Nagorno-Karabakh ceases to exist: Self-dissolution decided
Stepanakert - Following its defeat against Azerbaijan, the government of the internationally unrecognized Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) has decided to dissolve all authorities under its control by 1 January 2024.

This was reported by Armenian media on Thursday, citing a document signed by head of government Samwel Shakhmanyan. "Then the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) will also end its existence," it continued.
According to the document, the decision was made due to the difficult political and military situation. It was aimed at protecting the security and lives of the population in Nagorno-Karabakh. The dissolution was part of the terms of surrender.
The region has been disputed between the ex-Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia for decades. In the 1990s, Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies on Azerbaijani territory but is mainly inhabited by Armenians, managed to break away from Baku in a bloody civil war with the help of Yerevan.
Azerbaijan, which was heavily armed with oil and gas revenues and under authoritarian rule, got its revenge in 2020 when it recaptured large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The subsequent ceasefire, which was supposed to be monitored by Russian troops, also proved to be fragile. After brief, fierce attacks last week, Azerbaijan was finally able to force the government in Nagorno-Karabakh to surrender and completely conquer the territory.
Thousands of Armenians flee

After the dissolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, the population must familiarize themselves with Azerbaijan's laws on the incorporation of the region in order to then decide for themselves whether they want to return to Nagorno-Karabakh, according to Shakhmanyan's decree.
Following the Azerbaijani victory, a mass exodus of Armenians began, who feared violence and persecution by the victors. In the meantime, 65,000 people have fled to Armenia. More forced resettlers are on their way.
Satellite images show long traffic jams along the Lachin corridor, which is the only connection from the remote mountainous region to Armenia.
The Azerbaijani military, which had previously blocked the corridor for months, provoking a humanitarian catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh, has opened the route for Armenians to leave.
However, under strict control. On Wednesday, the authorities in Baku arrested the former head of government of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ruben Vardanyan, at the border crossing. In Azerbaijan, the businessman, who was once also active in Russia, is now accused of financing terrorism, among other things, as reported by Azerbaijani media on Thursday.
Experts expect practically all Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh to leave the region. According to official figures, 120,000 people have recently done so.