Artsakh remembers September 19 as day of forced expulsion

PanARMENIAN.Net - The National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh has officially designated September 19 as the Day of Forced Displacement and Demands. The decision was made through amendments to the law “On Holidays and Memorial Days.”

On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale offensive against Artsakh, subjecting the entire territory to heavy shelling. A day later, Artsakh’s authorities accepted a ceasefire proposal from the Russian peacekeeping command, agreeing to Baku’s terms of disarmament and dissolution of the Republic. The assault left 223 dead, including 20 civilians—6 of them children. Beginning September 24, forced displacement of the Armenian population commenced, with more than 100,000 people fleeing to Armenia. Reports suggest that only about 20 Armenians remained in Artsakh. On September 28, Artsakh’s president Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree on the dissolution of the republic, effective January 1, 2024.