Stepanakert incident highlights hostile climate for Armenians, MP says

The Azerbaijani Interior Ministry has reported an incident in Stepanakert involving one of the few Armenians who remained in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) after the 2023 exodus. According to Azerbaijani authorities, the incident, described as a “provocation”, escalated into an exchange of gunfire with police, leaving an Azerbaijani officer and the Armenian man wounded.

Commenting on the incident, Armenian MP Tigran Abrahamyan of the opposition Pativ Unem faction said it was difficult to establish the precise circumstances. He noted that the number of Armenians who stayed in Artsakh following the mass displacement of September 2023, initially around 50, has now dwindled to about a dozen. Some relocated to Armenia, while others have since passed away.

Abrahamyan stressed that videos mocking and humiliating the remaining Armenians in Stepanakert frequently circulate on Azerbaijani social media, creating a climate of hostility that could have sparked the latest incident.

“This once again demonstrates the true attitude of Azerbaijanis toward Armenians, marked by hostility and humiliation,” Abrahamyan wrote. “It also serves as a stark reminder of what would have awaited Artsakh Armenians had they heeded the Armenian leadership’s calls to remain and live under Azerbaijani control in a hostile environment.”