What Conditions Do Armenians Live Under in Occupied Artsakh

Recently, the leader of the enemy country, Ilham Aliyev, made a number of statements. First, he claimed that Armenian citizens living in the Artsakh he occupies receive social support from Azerbaijan, and second, that 300,000 Azerbaijanis have officially appealed to the leadership of Armenia to create conditions for their return and reintegration in Armenia.

In response to MediaHub's inquiry, the migration service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs stated: “In response to your inquiry, we inform you that the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia has not received such requests. Such procedures do not exist in Armenia.” Has Aliyev lied about this issue? And what are the living conditions for Armenians in occupied Stepanakert?

In a conversation, the daughter of one of the Armenians remaining in Stepanakert noted that Armenians are under the care of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population. “There is a communal kitchen in the former ‘Dghyak’ hotel in Stepanakert, which provides meals three times a day. They receive $200 a month, paid in Azerbaijani manats, equivalent to $200,” said the daughter of one of the remaining residents of Stepanakert.

According to her, Armenians can also use the shops in Stepanakert, but still, both her father and the other 13 residents in Stepanakert have limited movement. “They cannot freely go out whenever they want; they can only go out at certain times, cannot leave the city, and if they do go anywhere, they must be accompanied by police. In Stepanakert, large construction teams are already working, and there are many soldiers, which is why ethnic Armenians are not allowed to move freely,” added the interlocutor.