Separatist leader declares order to dissolve Nagorno-Karabakh null and void

Separatist leader declares order to dissolve Nagorno-Karabakh null and void

The declaration was made a few days before the dissolution of Nagorno-Karabakh, which was announced for January 1, 2024. Shahramanyan had announced the dissolution of the Caucasus region on September 28 under military pressure from Azerbaijan on New Year's Day.

Shahramanyan's office told the AFP news agency on Friday that the decree was an "empty paper". "No document can lead to the dissolution of the republic, which was established by the will of the people."

In fact, however, Shahramanyan has had no power over the Caucasus region since a large-scale Azerbaijani military offensive in September. Azerbaijan launched the large-scale operation on September 19. Just one day later, the pro-Armenian fighters in the region had to admit defeat.

Under international law, Nagorno-Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan, but until September it was predominantly inhabited by ethnic Armenians. In the meantime, almost all of the region's former 120,000 Armenian inhabitants have fled to Armenia.

Nagorno-Karabakh declared its independence in 1991 following a referendum. This was not recognized internationally and was boycotted by the Azerbaijani minority. The former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia had been fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region since the collapse of the USSR and had waged war several times over it.

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1. Despite the separatist leader's declaration that the dissolution of Nagorno-Karabakh is null and void, AFP explains that Shahramanyan has had no power over the region since September due to Azerbaijani military pressure.
2. The resolution to dissolve Nagorno-Karabakh, announced by Shahramanyan for January 1, 2024, was made a few days prior to this announcement.
3. The separatist leader announced the dissolution of Nagorno-Karabakh under military pressure from Azerbaijan on New Year's Day, but his office later described the decree as "empty paper."
4. From Eriwan, the AFP news agency reported that Shahramanyan's office explained that no document can lead to the dissolution of the republic, which was established by the will of the people.
5. Following the large-scale Azerbaijani military offensive in September, which was launched on September 19, Shahramanyan has no power over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region predominantly inhabited by ethnic Armenians until September.
6. The decree to dissolve Nagorno-Karabakh made by the separatist leader is void, according to his office, as the region historically belongs to Azerbaijan under international law, but has been an independent entity since a 1991 referendum that was not globally recognized.

Source: www.stern.de