Armenians in Karabakh live in a special shelter and outside of this institution

The citizens of the country have the right to know the number of Armenians living in Karabakh, their status, the rights and obligations of these people, the standard of food supply and everything else financed from the state budget, which consists of taxes taken from us. However, seven months after the absolute liberation of Karabakh, we only know that Armenians still live there.  What country are they from? How many are there, what are their names and ages? If  they are not our citizens, then why do they live in Azerbaijan at the expense of the state?

Turan addressed these questions to the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan (Ombudsman). In an official response letter signed by Deputy Head of the Ombudsman's office Rashid Rumzade, information about the meeting held by Ombudswoman Sabina Aliyeva with the Armenian residents of Karabakh was confirmed.  Rumzade recalls that according to the mandate, Ombudsman cares about the rights of every citizen living in the country, regardless of his nationality, religion, language and race.

On March 28, S. Aliyeva met with Armenians living in Khankendi, housed in a shelter of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, as well as those living outside this institution. The message reads that in addition to food and other types of social security, Armenians also receive the help of a psychologist. During the meeting with the Ombudswoman, the residents of the shelter and those living outside the institution expressed their satisfaction with the living conditions. 

The official letter ends, we remind you the right of the Ombudsman's office to impose restrictions on the information provided, according to Article 35 of the law "On Obtaining Information".  The Armenians were asked to send questions about food security to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population.  This agency did not respond to Turan's questions.

In 2023-2024, the Azerbaijani authorities did not report the number of Armenians remaining in Karabakh after the mass departure of the region's residents to Armenia in September 2023.  Azerbaijani media are forced to quote figures from Armenian media and international organizations, but there is no certainty that these data are true. According to separate video and television reports filmed by state media and private individuals - citizens of Azerbaijan, it becomes clear that Armenians in Khankendi move freely around the city.  There are also two videos about a man and a woman of Armenian nationality living alone in private houses in Khankendi. According to them, employees of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Azerbaijan and the Red Cross come to them, give out food, provide medical care if necessary.

More than two months ago, a Real TV correspondent spoke with Armenian Kamo Eduardovich Hayrepetyan, who was born in Baku, at a shelter in Khankendi. He said in pure Azerbaijani that he was completely satisfied with the living conditions, food, and clean beds in the shelter.  And more than six months ago, Baku TV reported that five Armenians in Khankendi and two Armenians in the villages of Karabakh applied to the stationary and mobile point of the Migration Service of Azerbaijan with a request to obtain citizenship of this country. No names were reported.

The reason for the secrecy of everything related to the Armenians in Karabakh is unclear. Even the number of Armenians who left Karabakh in September last year in Azerbaijan was learned from Yerevan sources.  And this is despite careful accounting by the staff of the Border Guard Service of Azerbaijan, who did not submit a report to the public.