STATEMENT
Regarding the Unresolved Status of the Nagorno-Karabakh Issue and the Position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia
The network of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) for the protection of the rights of Artsakh Armenians responds with deep concern and anxiety to the official statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia (hereinafter RA MFA) given in response to Radio Liberty’s inquiry, according to which “After the forced displacement of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and the publication of the decree on the dissolution of Nagorno-Karabakh, the issue has been removed from the agenda of interstate relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”
Such a position is unacceptable and contradicts both the vital interests of the Armenian people and the fundamental principles of international law and universal human rights standards.
Legal justification and position:
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The Artsakh issue cannot “be removed from the agenda”: The forced displacement of more than 150,000 Artsakh Armenians from their historical homeland is a clear manifestation of ethnic cleansing, which cannot and should not be recognized by the international community as a legal or legitimate reality.
Disregard of international legal obligations: According to international law, we note that presenting insufficient diplomatic results as a legal reality is inadmissible. This means abandoning the fundamental rights of the Artsakh Armenian population and legitimizing the violence committed by Azerbaijan.
Violation of international humanitarian law: According to international humanitarian law, the issue of protecting the rights and return of forcibly displaced populations must remain on the international agenda until its just resolution. It cannot “be removed from the agenda” merely because one party to the conflict has adopted a unilateral decree.
Neglect of the obligation to protect: The Republic of Armenia has an obligation to protect the interests of Armenians, including Artsakh Armenians, in international forums. Actual results indicate that the Artsakh Armenians have been left without proper protection and have been forced to leave their historical homeland.
Illegal references from the perspective of international law: It is neither lawful nor legal to refer to the “Decree on the dissolution of Nagorno-Karabakh.” A document imposed by the use of force and threats cannot be considered a legal and internationally recognized legal basis. According to the Law of the Republic of Artsakh “On Normative Legal Acts,” legal acts enter into force exclusively from the day following their official publication, unless another deadline is set. It is noteworthy that this decree has not been included as a legal document in the unified website for the publication of normative legal acts (arlexsis.am) and has not been officially published.
Our legal demands:
We demand from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, based on the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and the fundamental principles of international law, to immediately revise its position and publicly confirm that the issue of protecting the rights, security, and return of the Armenian population of Artsakh continues to remain a priority of Armenia’s foreign policy, regardless of Azerbaijan’s unilateral illegal actions.
We demand that the issue of the forced displacement, ethnic cleansing, and return of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh be included in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty negotiations as an integral component.
We call on the international community, the UN, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and international organizations dealing with human rights protection not to recognize the results of ethnic cleansing, to demand that the Republic of Azerbaijan respect international law and ensure the safe and dignified return of Artsakh Armenians to their settlements under international guarantees, monitoring, and protection mechanisms.
The life and future of the Artsakh Armenians cannot become concession points in interstate negotiations. We demand justice, accountability, and protection of our people’s rights in accordance with the norms and principles of international law.
Network of CSOs for the Protection of the Rights of Forcibly Displaced Persons from Artsakh:
“Armenian Lawyers Association” NGO
“Harmony” NGO
“Hadrut Deoccupation” NGO
“Return to Kashatagh” NGO
“Shushi Deoccupation” NGO
“Kumayri” Artsakh Armenians NGO
“Return to Karvachar” NGO
“Krunk” NGO for the Protection of Artsakh Armenians’ Rights
“Askerantsis” Community Development Center NGO
“Hay Ka” Social, Security and Development NGO
“Lusastgh” NGO
April 8, 2025
