Artsakh MP: Problems of Artsakh people can only be solved if they are  viewed as distinct social group

ArmInfo.  The problems of the Artsakh people can only be solved if they are viewed as a distinct social group - forcibly displaced persons. This was written on her  Facebook page by Artsakh National Assembly MP Metaxe Hakobyan  following her visit to the Armavir region.

The MP noted that during her latest meeting with the forcibly  displaced population of Artsakh, the same issues were raised as in  other regions of Armenia. According to Hakobyan, these issues are  systemic and essentially insoluble under the current circumstances.  "We note that it is impossible to purchase an apartment or house with  a housing certificate unless a person has additional funds.  Development is practically out of the question, and when applying to  a bank, a collateral requirement is imposed, which becomes an  insurmountable obstacle. Thus, the housing issue for small families  remains at a dead end," the Artsakh MP emphasized.

According to Hakobyan, finding a job remains a complex and unresolved  issue. Furthermore, the MP noted, the Artsakh population continues to  be pressured to "accept citizenship"-an issue that the current  authorities have not only imposed but also intentionally complicated.  "Our proposals remain unchanged:  these problems can only be resolved  if the people of Artsakh are viewed as a distinct social  group-forcibly displaced persons-and needs are assessed according to  this logic," the Artsakh MP noted.

At the same time, Hakobyan emphasized, given the social problems,  dividing the people of Artsakh through pre-election processes is also  unacceptable. According to her, those Artsakh residents who have jobs  are currently under pressure from the authorities. "And the most  important thing we emphasize during every meeting, including in the  Armavir region, is that our main demand remains clear and unchanged:  a return to Artsakh," the MP concluded.

As a reminder, on September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan, under the pretext  of an "anti-terrorist operation," launched another act of aggression  against Artsakh. This followed a nearly 10-month blockade of the  republic. Since the enemy aggression that began in the fall of 2020,  which culminated in the complete ethnic cleansing of Artsakh in  September 2023, over 150,000 Artsakh residents have lost their  homeland and become refugees. It should be added that human rights  activists are warning that, in the context of the upcoming  parliamentary elections in Armenia, scheduled for June 7, 2026,  attacks against the people of Artsakh have recently increased in  frequency. Artsakhphobia is largely being fueled by representatives  of the ruling party or media outlets controlled by them, as well as  supporters of the current Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan.