On the occasion of the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Massacres Organized by Azerbaijan and the Protection of the Rights of the Forcibly Displaced Armenian Population, the factions represented in the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh have issued a joint statement.

The declaration recalls that on February 27 to 29, 1988, mass pogroms against the Armenian population were organized and carried out in the city of Sumgait in the Azerbaijani SSR. Armenians were subjected to killings, violence, torture, and forced displacement on the basis of their national identity. According to the statement, the crimes committed in Sumgait were organized and deliberate in nature and marked the beginning of a systematic policy against the Armenian people.

The statement further notes that this pattern of violence was subsequently reflected in the events in Kirovabad in 1989 and Baku in 1990, as well as in other Armenian-populated settlements in Azerbaijan, including the 1992 massacre of civilians in Maragha and the complete displacement of the Armenian population from Azerbaijan.

The factions emphasize that the lack of proper legal assessment and accountability for the Sumgait crimes fostered a climate of impunity. They argue that this same policy later manifested itself in repeated military aggressions against the Republic of Artsakh, accompanied by alleged war crimes, violence against civilians, a comprehensive blockade, and ultimately the complete forced displacement of the Armenian population of Artsakh in 2023.

The parliamentary factions:

• Strongly condemn violence carried out on the basis of national identity and what they describe as state-sponsored Armenophobia.
• State that the mass violence committed against Armenians, by its nature and consequences, corresponds to the gravest crimes defined under international law.
• Reaffirm that impunity leads to new crimes and undermines regional security and stability.
• Call on the international community and relevant legal and political institutions to provide an adequate legal and political assessment of the mass crimes committed against the Armenian people and to ensure accountability for their organizers and perpetrators.

The factions declare that they will continue to pursue a consistent political course aimed at protecting the rights of the people of Artsakh, ensuring a safe and dignified return to their native homes, and achieving the full realization of the right to self-determination.

They conclude that the memory of the victims of Sumgait obliges continued efforts toward restoring justice and preventing the recurrence of such crimes.

February 28, 2026

The statement was signed by the following factions represented in the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh:

“Free Homeland–United Civic Alliance,”

“United Homeland,” “Justice,”

Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun),

and the Artsakh Democratic Party.