President of Artsakh Samvel Shahramanyan stated that he personally witnessed the capture of the republic’s leadership. He made the remark at Tsitsernakaberd while answering journalists' questions, Sputnik Armenia reports.

“I saw how they were seized. I was the last to leave Artsakh. I don’t want to talk about the rest,” Shahramanyan said.

He added that he would address the circumstances of his own non-detention at a later time.

When asked whether it’s true that the officials were taken from the home of Interior Minister Karen Sargsyan, Shahramanyan said more details would come later. For now, he explained, certain processes are underway and he does not want his statements to interfere with or harm them. This, he noted, is the reason for his restraint.

“From day one, when we raised the issue of opening the Lachin corridor to allow civilians to leave, the Azerbaijani side made this a condition. The people now in Baku prisons ensured the civilian evacuation by staying behind as hostages,” he emphasized.

On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale assault on Artsakh, bombarding the region heavily. One day later, Artsakh’s authorities accepted a ceasefire proposed by the Russian peacekeeping mission, agreeing to Baku’s terms—disbanding the Defense Army and dissolving the Republic. Starting September 24, more than 100,000 Armenians were forcibly displaced to Armenia. According to some reports, only around 20 Armenians remained in Artsakh. On September 28, President Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree dissolving the Republic of Artsakh, which took effect on January 1, 2024.