Martial law extended in Nagorny Karabakh

Martial law has been applied in Nagorny Karabakh since the beginning of hostilities in 1992. In 1997, the president of the country issued a decree under which the law is not fully administered on the territory of the republic: some restrictions hampering the development of democratic institutions, including censorship and the mass media, are suspended.

At the end of 2004, President of Nagorny Karabakh Arkady Gukasian made an appeal to the parliament to extend martial law till January 1, 2006 and explained it by saying that there was a danger that hostilities would be resumed in the region. The Karabakh parliamentary commission on defense, security and observance of the law has not given its consent to the extension of the law.

Chairman of the commission Artur Mosian said in his interview with the Caucasian Knot correspondent that there was no sense to extend the law in its present for. Besides, some regulations of the law currently in force hamper the development of democratic institutions. In particular, Artur Mosian mentioned several cases when people were illegally detained and held in custody under cover of wartime laws.

The majority of deputies has prolonged the law today, in spite of the commission's negative opinion.

An attempt to set legal and democratic values above security issues was made for the first time in the modern history of Nagorny Karabakh.