The 1991 declaration and First Nagorno-Karabakh War
On 2 September 1991, a joint session of the Nagorno-Karabakh and Shahumyan regional councils proclaimed the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh; this was followed by a referendum on 10 December 1991, boycotted by the local Azerbaijani population, in which a reported 99.9% of an 82.1% turnout voted for independence, and a formal Declaration of Independence adopted on 6 January 1992.[1]
The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, fought between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces from the late 1980s until a Russian-brokered ceasefire in May 1994, is estimated to have killed between 28,000 and 38,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands on both sides; the war ended with Armenian forces in control of most of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent Azerbaijani territory.[2]
· Referendum or popular consultation
Nagorno-Karabakh declaration and referendum, 1991
Local authorities proclaimed the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, confirmed by a referendum boycotted by the region's Azerbaijani population.
· Other
First Nagorno-Karabakh War, 1988-1994
A war between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces that left Armenian forces in control of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding Azerbaijani territory for nearly three decades.
The 2020 Second Nagorno-Karabakh War
The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was fought between 27 September and 10 November 2020, ending in a significant Azerbaijani military victory that recaptured surrounding territories and around one-third of Nagorno-Karabakh; Armenia reported 3,825 soldiers and 85 civilians killed on its side, while Azerbaijan reported 2,906 soldiers and 100 civilians killed on its own side.[3]
· Other
Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, 2020
A 44-day war in which Azerbaijan recaptured surrounding territories and part of Nagorno-Karabakh itself, reversing much of the outcome of the first war.
The September 2023 offensive, exodus and ICJ measures
On 22 February 2023, the International Court of Justice, by 13 votes to 2, ordered Azerbaijan to take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement along the Lachin Corridor connecting an estimated 120,000 ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.[4]
On 19-20 September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military offensive; a ceasefire was reached on 20 September 2023, under which the Artsakh Defence Army was disbanded.[5] The ICJ responded on 17 November 2023 with provisional measures protecting the right of displaced persons to return or leave safely and ordering the protection of civil-status and property records.[6]
More than 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled Nagorno-Karabakh; a UN mission that visited in early October 2023, the first in three decades, was told that as few as 50 to around 1,000 ethnic Armenians might remain.[7] A 28 September 2023 decree announcing the dissolution of Artsakh's state institutions by 1 January 2024 was later disputed by its own signatory, and the Republic of Artsakh continues as a government-in-exile in Armenia.[8]
· Other
September 2023 Azerbaijani offensive and exodus
A rapid Azerbaijani military offensive led to the dissolution of Artsakh's defence forces and the flight of the great majority of the region's ethnic Armenian population.
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
-
1.
Claim: On 2 September 1991, a joint session of the Nagorno-Karabakh and Shahumyan regional councils proclaimed the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh; this was followed by a referendum on 10 December 1991, boycotted by the local Azerbaijani population, in which a reported 99.9% of an 82.1% turnout voted for independence, and a formal Declaration of Independence adopted on 6 January 1992.
- Declaration on Proclamation of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (Wikisource) link, Proclamation text. Source record
- Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (Wikipedia) link, Referendum and declaration section. Source record
-
2.
Claim: The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, fought between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces from the late 1980s until a Russian-brokered ceasefire in May 1994, is estimated to have killed between 28,000 and 38,000 people and displaced an estimated 353,000 Armenians from Azerbaijan and 500,000 Azerbaijanis from Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh; the war ended with Armenian forces in control of most of Nagorno-Karabakh and approximately 9% of Azerbaijani territory beyond it.
- Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (Wikipedia) link, First war casualty and outcome section. Source record
-
3.
Claim: The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was fought between 27 September and 10 November 2020, ending in a significant Azerbaijani military victory that recaptured surrounding territories and around one-third of Nagorno-Karabakh; Armenia reported 3,825 soldiers and 85 civilians killed on its side, while Azerbaijan reported 2,906 soldiers and 100 civilians killed on its own side, and 541 Syrian mercenaries fighting for Azerbaijan were reported killed.
- Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (Wikipedia) link, Second war casualty and outcome section. Source record
-
4.
Claim: On 22 February 2023, the International Court of Justice, by 13 votes to 2, ordered Azerbaijan to take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor, the road connecting an estimated 120,000 ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, and unanimously rejected an Azerbaijani counterclaim concerning alleged Armenian mine-laying.
- International Court of Justice, ICJ Order of 22 February 2023: Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan), provisional measures (International Court of Justice) link, Order text. Source record
-
5.
Claim: On 19-20 September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh, stating its goal as the disarmament and surrender of Artsakh's defence forces and the withdrawal of ethnic Armenian soldiers; a ceasefire ending the offensive was reached on 20 September 2023, under which the Artsakh Defence Army was disbanded.
- Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (Wikipedia) link, 2023 offensive section. Source record
-
6.
Claim: On 17 November 2023, the International Court of Justice, by 13 votes to 2 on each measure, ordered Azerbaijan to ensure that persons who left Nagorno-Karabakh after 19 September 2023 and wish to return can do so safely, that those remaining can leave safely, and that those who stay are free from force or intimidation that might cause them to flee; the Court also ordered Azerbaijan to protect civil-status and property records concerning affected persons and to report on its compliance within eight weeks.
- International Court of Justice, ICJ Order of 17 November 2023: Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan), provisional measures (International Court of Justice) link, Order text. Source record
-
7.
Claim: Following the September 2023 offensive, more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians (UNHCR recorded 115,183 arrivals in Armenia by early October 2023) fled Nagorno-Karabakh, out of a pre-exodus population estimated by the ICJ at around 120,000; a UN mission that visited the region in early October 2023, the first in three decades, was told that as few as 50 to around 1,000 ethnic Armenians might remain.
- UN Karabakh mission told "sudden" exodus means as few as 50 ethnic Armenians may remain (UN News) link, Exodus and remaining-population figures section. Source record
-
8.
Claim: On 28 September 2023, Artsakh President Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree stating that all Republic of Artsakh state institutions would dissolve by 1 January 2024; in December 2023, Shahramanyan's office described the purported decree as not an official document ("empty paper"), and the Republic of Artsakh has continued to operate as a government-in-exile based in Yerevan, Armenia, meaning its institutional status after 2023 is disputed rather than settled.
- Nagorno-Karabakh Separatist Leader Says Dissolution Decree Not Valid (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) link, Dissolution dispute section. Source record
Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/nagorno-karabakh/history · last substantive update 24 September 2026.