Commission for Protection of Rights of People of Artsakh: Grounds  available for resuming diplomatic negotiations on return of forcibly  displaced population of Artsakh

ArmInfo.  The issue of the Artsakh people's right to return to their homeland remains relevant: the institutional framework is in place, and after the upcoming  elections in Armenia, the new national leadership will be able to  restore lost ground and advance the rights of the people of Artsakh  with clarity, legitimacy, and determination. This is stated in the  report of the Commission for the Protection of the Rights of the  People of Artsakh, received by ArmInfo, following two years of work.

The Commission's report outlines the conceptual foundations of its  mandate, its recorded successes, and an assessment of the  opportunities for resuming diplomatic engagement. First and foremost,  the report presents the institutional legitimacy of the mandate. "The  decision to establish the Commission on December 2, 2023, is based on  democratic legitimacy, government continuity, and the need to take  into account the political interests of the forcibly displaced  population. The Commission's mandate is clear: to defend the safe,  voluntary, and collective return of the Armenians of the  Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, uphold the international right to  self-determination, negotiate with all relevant national and  international actors, and strive to establish an international  governance and defense mechanism, such as one under the auspices of  the UN or the OSCE, supported by an international peacekeeping  presence," the Commission's report states.

The report further recalled the historical and legal foundations. In  particular, the Commission emphasized that the Nagorno-Karabakh  Republic has never been part of Azerbaijan. "Under Soviet law,  Nagorno- Karabakh was an autonomous region with a clear political  status, entitled to exercise its right to self- determination through  a referendum. On December 10, 1991, the population voted  overwhelmingly for independence, adopting a legal act based on Soviet  constitutional norms," the Commission for the Protection of the  Rights of the People of Artsakh recalled.

Furthermore, the Commission recalled the principle of  self-determination, which is a cornerstone of international law and  enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, the International  Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Helsinki Final Act.  "This gives peoples with a clear identity, tied to a specific  territory, the right to determine their political future free from  persecution," the Commission's report states.

It is also recalled that on November 17, 2023, the International  Court of Justice ordered Azerbaijan to ensure the "safe, unimpeded,  and prompt return" of all forcibly displaced Armenians to Artsakh.  Regarding the progress achieved, it is noted that despite the  collapse of local self-government in Nagorno-Karabakh and the lack of  support from the current Armenian government, the past two years have  been marked by significant diplomatic, legal, and political  developments. These developments, according to the source,  demonstrate a growing international consensus that the right of  return for the people of Artsakh is legitimate, necessary, and  enforceable.

"The main democratic institutions have repeatedly affirmed the right  of return. European Parliament resolutions adopted in March and  October 2024, as well as in March 2025, called for dialogue between  representatives of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh. The parliaments  of France and Belgium also adopted resolutions explicitly affirming  this right. Both chambers of the Swiss Parliament in 2024-2025  approved a resolution committing Switzerland to hosting a peace forum  on Artsakh to negotiate safe return under international supervision.  This Swiss initiative is particularly important as it establishes an  institutional process rather than a symbolic statement," the  Commission explained.

The document notes the growing momentum on this issue in the United  States and Canada. In the United States, 87 members of Congress  signed a letter calling on the Trump administration to pursue the  right of return, the release of Armenian prisoners of war, and the  protection of cultural heritage. "Similarly, the Canadian Ministry of  Foreign Affairs has repeatedly expressed its support for the right of  the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to return to their historical  homeland," the report recalls.

The Commission for the Protection of the Rights of the People of  Artsakh noted that for two years they had to counter Azerbaijani  revisionism. Specifically, the Commission consistently challenged  Azerbaijan's assertion that Armenians "left voluntarily," refuted  misleading statements about a "reintegration program," as well as  attempts to criminalize elected leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh and  propaganda directed against the Armenian diaspora. "Through  publications, media outreach, and diplomatic briefings, the  Commission ensured that these falsifications did not become a  generally accepted reality. Extensive work was also conducted in  academic circles in Europe and the United States," the Commission  added.

The Commission also noted that the current Armenian government's  refusal to raise the issue internationally temporarily hindered  progress. However, the source noted that political will is not  permanent. "As soon as Armenia has a new leadership capable of  clearly articulating its national interests, the foundation will be  laid. Negotiations can resume, this time with mutual demands. The  Swiss initiative can be intensified and expanded. The legal and  political instruments already adopted can become leverage, and  international partners can rally around Armenia's renewed, principled  position. Then, the return of the forcibly displaced population of  Nagorno-Karabakh will transform from "unrealistic" to practical," the  Commission assured.

In summary, the Commission for the Protection of the Rights of the  People of Artsakh reaffirmed that the foundations for return have  been laid. "International law is clearly defined, parliamentary  resolutions are accumulating, the Swiss negotiating platform is  ready, US political engagement is growing, and the issue remains  relevant in the global system. No statements from Yerevan or Baku can  obscure the legal, historical, and moral truth that Nagorno-Karabakh  is Armenian and that its people have the right to safe, collective,  and dignified return," the Commission concluded.

As a reminder, on September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan, under the pretext  of an "anti-terrorist operation," initiated a large-scale aggression  against Artsakh, which led to the complete de-Armenization of the  NKR.  This was preceded by a nearly 10-month blockade of the  unrecognized republic. Since the enemy aggression that began in the  fall of 2020, which culminated in the complete ethnic cleansing of  Artsakh in September 2023, over 150,000 Artsakh residents have lost  their homeland and become refugees.

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