Artsakh politician says claims on passports, citizenship exaggerated

PanARMENIAN.Net - Artsakh politician Hayk Khanumyan has stated that claims about Artsakh residents refusing to change their passports or acquire Armenian citizenship are exaggerated.

He believes it is crucial to evaluate facts rather than respond to misconceptions.

“If we consider the number of people with passports or registration under code 070 to be around 150,000, then according to my estimate, based on the Armenian government’s October 26, 2023 decision, about 50,000 of them are Armenian citizens. Some 8,000 adults have acquired citizenship, about 35,000 people lived in various parts of Artsakh but had received their first passports in Armenia, and their citizenship was automatically reinstated.”

“Therefore, instead of focusing on false narratives, it is better to consider how to utilize people’s potential to solve various national issues,” he wrote.

Azerbaijan launched a large-scale attack against Artsakh on September 19, 2023, subjecting the region to massive shelling. On September 20, Artsakh authorities accepted the Russian peacekeeping mission’s proposal for a ceasefire, agreeing to Baku’s conditions: disarmament of the Defense Army and dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh. Forced displacement of Artsakh residents began on September 24, with over 100,000 fleeing to Armenia. Only around 20 Armenians reportedly remain in Artsakh. On September 28, Artsakh President Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree dissolving the republic, effective January 1, 2024.