The self-proclaimed separatist republic of Nagorno-Karabakh announced on Thursday that it would dissolve all its institutions from January 1, 2024, a week after a successful offensive by Azerbaijan.
The decree of the head of this enclave declares the dissolution of “As of January 1, 2024 all government agencies and institutions (…)“and consequently”Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Editor’s note: original Russian name for Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh by Armenians as of 2020) does not exist.“.
Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian separatists suffered a military defeat in twenty-four hours last week, forcing them to surrender to Azerbaijan, where they have been separated for more than thirty years since the fall of the Soviet Union. Armenia, which had supported the region for decades, did not intervene militarily this time, paving the way for the reunification of the region within Azerbaijan.
Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian population has begun to leave: About 65,000 people, or about half of the roughly 120,000 residents, fled within days, fearing they would become targets of Azerbaijani repression. In his order to dissolve the self-proclaimed republic, the separatist leader insists that once conditions are known for the region to return to Azerbaijan’s control, residents and refugees “Decide to stay or return to Nagorno Karabakh separately“.
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