soviet Union, a referendum was held in Nagorno-Karabakh, where an overwhelming majority of the population—99.89 percent—expressed their support for complete independence from Azerbaijan. Following this, parliamentary elections were held, resulting in the formation of the first government of the NKR. The independent government of Nagorno-Karabakh began to carry out its duties under absolute blockade and in the context of subsequent military aggression from Azerbaijan.

The actions from Baku were not long in coming. On September 25, 1991, Stepanakert was bombarded by “Alazan” missiles for the first time from Shushi, marking the beginning of the Artsakh Liberation War. Amidst the turmoil of war, the Armenian army was formed, successfully ensuring the security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. At Azerbaijan's request, a ceasefire agreement was signed on May 12, 1994, by the heads of the defense ministries of Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Armenia.

Fifteen years after independence, on September 2 again, the people of Artsakh adopted the fundamental law of the state and society: the Constitution of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh through a nationwide referendum. On September 27, 2020, the Azerbaijani armed forces, supported by Turkey and mercenary terrorists, launched a war against Artsakh, violating the trilateral agreement in force since May 12, 1994, and other international agreements. A trilateral statement was signed on November 9, with the mediation of the Russian Federation (by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev). According to the ceasefire statement, the regions of Hadrut and Shushi, as well as the entire security zone of Artsakh, came under Azerbaijani control.

Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the entire line of contact in Artsakh and the Lachin corridor. On August 25, 2022, the city of Berdzor, the settlements of Aghavno and Nerkhin Sus, came under Azerbaijani control as the clause of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, that stipulated the construction of a new route along the Lachin corridor to ensure the connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia was initiated. That was expected to lead to the redeployment of Russian peacekeepers to protect this new route. However, Azerbaijan set up an illegal checkpoint in the Lachin corridor, completely blocking it, which has led to a humanitarian crisis in Artsakh, worsening daily, as the 120,000 residents are entirely deprived of food, medication, fuel, and other essential goods. Azerbaijan has also blocked the supply of gas and electricity to Artsakh.

Despite calls from the international community and rulings from the International Court of Justice regarding the provision of free movement through the corridor, Azerbaijan continues to keep Artsakh in blockade. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have repeatedly stated that Azerbaijan's aim is to carry out ethnic cleansing in Artsakh, while the founding prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, recently issued a report classifying Azerbaijan's actions in Nagorno-Karabakh as genocide.