‘People want to leave’: Artsakh Armenians Fear Living in Their Own Homes after Azerbaijan Offensive

Mirzoyan also added “The images coming from Nagorno-Karabakh are truly shocking: women, children, elderly people left without shelter and food, moms desperately trying to find their lost children, wives crying from fear that Azerbaijan may imprison their husbands.”

The residents of Nagorno-Karabakh have already given up in frustration on the international community. The only thing they want is to move to Armenia and live peacefully. Ashot Harutyunyan’s family, residents of Martuni town (the name has been changed for their safety), including his pregnant wife and two young children, live in constant fear and anxiety. During the blockade Harutyunyan’s pregnant wife didn’t have the necessary vitamins, food and medicine. All this became a reason for a delay in childbirth. If possible the family also wants to evacuate to Armenia.

“We already have two kids, and we’re expecting our third. Our children cannot continue living in these conditions. The future here is unpromising,” said Harutyunyan.

As Harutyunyan told the Mirror-Spectator, humanitarian aid and reintegration won’t change their attitude and it is not possible to live in Azerbaijan. Even if it were, it would be a deception of the international community, he said.

Baku announced that residents of Nagorno-Karabakh would have a much better life, not only after Azerbaijan’s large-scale offensive on September 19, but even before that.

“I am sure that the life of Armenians who live in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan will be much better than during the times of occupation,” President Ilham Aliyev announced during his speech at the opening of the 10th Global Baku Forum on March 9 this year.

Aliyev stated that minority rights in Azerbaijan are protected by the constitution and that Azerbaijan is a country with a high level of religious and ethnic tolerance. However, research from international organizations, such as the European Parliament and Minority Rights Group, shows that Azerbaijan’s minority populations face discrimination and restrictions. According to the European Parliament analysis, Azerbaijan has more than fifteen ethnic groups, constituting 8.4% of the population, with Lezgins, Armenians, Russians, and Talysh being the main minorities.

As a result of the 1991-1994 Nagorno-Karabakh war, the entire Armenian population was forced to leave Azerbaijan, including the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic.

Despite Azerbaijan’s president stating that the people of Nagorno-Karabakh will live peacefully in Azerbaijan, the reality is quite different. As reported by the European Parliament, the tiny Armenian community is in a difficult situation.

Azerbaijani presidential advisor Hikmat Hajiyev held a press briefing following the ceasefire in which he outlined what he said would be the integration process of Nagorno-Karabakh and its residents. “Azerbaijan once again declares that it is ready for a smooth reintegration process. We are ready to respond to the humanitarian demands of the population. We are ready to provide stability and security in a short period,” Hajiyev announced.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared that Armenia is ready to host 40,000 families in case of a mass evacuation. Meanwhile, Pashinyan said that 120,000 ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh should have the right to live in their homes with dignity and safety.