By Aram Mkrtchyan
The Imperative of Preserving Artsakh’s Statehood: Reaffirming Hereditary Rights and Historical-Legal Foundations Since May 2025,
the Republic of Artsakh has been functioning de jure without an elected president. The institution of the President serves as the primary legal guarantor of statehood, constitutional order, and the inalienable rights of the people. Today, the issue of restoring and exercising Artsakh’s legal-political subjectivity and hereditary rights has once again returned to the forefront of the political agenda. As a reminder, the office of the President of the Republic of Artsakh has remained vacant since May 2025, following the end of Samvel Shahramanyan’s term in office. Since then, the Chairman of the National Assembly, Ashot Danielyan, has also been performing the duties of the President of the Republic of Artsakh. Currently, the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh aims to initiate a new presidential election process. According to reliable sources, the most likely and viable candidate at this moment is Anastas Israelyan, the founder of the “Reviving Artsakh” movement. He is one of those exceptional figures who returned to the homeland as early as 2020, unconditionally dedicating his entire work and potential to resolving the challenges facing Artsakh’s statehood,
preserving its Armenian identity, and protecting national interests. We view this step by the National Assembly to elect a president as a crucial milestone in preserving the de jure statehood structures of Artsakh, reaffirming its historical heritage, and continuing the subsequent legal struggle in international tribunals. The preservation of Artsakh’s subjectivity today relies not only on the principles of modern international law but also on centuries-old, well-established hereditary rights. The historical, economic, and legal heritage of the Armenians of Artsakh is not a recent phenomenon; it has been recognized and respected for centuries by the major powers of the region:
The Persian and Ottoman Empires: Since the Middle Ages, special decrees (firmans) by Persian Shahs and Ottoman legal acts officially recognized the sovereignty of the Armenian Melikdoms (principalities) of Artsakh and their hereditary rights to their lands. The Russian Empire: Through the 1813 Treaty of Gulistan and subsequent Russian imperial legal acts, Russia likewise reaffirmed the legitimacy and hereditary rights of the Armenian population over their domains in Artsakh. Based on the legal foundations and historical documents of these three empires, an area of 4,161 square kilometers—including all its subsoil, natural resources, and material-cultural values—was recognized as the inalienable heritage of the Armenians of Artsakh. This signifies that the right to these territories belongs exclusively to the Armenian people of Artsakh by historical succession, and no political or military occupation can nullify this de jure right. The public-legal governance system of Artsakh has deep historical roots, and the modern institution of the presidency has evolved along the following steady path: Early 1990s: Dictated by wartime conditions, the country was governed by the Supreme Council and the State Defense Committee (SDC). 1994: The presidential system of governance was introduced as the next logical step toward strengthening independent statehood.
Robert Kocharyan was elected as the first President. Subsequent Years: Through democratic nationwide elections, the institution of the presidency (under Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan) became the cornerstone of Artsakh’s sovereignty and a legitimate body for engaging with the outside world. International facts also bear witness to this legitimacy: OSCE Minsk Group: The co-chairing countries (USA, Russia, and France) consistently took into account the elected authorities of Artsakh across various de facto and legal platforms, viewing Artsakh as a subject of the conflict. Recognition by US States: Around ten states of the United States of America (including California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and others) have adopted official resolutions recognizing the independence of the Republic of Artsakh and its people’s right to self-determination. We call upon the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh to act strictly within the framework of law and to derive all future steps and political actions solely from the historical and inalienable hereditary rights of the Armenian people of Artsakh. This is the only path to preserving the legal foundations of statehood and preventing the final loss of Artsakh’s subjectivity. United Armenian Senate A. Mkrtchyan