Gagrule.net

Gagrule.net News, Views, Interviews worldwide

“Please help us get my father back.” the daughter of kidnapped Vagif Khachatryan is in front of the UN office

By

“Today, you are my hope. Please don’t leave me alone, be my father, mother, sister, brother. Please, dear compatriots, do not leave me alone in this pain, this is not only my pain. Vagif Khachatryan is the image of the entire Armenian people. Artsakh and Armenia are in Azerbaijan,” said Vagif Khachatryan’s daughter, Vera Khachatryan, during the action held in front of the UN Armenian office today.

To remind, on July 29, Vagif Khachatryan was transported to Yerevan accompanied by the Red Cross for treatment, but at the Hakari bridge checkpoint, Khachatryan was illegally imprisoned by the Azerbaijanis.

Vera told that Vagif Khachatryan was diagnosed with aortic stenosis and had to be urgently transferred to Yerevan for surgery.

Vagif was accompanied by his other daughter. Near the Hakari bridge, when the Azerbaijanis checked the passports, Vagif Khachatryan’s passport was never returned. Then they said that he should go to be checked.

The Azerbaijanis took Vagif Khachatryan to an unknown destination, but they let go the other medical patients who were being transported to Yerevan for treatment.

Vera Khachatryan mentioned that none of the relatives personally contacted Vagif Khachatryan. They don’t have any information until now.

The only information that reached the relatives is that Vagif Khachatryan is now in hospital in Baku.

“I ask each of you to put yourself in my place, in the place of my sisters. We are 3 sisters, we don’t have a brother, but now I consider each of you my brother and I am asking you to help us get my father back. I don’t know how and who to turn to, Azerbaijan presents facts that do not correspond to reality,” said Vera.

According to his daughter, the recently spread information that Vagif Khachatryan was the driver of the former commander of the Armed Forces Samvel Babayan is not true.

Vera Khachatryan emphasized that on the day of the abduction, the International Committee of the Red Cross contacted her sister and said that Vagif Khachatryan was in one of the Baku hospitals.

“But do I want Vagif to be in one of the hospitals in Baku?” I want him to be here in his homeland, receive treatment and return,” says Vera.

According to Vera, all the information published in the Azerbaijani press about Vagif Khachatryan does not correspond to reality.

Vera Khachatryan is going to carry out an action in front of the Armenian office of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

#Artsakh “Nagorno Karabakh” meets the criteria set forth by the Montevideo Convention for statehood. Video

By

We have obtained and translated this information from Dr. David NANIGIAN, Ph.D., MBA Video

Artsakh’s status as an internationally unrecognized state is often discussed in relation to its recognition by UN resolutions, which call for either territorial integrity or the right to self-determination. However, many people, including myself, may not fully grasp the implications of international law and how it interprets these terms, which sound quite weighty and significant. To shed some light on this matter, I’ll explain the key points briefly.

Firstly, let’s understand what constitutes an internationally recognized state according to international law. States are entities that are members of the United Nations and have been acknowledged and approved by existing member states. The criteria for statehood are outlined in Article One of the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States. This convention, now considered international law, is applicable to all nations and defines the necessary qualifications for statehood:

  1. A permanent population,
  2. A defined territory,
  3. A government, and
  4. The capacity to enter relations with other states.

The first criterion requires a state to have a stable and enduring population within a specific geographical area. There is no minimum number of inhabitants required. For instance, the Republic of Nauru, which had a population of only 6,500 when it gained independence in 1968, met this criterion. In comparison, when Artsakh declared independence in 1991, it had a population of approximately 189,000, predominantly Armenians, thus fulfilling the first qualification.

The second criterion demands a state to possess a generally defined territory, though precise borders are not necessary. Several states, including Israel, were admitted into the UN without having their final borders defined after World War Two. Artsakh declared its independence within the defined territory of the so-called Nagorno Karabakh autonomous oblast, which was part of the Azerbaijani Soviet Republic. Today, Artsakh covers an area of about 4,400 square kilometers, demonstrating a generally defined territory since its independence, fulfilling the second qualification.

The third criterion mandates the presence of a government with some level of control over the state and its citizens. There is no requirement for a specific form of government structure. Artsakh has its own fully functional government, established just 20 days after the independence referendum. As of 2020, it has a constitution, a ministry of foreign affairs, a police force, and regularly holds presidential and legislative elections in a democratic manner, thereby fulfilling the third qualification.

In summary, Artsakh meets the criteria set forth by the Montevideo Convention for statehood. It has a permanent population, a defined territory, and a functioning government, thus satisfying the essential prerequisites to be considered an internationally recognized state, irrespective of its formal recognition by other countries.

In 2020, Freedom House, an independent organization, ironically gave Azerbaijan a political rights score of two out of 40, while Nagorno-Karabakh, a region included in the same report, scored 13 out of 40. This difference in scores indicates a significant contrast in their political freedom, with Nagorno-Karabakh appearing 6.5 times more politically free than Azerbaijan.

Despite not being internationally recognized as a state, Artsakh, as Nagorno-Karabakh is also known, fulfills the criteria for statehood according to the Montevideo Convention. It boasts a stable and effective system of government since declaring independence. Moreover, it meets the third criteria by having the capacity for relations with other states, demonstrated by maintaining permanent representative offices in several countries.

The final criteria for statehood involve the ability to act independently as a state without reliance on other states. Artsakh has a self-defense army and demonstrated its capability to enter into international relations by being a signing party in the 1994 ceasefire agreement.

However, the lack of international recognition poses challenges for Artsakh’s interactions with other states, as it hinders formal acknowledgment and membership in international bodies like the UN. Despite this, according to Article 3 of the Montevideo Convention, Artsakh still has the right to defend its integrity and independence, even before recognition.

International recognition is crucial for Artsakh to fully exercise its international rights and duties. It should be noted that the recognition of a new state is purely a political decision and depends on the interests of existing states. The criteria for statehood must be met before any recognition, and it is not compulsory for existing states to recognize new ones.

The process of recognition involves considering factors such as the means by which the state came into existence, whether through force, territorial acquisition, racial discrimination, etc. Self-determination is a guiding principle that legitimizes the use of force in pursuit of people’s right to determine their own political status, as demonstrated in the case of Bangladesh in 1971.

In summary, Artsakh fulfills the criteria for statehood, operates as a de facto state, and has the right to act as a state even without international recognition. However, recognition by other states remains essential for it to fully exercise its international rights and responsibilities.

The acceptance of the independence of Bangladesh was based on the exercise of their right to self-determination. This right, recognized by international law and the UN Charter, is frequently mentioned in the conflict. Advocates argue for the legitimacy of Bangladesh as an independent state, highlighting the historical presence of the Bengali people in the region.

Throughout history, the Bengali people have faced foreign domination but maintained some level of autonomy under various empires, including during their time within the Soviet Union as an administrative division or oblast. However, their rights were restricted, and discrimination persisted under Azerbaijani and Soviet authorities. This situation worsened when Azerbaijan imposed economic blockades, depriving the people of essential resources.

The concept of self-determination is permissible for a population living under foreign rule and enduring gross human rights violations. However, this right is constrained by the principle of territorial integrity, which also holds legal significance in international law and is recognized by the UN Charter.

Azerbaijan claims territorial integrity, including over the Artsakh region. Still, this claim lacks a legal basis because when Azerbaijan separated from the Soviet Union, autonomous oblasts like Artsakh had the right to decide their future, including the possibility of independence. The Nagorno Karabakh Republic exercised this right by proclaiming independence two days after Azerbaijan’s Declaration of Independence. A referendum held in December 1991 resulted in an overwhelming vote for independence, making Artsakh’s Declaration of Independence lawful and valid.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan’s historical claim to the Artsakh territory during its initial independence request in 1991 lacks legitimacy, as the region was disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan at the time. This further supports the notion that Azerbaijan has no legitimate territorial rights over Artsakh.

Despite Artsakh’s legal basis for independence and its current de facto state, the international community has been hesitant to recognize the Republic of Artsakh. The reasons for this reluctance remain complex and multifaceted.

Recognition depends solely on the self-interest of the international community. This reveals a significant flaw in the legal aspect of international relations. The world, as we all know, often prioritizes financial gains over justice. Consequently, oil-rich Azerbaijan enjoys greater financial value compared to a small state seeking to live peacefully and exercise its rights. Moreover, the pressure from involved parties, such as Turkey siding firmly with Azerbaijan due to historical aggression against anything Armenian, further complicates the quest for independence for the state of Artsakh.

The Armenian people have learned from this situation that despite Azerbaijan’s illegitimate reasons for aggression, violation of human rights, and perpetration of war crimes, including heinous acts like beheading prisoners of war and targeting religious and medical facilities, the international response remains insufficient. Azerbaijan resorts to using lies and deception to shape a media narrative, even with evidence from reputable organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch pointing to their use of cluster bombs.

Regrettably, no state in the world has taken substantial action to protect the Armenian people from the threat of genocide, except for the Republic of Armenia itself. Consequently, it falls upon each individual to pray and pressure their leaders to prioritize justice over financial interests. This is a clear-cut case, and Armenians worldwide have voiced their concerns loudly, but they should not have to face this struggle alone. The Republic of Artsakh and its people have the rightful claim to live peacefully in their homeland, as supported both legally and historically, for Artsakh is Armenia.

Endless Crime by Ruthless Dictators: #Lukashenko and #Aliyev

By

Endless Crime by Dictators:

Lukashenko went a step further by extraditing Alexander Lapshin, an Israeli citizen, to Azerbaijan where he was subjected to torture under the orders of President Aliyev. It seemed like a death sentence for Lapshin, but fortunately, being an Israeli citizen offered some protection. Such actions demonstrate how dictators share similar oppressive tactics.

In May 2021, Lukashenko forced a Ryanair flight to land and abducted journalist Protasevich from @nexta_tv.

Similarly, in July 2023, Aliyev halted a Red Cross vehicle in Nagorno-Karabakh and kidnapped an elderly citizen (source: twitter.com/anigrig_j/status…). Dictators like Lukashenko and Aliyev continue to exhibit reckless and authoritarian behavior.

Turkish Delusionals, Fake Diasporan

By

Another start from the own point leads to the past

Yesterday, the first repatriation and integration center of the Office of the Chief Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs was opened in Yerevan. First, that is, they will open again. In other words, more money from the state budget will be spent on the office of the Chief Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs, and they will try to solve some issues or create an imitation of solving them. A stillborn initiative.
Since October 1, 2008, Armenia has had a Ministry of Diaspora with many divisions. In 2018, the Velvets took power and a year later, in 2019, they dissolved the ministry that had accumulated 11 years of experience, abandoned all programs, and formed the office of the Chief Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs. The only visible part of the activity of this office is the endless business trips and disputes with Diaspora Armenians by the Chief Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs, Zareh Sinanyan.

Unfortunately for all of us, there has not been, there is not and there will be no repatriation of unprecedented volumes, on the contrary, emigration is increasing. And now, forming the Center for Repatriation and Integration, the Velvets admit that it was a mistake to dissolve the Ministry of Diaspora and hand over all Armenia-Diaspora issues to one office and appoint that person from Glendale to head it. Then, the appointment of commissioners in diaspora communities, who are supposed to be the representatives of the Armenian commissioner in the communities, rejected by the given communities like him, is contradictory and serves the CP authorities. Then, perhaps, centers with different names will be opened in Armenia, then a third, a fourth, and finally we will have the same Ministry of Diaspora with a different name. But we will have lost precious time, as well as the trust of Diaspora Armenians, the dim hope of understanding each other, the deepening gap between homeland and Diaspora.

After the dissolution of the Ministry of Diaspora, how many qualified specialists found other jobs, how many emigrated and became Diaspora Armenians, why does the velvet government deprive us of the opportunity to develop and grow in any field, why does it destroy and destroy everything?
The first repatriation and integration center of the Office of the Chief Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs and other centers to be established later will not give anything to Armenia or the Diaspora. This is another vain initiative in velvet logic, like, for example, planting 10 million trees, establishing Kenats Purak, adopting a strategy of public administration reforms, having a protected and legal Armenia, etc.

Areg Margaryan

Opinion: “Concerning Pashinyan’s collaboration with Azerbaijan Aliyev, my earlier warnings

By

“Concerning Pashinyan’s collaboration with Azerbaijan, my earlier warnings about the installation of an illegal checkpoint in the Lachin corridor have unfortunately come to fruition. The presence of Azerbaijani forces in the Lachin Corridor poses a significant problem for the free movement of Armenians through this route, as it exposes them to the risk of arbitrary kidnappings by the Azerbaijani side.

At the same time, there are disturbing reports of Pashinyan’s actions in Armenia, where he appears to be rounding up Armenian heroes under questionable allegations. This has raised serious concerns, as it could lead to the capture of a considerable number of Nagorno-Karabakh’s population on trumped-up charges.”

Azerbaijan abducts a 68-year-old #Artsakh citizen who was being transferred for medical treatment in #Armenia

By

Ruben Vardanyan

Today, Azerbaijan detained a 68-year-old #Artsakh citizen who was being transferred for medical treatment in #Armenia with the help of the ICRC. The man was taken from the checkpoint to an unknown location. This act of kidnapping, even involving the

@ICRC, is deeply troubling. It serves as yet another proof that Azerbaijan disregards any agreement, even those reached with international assistance. The peace talks appear to be futile and insincere when Azerbaijan acts with impunity. Can you imagine the potential consequences if we agree to accept “humanitarian aid” from Aghdam? It may lead to a chain of kidnappings and killings. The Baku leadership continually demonstrates its harmful intentions toward the #Armenian people. Urgently, Azerbaijan must release the Artsakh citizen, and the international community must take decisive actions to prevent this genocidal policy from persisting. The illegal checkpoint on the Lachin corridor should be demolished immediately.

Hayakve appealed to HRD. what is happening in Stepanavan?

By

Hayk Gevorgyan

The signature collection of the HayaVote civil initiative in Stepanavan city has been suspended without legal grounds. According to the illegal instruction of the mayor of Stepanavan, the representative of the municipality is not present at the place of the signature collection, which is why the signature collection was stopped.

Aram Petrosyan, one of the authors of the initiative, told “Hraparak” that the head of the Stepanavan CP community did not like the call of one of the citizens.

“The citizen who came to sign said that everyone should come and sign. It is inconvenient that some people are not concerned about Artsakh. The mayor heard these words and he did not like them. He told the employee that you should leave my area, I no longer allow him to collect signatures here, our employee said that his presence is legal and he will not go anywhere, and the mayor decided to remove the public servant from the building,” he said.

According to Petrosyan, on this occasion, they appealed to the HRD and are waiting for a response.

Ambassador Mkrtchyan: World leaders must stop Azerbaijan’s genocide in Nagorno-Katrabakh! Act Now! –

By

A creeping genocide is unfolding slowly before our eyes. For more than seven months now, 120,000 Armenians in Artsakh (commonly known as Nagorno-Karabakh) continue to remain under complete blockade:

with no food, medicine, fuel, gas or electricity. The only lifeline connecting Artsakh to Armenia was initially blocked by government-sponsored Azeri “peace-advocating” fake “eco-activists” on December 12, 2022. Azerbaijan officially institutionalized the blockage of the road by an illegal checkpoint installation on April 23, 2023, grossly violating its international obligations.

Azerbaijan continues to demonstrate a willful disregard for the provisions of the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, the ECHR ruling of December 21, 2023, as well as ICJ orders issued on February 22 and July 6, 2023, calling on Azerbaijan to urgently “take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.”

Moreover, Baku is presenting the latter decisions of the international courts willfully to delude the international community and continue its policy of starving to death the population of Nagorno Karabakh.

It blatantly ignores the calls by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe, the European Parliament, other international organisations and numerous states. Azerbaijan’s illegal actions persist despite those demands and appeals.

Encircled and sieged by Azerbaijan, the 120,000 Armenians, among which 30,000 children and 20,000 elderly, survive merely on scarce local produce. No single consignment of goods or medicine has been allowed to enter the region for over a month. Healthcare, public transport and public and business offices have been paralysed.

Agricultural fields cannot be harvested because of the lack of fuel. Pregnant women and children are malnourished. No fruits or vegetables can be imported to Artsakh. Death rates are higher than ever.

Europe is watching; sometimes, statements are made. It tries hard to maintain “parity”. It calls “on both sides” to contribute to peace. It describes the situation as unsustainable and in “no one’s interest”.

In the meantime, the total blockade continues by a country that some have labelled as a “reliable energy partner”. At the same time, international non-governmental organisations have a consensus that it is a “consolidated authoritarian regime.” A “sustainable blockade” is making the lives of Armenians living there more and more unbearable.

Moreover, some are considering the Baku proposed “integration” as a solution to the problem. The PROBLEM encompasses three wars imposed by the “Integrator”. Three battles were unleashed to eliminate Armenians, leaving thousands dead, tortured, and many POWs still illegally held in Azerbaijani prisons. Add to that the massacres and forced displacement of all Armenians living in Azerbaijan in 1988-1991.

Has anybody ever asked why Azerbaijan has no ” integrated” Armenians? How many integrated Armenians has anyone met in Baku, Sumgait, Kirovabad or Nakhijevan? Not only Armenians but even the graves of their dead have been harassed – demolished and erased. The destruction of thousands of cross-stones in Nakhijevan’s medieval cemetery proves that. The deliberate and planned destruction of cemeteries and churches in the territories Azerbaijan currently controls speak for themselves. Any Armenian trace is being erased. It is part of the creeping genocide in action.

True, we are talking about providing the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh as one of the critical elements of the ongoing negotiations. So far, though, there are no signs that Azerbaijan is ready to respect these very fundamental human rights. The conflict can not have an enduring and just solution by such means.

Enduring peace is equivalent to conciliatory peace and not punitive, which has historically proven to be short-term. Humiliation, subjugation and ethnic cleansing merely postpone the vicious cycle of violence. Azerbaijan has juxtaposed its perilous “quest for domination” (power to coerce and destruction) against the Armenian side’s understandable “quest for security”.

Azerbaijan is not ensuring its security interests by attempting to ethnically cleanse Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, occupying territories of the Republic of Armenia and making further territorial claims against the sovereignty of Armenia.

This attempt of self-aggrandisement and self-extension to the detriment of Armenia will enmesh the Caucasus region into long-term instability and catastrophe with very unpredictable results. This is not in the interest of any major international player.

Azerbaijan objects to any international humanitarian assistance to be delivered to Nagorno-Karabakh. For Azerbaijan, statements demanding the opening of the Lachin Corridor ring hollow: background noise as it proceeds undeterred and with impunity to employ measures of obscene inhumanity to subjugate the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan forcefully, expel them from their native homeland, or destroy them wholesale.

The evidence is overwhelmingly clear: the ongoing blockade of Artsakh and intentional disruption of vital infrastructure by Azerbaijan, as well as the regular and consistent armed attacks against the Artsakh Armenians, are specifically engineered to ethnically cleanse Nagorno-Karabakh of its indigenous Armenians through physical and psychological intimidation and unbearable, indeed inhumane, living conditions.

Please do not be hoodwinked: Azerbaijan’s rhetoric of “integration” is actually one of abject subjugation. In this reality, it is absurd to demand that a victim of a targeted and total blockade—to boot, a malnourished and starving victim—negotiate tete-a-tete with its very torturer without any international mechanism, international presence or international guarantees.

Realpolitik in an international context is about states pursuing their interests. Most of the time, morality and human rights outside their nations are seen in the context of their national interests.

Energy is important. How about responsibility? The Responsibility to Protect – R2P- is an international norm that seeks to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing. Indifference to the fate of others, under the pretense of neutrality, is an obsolete idea.

Moreover, it is a short-sighted and immoral approach. When profit and power have driven policies at the cost of the most fundamental and preached values, the result has always been more instability, destruction, and lives lost.

Published: Greek time

The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan has nothing in common with Nagorno-Karabakh

By

Anzhela Mnatsakanyan,

Its common opinion that Nagorno-Karabakh is an unsolvable conflict as the two principles of international law contradict themselves: the right to self-determination and the right to territorial integrity.

But the picture seems to be different as Artsakh – the historic Armenian name of Nagorno-Karabakh – has nothing in common with the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and I am going to show why.

Pre-Soviet Period

Artsakh is an integral part of Historic Armenia, it is mentioned in the works of Strabo, Pliny the Elder, Claudius Ptolemy, Plutarch, Dio Cassius, and other ancient authors. Ancient Greek sources called the area Orkhistene.

In contrast, Azerbaijan is a relatively young country, which first appeared on the political map in 1918 with the name Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan (1918-1920). It was never formally recognized by the international community or by the League of Nations.

During 1918-1920, 95 percent of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh were Armenians, and they convened their first congress, which proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent political unit. The legislative power in Nagorno-Karabakh was exercised by the Assemblies of Armenians of Karabakh.

Between May 1918 and April 1920, Azerbaijan, supported by the military units from Turkey, committed acts of violence and mass killings against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The efforts of the Government of Azerbaijan to solve the Karabakh problem by military means provoked the organization of Karabakh’s` self-defense.

Soon after, military units from the Republic of Armenia came to rescue the oppressed population of Karabakh and fully liberate Karabakh. On April 23, 1920, the Ninth Assembly of Armenians of Karabakh declared Nagorno-Karabakh as an inalienable part of the Republic of Armenia.

Soviet Period

On November 30, 1920, the now-Soviet Government of Azerbaijan adopted a Declaration on recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh, Zanghezour, and Nakhichevan as part of Soviet Armenia. On July 4th, 1921, The Caucasian Bureau of the Communist Party of Russia convened a plenary meeting in the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, during which it again confirmed the fact that Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to the Armenian SSR.

However, during the nights of July 4 and 5, 1921, a new decision was dictated by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, which stated: “Proceeding from the necessity of establishing peace between Muslims and Armenians… include Nagorno-Karabakh in the Azerbaijan SSR, granting it wide regional autonomy with an administrative center of Shushi, included in the autonomous region.”

These facts demonstrate, Nagorno-Karabakh belonged to the Azerbaijan SSR, neither during the Sovietization of Azerbaijan nor after the establishment of the Soviet power in Armenia when Baku recognized all disputed territories as Armenian.

On the other hand, with or without procedural violations, the legitimacy of this forum is seriously questioned.

The decision of the Caucasian Bureau of the Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party-Bolsheviks is an unprecedented legal act in the history of International Law: the political party of a third country, with no legal power or jurisdiction, decided the status of the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In 1988, in response to the self-determination claims of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Azerbaijani authorities organized massacres and ethnic cleansing of the Armenians on the entire territory of Azerbaijan, particularly in Sumgait, Baku, and Kirovabad.

Process of independence:

On September 2, 1991, based on the USSR Law on “The procedures of the resolution of problems on the Secession of a Union Republic from the USSR,” a joint session of deputies of all levels of Nagorno-Karabakh and the Shahumyan region proclaimed the independence of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR), which was strengthened by the referendum of Independence of Nagorno-Karabakh, where 99.89% of participants voted “in favor” of Independence.

On October 18, 1991, the Republic of Azerbaijan confirmed its independence by the adoption of a “Constitutional Act on State Independence.” The same Constitutional Act considered the establishment of the Soviet power in Azerbaijan as “annexation by Soviet Russia” which “overthrew Azerbaijan’s legal Government.”

Thus, the Republic of Azerbaijan declared the establishment of Soviet power in Baku illegal and rejected the whole Soviet political and legal heritage.

When the Republic of Azerbaijan rejected Soviet legal heritage in 1991, the international subject to which the territories were passed in 1920 ceased to exist.

By rejecting the legal heritage of the Azerbaijan SSR of 1920-1991, the Republic of Azerbaijan has lost all claims to the territories passed to Soviet Azerbaijan in July 1921 – namely Nagorno-Karabakh.

It is important to highlight that Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan became independent according to the same domestic Soviet Law, so the legal bases of the independence of these two republics are equivalent.

Current stage:

In 1991, Azerbaijan launched a war against Nagorno-Karabakh, which lasted until May 1994, when Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Armenia via the mediation of Russia, signed a ceasefire agreement. The fact that Azerbaijan signed a ceasefire agreement with Nagorno-Karabakh is evidence that Karabakh was considered a distinct legal entity.

During all these years, Azerbaijani authorities, having all the necessary resources and a permanent military partner (Turkey), kept violating the ceasefire agreement.

The border clashes turned into wars in the summer 2014, and in April 2016, both times military activities were stopped by the mediation of Russia.

On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey and with the involvement of foreign terrorist fighters, launched a new war against Artsakh. Thousands of soldiers from both sides were killed before the ceasefire was made.

Still, now the Republic of Artsakh has no status, and there is no real guarantee that Armenians of Artsakh will not face the new ethnic cleansing,

So, we can conclude that the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan has nothing  in common with the Republic of Artsakh, as Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), was never been part of independent Azerbaijan, neither in 1918-1920 nor after 1991.

Anzhela Mnatsakanyan is a PhD student from Armenia. She specializes is the Eastern Partnership, Russia, and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.