At a conference titled “What will happen if the Armenian people give up the idea and goal of returning to Artsakh and reclaiming the homeland?”, former Artsakh state minister and head of the Artsakh Union, Artak Beglaryan, stressed that surrendering this right would mean abandoning collective rights, homeland, heritage, and responsibility toward individual rights, Pastinfo reported.
“If we follow the authorities’ logic, avoiding confrontation at all costs, then in case of Syunik being seized we could again say: let’s give it up to live better. Naturally, this creates not only major security threats but also long-term psychological and national resilience risks. Narrowing the issue, it is about the fundamental rights of the people of Artsakh. Looking more broadly, we may face new phases of genocide,” Beglaryan said.
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale offensive against Artsakh, heavily bombarding the region. A day later, on September 20, the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh accepted a ceasefire proposal from the Russian peacekeeping mission, agreeing to disarmament of the Defense Army and the dissolution of the republic. Forced displacement began on September 24, with over 100,000 people fleeing to Armenia. Reports suggest only about 20 Armenians remained in Artsakh. On September 28, President Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree to dissolve the republic effective January 1, 2024.
