Azerbaijan Announces Controversial Plan to Settle 140,000 Azerbaijanis in Occupied Nagorno-Karabakh

In a move sparking international concern, Azerbaijani authorities have revealed their ambitious plan to settle 140,000 Azerbaijanis in the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) by 2026, a decision that has raised serious questions about the rights and properties of the indigenous Armenian inhabitants. Emin Huseynov, the special representative of the president of Azerbaijan, made this announcement, as reported by APA.

The timing and scale of this resettlement plan have alarmed many, given the recent history of the region. It's noteworthy that the number of Azerbaijanis proposed to be settled mirrors the quantity of indigenous Armenians who fled Nagorno-Karabakh — 100,000 during Azerbaijan's military aggression in September 2020 and approximately 40,000 who chose not to return after the 44-day war later that year.

What intensifies the controversy is the Azerbaijani authorities' apparent willingness to resettle a substantial population in Nagorno-Karabakh while failing to address the resettlement of previously occupied territories over the past three years. This decision raises concerns about the intentions of settling Azerbaijanis in homes once belonging to forcibly displaced Armenians, potentially leading to property disputes and human rights violations.

The fact that prior to the recent conflict, the number of Azerbaijanis residing in Nagorno-Karabakh was significantly lower has not deterred the Azerbaijani authorities from pursuing their resettlement agenda.

The international community watches closely as concerns grow over the potential ramifications of this decision. Questions about the protection of property rights, the displacement of indigenous populations, and the implications for regional stability have now taken center stage. The fate of Nagorno-Karabakh's future hangs in the balance, raising critical questions about the rights and livelihoods of its former indigenous Armenian inhabitants.