ECHR and Armenian manipulations: one step away from collapse of hopes

More than a thousand former residents of Karabakh of Armenian nationality, who voluntarily left the region and moved to Armenia, appealed to the ECHR for the right to return and property. This is reported by the Armenian media.

The appeal demands to ensure the property rights of the Armenians, as well as to recognize their right to collective return. They say that a whole nation is deprived of the right to return to their homeland and this must be urgently corrected. The authors of the appeal, drawn up on behalf of the former residents of Karabakh, consider the ECHR to be the only instance with the tools to resolve the issue.

The Armenians began bombarding the European Court of Justice with their appeals at the end of 2024. Before that, they had not unpacked their suitcases for a whole year, expecting that they were about to return to Azerbaijan, which, as promised, would not withstand international pressure. When a year passed and nothing like this happened, the revanchists began to think about how to use the separatist mass to their advantage. This mass hung on the neck of the Armenian budget, not moving either here or there. They were clearly not welcome in Armenia, either in the government or in society. The initial calculations did not pay off and a plan B was required.

Initially, when the Armenians of Karabakh were being urged to leave Azerbaijan, it was planned that they would not stay in Armenia for long. The Karabakh tribesmen were only required to make pitiful faces and give pitiful interviews in order to form a certain image of "bloodsuckers" in the face of Baku among the international community. It was expected that against the background of worldwide hysteria, he would be forced to open the Lachin road to the Armenians for mass return, and everything would be as before. The Armenians will return with music and accompanied by international missions and will dictate terms to Baku. The mise-en-scenes of the future performance were prescribed, where Armenians get off buses, fall to their knees with tears and kiss the asphalt. And the whole world is crying with them.

But these were just fantasies, the unrealizability of which was understood by every cat in the Khankendi alley, but the organizers and agitators, through whose fault the Armenians of Karabakh voluntarily moved to Armenia, did not understand. No one persecuted them, threatened them, or burned down their homes, however, ordinary Armenians, unfortunately, got used to such manipulations and once again allowed themselves to be turned into an instrument of a political game. No one expected that they would have to stay there for more than a couple of months. No one expected that the results of the September 2023 anti-terrorist operation would be recognized by the world. And they are recognized - there can be no doubt about that. And, of course, no one expected that Azerbaijan would rigidly raise the issue of the mirror return of Azerbaijani refugees to Armenia.

Revanchist circles have only one hope left - the ECHR.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan strongly advises his tribesmen to stop this activity, because keeping the issue of the return of Armenians who voluntarily left Karabakh on the agenda is not productive. "We will no longer delve into who lived where, who had what. We're closing the subject. This is the only way we can achieve peace. We have our own truth, but everyone else also has their own," he said, presenting the election program of the Civil Contract.

Unfortunately, the reasonable position of the head of government does not find sufficient response in the Armenian society. Propaganda, almost completely taken over by the opposition, regularly conducts counterattacks so that Armenians do not forget about their claims on the territories of their neighbors and continue to proudly straighten their backs, looking at the map "from sea to sea."

The first complaints were sent to the ECHR at the end of 2024, and the process intensified in 2025. As of April 2026, the European Court of Justice was "honored" to receive more than 500 complaints, in which the interests of more than a thousand people are represented. If this continues, Strasbourg is in danger of being inundated with tens of thousands of complaints and floods of tears. Will this help you achieve your goal? No. Firstly, Azerbaijan does not recognize the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. The reasons have been repeatedly explained by the head of state and will not be repeated. And secondly, Baku has never denied Armenians the right to live on Azerbaijani soil.

Azerbaijan has prepared a program for the reintegration of the Armenian population of Karabakh after the 44-day war. They were asked to accept Azerbaijani citizenship and live according to the laws of Azerbaijan, despite everything they had done during the thirty years of conflict. However, hatred of everything Azerbaijani and megalomania did not allow the Armenians to adequately assess this opportunity. They were at that time expecting a completely different development of events.

The reintegration program remains in force even after the voluntary and unprovoked mass departure of Armenians from Karabakh. Even today, they can return and live according to the laws of the country in which they want to reside. There is no other option for returning. Not for anyone. Citizens of other countries cannot live in large numbers on the territory of Azerbaijan and have any special rights. Armenians are no exception, and migration laws apply to them.

In an address to the people on September 20, 2020, President Ilham Aliyev said: "Today, a new historical opportunity has been created for ordinary people living in Karabakh. They should not miss this chance. We are ready for this and the Azerbaijani people know it. I am convinced that the Armenian people also know that I am true to my word. We propose this, and I hope that our proposal will be accepted. Because this proposal is based on logic, historical justice, international law and future development, and is designed for future development."

The Armenian population of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan missed the historical chance given to Baku, succumbed to the propaganda of agitators, got into cars and buses and went to Armenia to wait for the promised miracle.

Over the past three years, Baku has repeatedly said that Armenians who wish to return can do so at any time, but on the terms defined by the laws of the country. In this case, there will be everything - both work and social protection. We should not expect a collective return. Decisions on granting citizenship, residence permit and the right to work will be made on an individual basis. The Armenians will not be able to enter Azerbaijan in the same format as they left.

Another quote from the address of the Azerbaijani leader dated September 20, 2023, addressed to the Armenians of Karabakh: "We are ready to implement various social programs. We are rebuilding the whole of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur. Look at how much work we've been doing in just two years. In 30 years, perhaps not even one percent of the work has been done in this region - power plants, bridges, tunnels, reservoirs, residential buildings, villages, cities are being built. In just two years. Without any help, by yourself. After the end of the Second Karabakh War, I said that we would turn Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur into a paradise, and we are turning it, and all the people who come see this. We will create the same conditions in Khankendi, Agdera, Khojavand, and villages. Let's create it in Askeran. It's in our hands. So here's our proposal, and today was a turning point."

Do the voluntary displaced persons from Karabakh regret their stupid decision today? It is possible that they regret it. But internal mental barriers do not allow you to listen to the voice of reason. It's their fault and their problem. Azerbaijan has done everything it could, and it is not serious to demand from it the unconditional opening of all doors to Armenians.

No matter what decisions the ECHR makes, nothing will change. The reintegration program exists, and the Internet in Armenia is said to be working well. Citizens of foreign countries who have been illegally residing in the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan for thirty years, contrary to Azerbaijani legislation, cannot demand more than the laws of the country offer them. There are no special rights different from the rights of all other citizens of Azerbaijan, no autonomy - neither cultural nor territorial, no fulfillment of whims in the form of textbooks from Armenia and the special status of the Armenian language. The houses where the Armenians who stupidly left lived are safe and sound. The property in these houses has not been looted. Our neighbors, who looted thousands of Azerbaijani homes during the occupation, find it hard to believe, but it is true. As for real estate, only those who were registered in Karabakh before the occupation have rights to it. All others are considered illegal settlers. The registration and documentation of the separatist regime in Azerbaijan is not valid. These documents can only confirm that a person illegally resided at such and such an address, but do not give the right to own this property. Foreign citizens can purchase real estate in Azerbaijan. Real estate does not automatically become the property of a foreign citizen, just because he has lived there for some years. And another "bad news" is that citizens of other countries cannot buy land in Azerbaijan, they can only rent it.

So in any case, the return to Karabakh must be accompanied by the transfer to Azerbaijani citizenship. Whatever the ECHR decides. It is better for the former residents of Karabakh to listen to the official Yerevan and not count on a "miracle". And if they really want to return and live in good neighborliness and peace, they should turn to the reintegration program proposed by Baku. Because their future geographical location depends only on him.