STATEMENT OF ARTSAKH UNION On the Occasion of the 35th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Artsakh

Thirty-five years ago, on September 2, 1991, the people of Artsakh, exercising their inalienable right to self-determination, declared their independence. This historic decision, reaffirmed months later in the referendum of December 10, laid the cornerstone of our people's modern statehood and collective identity, fostering the lived experience of freedom and sovereign self-governance for more than three decades. That achievement was made possible through the comprehensive and steadfast support of the Republic of Armenia and Armenians worldwide.

We mark this year's anniversary under exceptionally dire circumstances. As a consequence of the genocide and ethnic cleansing perpetrated by Azerbaijan between 2020 and 2023, the entire indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh — around 150,000 people — was forcibly expelled from its homeland. Three years later, our people remain in forced displacement, while our ancestral land remains under genocidal occupation. This reality defines the core mission of Artsakh Union: to defend the collective rights, interests, and dignity of the displaced people of Artsakh, to pursue international justice, and to advance the conditions for our people's collective return to a self-determined, peaceful, just, dignified, and secure life, permanently free from the threat of renewed genocide.

This anniversary coincides with an ongoing normalization process between the authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Regrettably, this process bears no relation to a genuine and just peace, nor does it address the actual root causes of the conflict. The direct victims and central issues of the dispute have been systematically sidelined: no document currently under negotiation addresses the fundamental rights and status of the people of Artsakh, independent investigations into atrocities, the unconditional release of Armenian hostages and prisoners of war, the eradication of state-sponsored Armenophobia, or other essential guarantees.

In this context, the statements and actions of the authorities of the Republic of Armenia — suggesting that the Artsakh issue is closed and that the people of Artsakh must abandon aspirations of returning to their homeland — are deeply reprehensible. Such conduct directly encourages and enables the genocidal Aliyev regime not only to consolidate impunity for its past atrocities, but also to plan and commit new crimes against the Armenian people and Armenian statehood.

Equally grave are the acute socio-economic and humanitarian challenges affecting the preservation of Artsakh's communal identity and the dignified livelihood of our displaced compatriots in Mother Armenia. Furthermore, the repression exerted against the state institutions of the Republic of Artsakh, together with the deep crisis in their resources and capacities, creates additional obstacles to the defense and restoration of our collective rights. Nevertheless, we remain firmly convinced that through the concerted efforts of dedicated individuals and civic structures across the global Armenian nation, the people of Artsakh will keep the torch of our struggle burning and resolutely champion their lawful rights until an uncompromised, dignified, and safe return home is attained.

Thirty-five years after the declaration of independence, and in light of these grave realities, Artsakh Union reaffirms the following non-negotiable priorities:

• The safe, dignified, and collective return of the people of Artsakh to their homeland under robust international guarantees, in implementation of the binding order issued by the International Court of Justice on November 17, 2023;

• The immediate and unconditional release of the military and political leadership of Artsakh and all other Armenian hostages and prisoners held captive in Baku;

• Comprehensive legal accountability for the mass atrocity crimes committed by Azerbaijan through an independent international investigative mechanism;

• The cessation of state-sponsored Armenophobia in Azerbaijan through the revision of its educational and cultural policies;

• The provision of dignified, stable living conditions and the preservation of communal identity for the people of Artsakh in Mother Armenia until a sustainable return is realized.

The 35th anniversary of Artsakh's declaration of independence stands as living proof that our people's awareness of their identity and their rights has endured through every trial. Artsakh Union will continue, to the extent of its capacities, to document violations, to bring cases before international judicial bodies, to defend the interests of the forcibly displaced both in Armenia and abroad, and to demand that no peace process be built on the forced absence or enforced silence of the people of Artsakh.

Our issue is not closed. Our rights have no statute of limitations. We will continue the struggle until justice and the right to return become reality.

Artsakh Union

Yerevan, September 2, 2026