Artsakh National Assembly Reaffirms Commitment to Defend the Rights of the People of Artsakh

Today, members of the National Assembly of Artsakh visited the Yerablur Pantheon to pay tribute to the memory of the fallen heroes of the national liberation struggle of Artsakh, in connection with the Independence Referendum of Artsakh, International Human Rights Day, and the International Day for the Prevention of Genocide.

On this occasion, the Artsakh National Assembly issued a statement: “In the history of Artsakh’s national liberation struggle, the 1991 Independence Referendum is a testament to the establishment of the Republic based on the principles of self-determination and democracy. The 1991 Independence Referendum was the cornerstone on which the Republic of Artsakh was built, becoming a source of pride and a beacon of victory for the entire Armenian nation. On the same day in 2006, the people of Artsakh again expressed their will to have an independent state and to continue the struggle for freedom through the constitutional referendum.”

“On September 19, 2023, due to Azerbaijan's military aggression, hundreds of our compatriots were killed, including children and women, leading to the ethnic cleansing of the Armenian people from the centuries-old homeland of Artsakh. As a result of the impossibility of ensuring security and rights, the population of Artsakh took the extreme step of leaving their homeland.”

This situation was also assessed by the international community. The foreign ministries of France and Cyprus, the Bundestag of Germany, the parliaments of Austria and the Netherlands, the European Parliament, the Lemkin Institute for the Prevention of Genocide, and other reputable international organizations have characterized the events in Nagorno-Karabakh as ethnic cleansing.

Azerbaijan, after committing genocide against the Armenian people, imposed a document on the President of the Republic of Artsakh as a precondition for halting military operations, trying to deceive the international community and justify its actions. Initially recognizing the unconstitutionality of the imposed document by Azerbaijan, assessing the threats against the civilian population subjected to genocide, the hindrance of their free movement, and the possibility of arbitrary arrests, the President accepted a decree for the dissolution of state institutions in Artsakh by January 1, 2024, giving the population the choice to either leave their homeland or integrate into Azerbaijan.

Considering the intensity of actions taken and being taken by interested parties aiming for a final closure of the Artsakh issue, as well as the aggressive behavior of those interested, the National Assembly reaffirms its commitment to defending the rights of the people of Artsakh and expresses its readiness to discuss all contentious issues with interested parties.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh, loyal to the mandate received from the expression of the free will of the people of Artsakh, is determined to protect the rights and freedoms realized through the blood and sweat of thousands of Armenian compatriots.