Artsakh lawyer: Armenian Court rules in favor of Artsakh refugee,  ordering Migration Service to add him to voter registry

ArmInfo.  An Armenian court has upheld the claim of Artsakh resident Marat Yeganyan, ordering the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs  of Armenia to include him in the electoral lists. Artsakh lawyer  Roman Yeritsyan announced this in a video posted on his Facebook  page.

As the lawyer recalled, by a 2023 government decision, the people of  Artsakh were granted temporary protection status, and according to  the Convention (relating to the Status of Refugees - ed.) and by law,  only a person who does not have citizenship of a given country or is  a foreign citizen can be considered a refugee. "Consequently, it was  believed that Artsakh residents were not citizens of Armenia. Against  this backdrop, the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry  of Internal Affairs of Armenia took an identical position, which is  why Artsakh residents were not included on the electoral lists,"  Yeritsyan noted.

However, the lawyer stated that an Artsakh resident he knows, Marat  Yeganyan, took the matter to court.  The court subsequently sustained  the lawsuit, legally compelling the local branch of the Migration and  Citizenship Service to register him as an eligible voter. "The court  explicitly noted that an individual who is already considered a  citizen cannot be stripped of that citizenship by a government  decree. This means we now have a judicial precedent granting voting  rights to Artsakh residents holding passports with the '070' location  code. This is a major breakthrough," Yeritsyan emphasized.

While the attorney noted that this single ruling does not guarantee  all judges will take a similar risk and rule in favor of Artsakh  plaintiffs, he nevertheless urged displaced residents to fight for  their rights. "This is a significant opportunity to participate in  Armenia's upcoming parliamentary elections and exercise our right to  vote. Furthermore, if the judiciary recognizes Artsakh residents as  Armenian citizens, it implies they must also be granted all  subsequent civil liberties, including the right to hold public  office," Yeritsyan pointed out.

The Artsakh lawyer acknowledged that not all courts will take such a  risk, and that some claims will likely be rejected. "But if they  uphold at least 30-40% of the claims, it could have a significant  impact on the outcome of the parliamentary elections," the lawyer  emphasized.

In this regard, on his page, he also outlined step-by-step the steps  required for Artsakh residents who want to participate in the  parliamentary elections. First of all, the lawyer noted, it is  necessary to submit a written application to the Migration and  Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia,  requesting inclusion on the electoral lists. If a response is  deliberately delayed, the lawyer urged immediate complaints to the  Central Electoral Commission (CEC) and the Ombudsman of Armenia.

"If a refusal is received, then it is necessary to file a lawsuit in  the court at the place of registration within three days, even on  election day. As a basis, cite the possession of an Armenian  citizen's passport, noting that the citizenship has not been  officially terminated. Also, note that in May 2026, three court  rulings in favor of the plaintiffs were already issued on similar  cases. The court is obliged to review the case promptly so that the  person has time to vote. The court's decision is final and comes into  force immediately upon announcement. With the court's decision, you  must immediately appeal to the Migration Service of the Ministry of  Internal Affairs of Armenia and request inclusion on the voter list,"  Yeritsyan concluded.