Thousands rally for “independence” in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh

A rally demanding independence was held in Stepanakert (Khankendi), the capital of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh republic on Monday, attended by tens of thousands of people. Amid the demonstration, the parliament of the self-proclaimed republic adopted a statement on the inadmissibility of the region coming under the control of Azerbaijan.

The independence of Nagorno-Karabakh was declared in the early 1990s by ethnic Armenians who previously lived in the Soviet Autonomous Region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Independence has not been recognized by any state. After the hostilities of 2020, part of the region came under the control of Azerbaijan.

According to local officials, about 40,000 people, or almost a third of the population of the self-proclaimed republic, joined the recent rally. Based on an independent count, about 70,000 people gathered there, which is equal to half of the entire population. The participants of the rally were also holdingRussian flags and posters, requesting the country to stop Azerbaijan. 

The statement passed by the parliament of the self-proclaimed republic also called on Russia to continue to ensure the security of the people of the region. MPs suggest Russia to “introduce additional political and military mechanisms” considering the threats to the existence of the republic.

A meeting between the presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan is scheduled today in Sochi.

The international community recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan’s sovereign territory, although Baku has not controlled much of the region since the early 1990s.

After a renewed war in the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a cease-fire agreement mediated by Russia. With this document, which caused opposition protests in Yerevan, Baku regained a significant part of the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Russian peacekeeping forces are currently stationed in the region.