Status verified as of 20 September 2026. Political positions change; this explainer describes the documented position on that date.
Current position
Since the September 2023 offensive, Azerbaijan has exercised full administrative control over Nagorno-Karabakh, and the great majority of its ethnic Armenian population has fled to Armenia. The Republic of Artsakh's institutional status is disputed: a decree announcing its dissolution by 1 January 2024 was later described by its own signatory as not an official document, and it continues to operate as a government-in-exile in Yerevan. Azerbaijan remains subject to binding ICJ provisional measures from November 2023 concerning the safe return or departure of displaced persons.[1][2]
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 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
-
2.
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/status · last substantive update 24 September 2026.