Azerbaijan provides amnesty to Nagorno-Karabakh fighters who lay down their arms

Azerbaijan provides amnesty to the fighters of Nagorno-Karabakh who lay down their arms and surrender.

This was stated by the advisor of the President of Azerbaijan on foreign policy to the Reuters agency.

"Even for ex-servicemen and combatants (if they can be classified as such), we provide amnesty even for them," noted Hikmet Hajiyev.

According to him, some Karabakh militants have said they will resist despite the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on September 20.

He added that the Karabakh Armenians have requested humanitarian aid, and the first shipments will be delivered on September 22. According to Hajiyev, Azerbaijan wants the peaceful reintegration of Karabakh Armenians.

• In 1991, Nagorno-Karabakh, with the support of Armenia, declared independence from Azerbaijan. This led to hostilities that lasted until 1994. The armed conflict ended with the signing of the Bishkek Protocol on Armistice and Ceasefire, but armed clashes occur periodically between the parties. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but it is inhabited by Armenians.
• On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan announced an "anti-terrorist operation" in Nagorno-Karabakh. The declared goal was the restoration of the constitutional order. The countryʼs Ministry of Defense cited attacks and terrorist attacks against forces in the region as the reason.
• The fighting lasted a day. On the afternoon of September 20, the authorities of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) and the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan announced a ceasefire. Azerbaijan demanded the withdrawal of the Armenian army from the region (Yerevan denies the presence of its troops there), the disbandment of NKR units and the government of the unrecognized republic. The leadership of the NKR agreed to the withdrawal of troops and the disbanding of their units. In fact, the NKR capitulated. This will allow the Azerbaijani army to take full control of the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
• During the day of fighting, the Azerbaijani army managed to capture a number of heights and transport hubs. According to various estimates, from 32 to 100 people, including civilians, died that day in Karabakh. More than 200 people were injured, mostly Armenians. The civil infrastructure of the city of Stepanakert was destroyed. Azerbaijan assured that it strikes only at military targets, but warned about the proximity of the Armenian military to civilian objects. There is no reliable information about the losses of the Azerbaijani army. She recognized so far only one dead person.
• On September 21, a meeting of representatives of Azerbaijan and Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh took place in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh. They discussed the reintegration of the Armenian population of Karabakh, the restoration of infrastructure and the organization of activities based on the Constitution and laws of Azerbaijan.
• The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan proposed to the United Nations Security Council to send UN peacekeepers to Nagorno-Karabakh.