The number of ethnic-Armenian refugees who were forced to flee from Nagorno-Karabakh, in the wake of Baku’s military assault on the region, has reached 97,735. This figure was reported by Nazeli Baghdasaryan, press secretary to Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
In recent years, Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian population was estimated to be 120,000. This predominant majority was behind the Republic of Artsakh, a breakaway state established in the region in 1991, with military and economic aid from Armenia.
Both Armenian and Artsakhi officials predicted that all of the republic’s Armenian population would be displaced after Baku’s conditional cease-fire, predicated on complete dismantling of Artsakh and its government.
The crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh
- The end of Artsakh The republic proclaimed by ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh will officially dissolve, and its former state minister is in Azerbaijani custody
- President of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic signs decree ending unrecognized state’s existence as of January 1, 2024
- Tens of thousands of Armenians are fleeing from Nagorno-Karabakh. The line of refugees in the Lachin Corridor is visible from space.
- Ruben Vardanyan, former state minister of breakaway Artsakh Republic dismantled by Baku, arrested while trying to leave Nagorno-Karabakh
Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan described Baku’s actions as an act of ethnic cleansing of Karabakh Armenians.
David Babayan, an advisor to Artsakh President Samvel Shahramanyan, said that he was forced to surrender to Azerbaijani authorities to prevent even greater harm to other ethnic Armenians, who fear being persecuted by Azerbaijan.
On September 28, Samvel Shahramanyan signed an order to dissolve the unrecognized state of Artsakh and all of its governmental institutions by January 1, 2024.