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Expert perspectives on conflict dynamics and pathways to peace Electoral participation seen as key to integration and retention of Karabakh Armenians in Armenia
Armenian authorities continue to view forcibly displaced residents of Nagorno-Karabakh with suspicion, often treating them as potential supporters of former presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, both of Karabakh origin. Officials and pro-government circles have warned against their political mobilization, at times encouraging public hostility toward them.
Gegham Baghdasaryan (in the photo), head of the Stepanakert Media Club, countered that displaced Karabakh Armenians enjoy all fundamental rights, including collective political rights such as the right of return. “There is nothing illegal about engaging in politics, framing problems politically or setting political agendas. It is their right, and no one can take it away,” he said.
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He cautioned, however, against attempts by highly politicized Karabakh groups tied to Armenia’s internal politics to exploit social grievances for factional agendas. “Such approaches hinder public consensus around the individual and collective rights of the displaced,” he said.
At a recent discussion hosted by the Stepanakert Media Club, civic leaders from both Armenia and Karabakh stressed the importance of participation by displaced persons in upcoming local government and 2026 parliamentary elections, framing it as vital to integration and even to their continued presence in Armenia. More than 17,000 displaced persons have already left the country, according to recent figures.
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