Danielyan's resignation has intensified the question of the representation of Nagorno-Karabakh in Armenia.

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Against the backdrop of the resignation of the Chairman of the Parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ashot Danielyan, public figures and refugees are questioning who should protect their rights in Armenia and how effectively current politicians are doing this.

Former leaders of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic have effectively lost control over the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh since the fall of 2023. After the mass exodus of residents from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, the president of the unrecognized republic signed a decree to terminate its existence, state officials were dismissed, but senior leaders continued to work in Yerevan.

On July 2, the Chairman of the Parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ashot Danielyan, resigned. In his statement, he noted that this decision was made "after long reflections, discussions, and consultations." "When I took this position on May 21, 2025, I did so not out of personal interests, political ambitions, or a desire to hold a high office. My goal was to ensure that the issue of preserving state institutions did not go unnoticed, especially at a time when the continuity of state structures of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the political voice of our people, and the protection of their rights were under serious threat," Danielyan wrote in a statement published on the National Assembly's Facebook page.*

Danielyan explained his resignation by stating that his decision was influenced by "artificially created discussions around my personality, unfounded accusations, and slander." "I do not want a targeted campaign against me to cast any shadow on the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), its state institutions, and the authority of the National Assembly," he noted.

Earlier, on June 17, Ashot Danielyan made a statement on the same social media page, where he called his connection with the Karabakh company "Artsakhfruit" and the funds of this company "unverified publications and a subject of political speculation." In his statement, Danielyan promised that "a special commission will be formed in the near future, tasked with thoroughly examining the expenditures of the state budget of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) for 2023, as well as all circumstances related to the targeted use of the specified funds"

The representation of Nagorno-Karabakh in Yerevan noted that there is currently no information about the creation of the commission. "Currently, the acting chairman of the National Assembly of Artsakh is considered to be the deputy chairman of the parliament, Gagik Bagunts, a member of the 'United Homeland' faction," the press service of the representation of Nagorno-Karabakh informed the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" on July 24.

They also quoted the official position that the National Assembly and the government of Nagorno-Karabakh are "acting state bodies in exile," and that "the preservation of state institutions of the Republic of Artsakh is a guarantee of future negotiations and the protection of the rights of refugees." Furthermore, the service noted that the Parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh continues to function in the building of the representation in Yerevan.

"On May 26, the decision of the Chairman of the Administrative Court of the Republic of Armenia satisfied the claim of the Prosecutor General's Office of the RA, and the state registration of the ownership of the Republic of Artsakh on the building of the Representation of Artsakh was declared invalid," said the lawyer Roman Yeritsyan.

He noted that "this decision has been appealed in the Appellate Administrative Court of the Republic of Armenia."

"The issue of the representation of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in Yerevan concerns not only the fate of the building or property but also the preservation of the structure representing the interests of the Artsakh people (Karabakh people)," said the state minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Nzhde Iskandaryan.

As long as the issues related to the rights of the residents of Artsakh remain unresolved, there is a need for structures representing their interests

"After the forced relocation of the residents of Artsakh to Armenia and other countries, there remains a pressing need for a structure that would deal with the protection of their rights, represent their interests, and coordinate efforts to solve existing problems, with the ability to represent the interests of the Artsakh people, maintaining social and legal continuity. As long as the issues related to the rights of the residents of Artsakh remain unresolved, there is a need for structures representing their interests," emphasized Iskandaryan.

"I do not rule out that the authorities of Armenia will use all possible means and mechanisms to eliminate even the remnants of the state bodies of the Republic of Artsakh. In turn, the National Assembly of Artsakh must realize that organizing elections for a new chairman of the parliament is its responsibility, duty, and an integral part of its activities. The public is waiting for them to take this step," said a member of the Public Council of Nagorno-Karabakh Nare Simonian, commenting on the resignation of the chairman of the National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh.

She added that "the National Assembly of Artsakh is the only legitimate body, so in the current situation, there is no alternative but to elect a chairman of the National Assembly."

Public and political figure, leader of the Revolutionary Party of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Artur Osipyan expressed confusion as to why there are still no discussions about plans for upcoming elections for the chairman of the parliament and why potential candidates for the position have not been announced.

The current composition of the parliament needs to be reviewed, as they have done nothing and are doing nothing for the people

According to him, "the NS of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) must be preserved as the only legitimate institution; it remains the only collective representative body of the people." "However, the current composition of the parliament needs to be reviewed, as they have done nothing and are doing nothing for the people. I doubt they will have enough political will to take any steps. Even after the exodus, all their statements, appeals, and speeches did not meet the demands of the people of Artsakh," Osipyan told the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot."

Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh interviewed by the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" expressed their opinions regarding the work of the parliament. The survey is not representative and reflects only the private opinions of the respondents.

It is sad to realize that many trusted these people, respected them, and hoped for them

A refugee from Stepanakert Susanna Shahbazyan noted that after the exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh, the Karabakh authorities did not bother to coordinate their work, resulting in thousands of families being left without proper attention and support. "Many promises made before the elections remained unfulfilled, and people relying on support had to largely depend on each other. It was often the ordinary residents of Artsakh who helped each other much more than those who were supposed to organize this work. It is sad to realize that many trusted these people, respected them, and hoped for them. Unfortunately, their inaction continues now, so many do not understand why such deputies are needed. It would be preferable to have elections and elect new faces who actually did something for the people over these three years," the woman noted.

Garik Sargsyan from Stepanakert believes that "the representation of Nagorno-Karabakh must not be destroyed." "Those who wish for this must understand that they support the final destruction of Artsakh, and thus support the actions of the authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Therefore, we must demand that the members of the parliament of Artsakh, especially those who do not have social problems, work diligently. We must be united, united in the fight against internal and external Turks," the man said.

Angela Sargsyan stated that she noticed, "that when Artsakh had a state budget and large financial opportunities, the deputies, the government, and the pro-government public sector spoke of patriotism." "Now I cannot say that I am very touched that the residents of Artsakh will be left without representation in Yerevan. However, I understand that it is necessary for our institutions to be preserved because I believe that negotiations on the Karabakh issue will resume and there will be a return. The other thing is that I wish to see new figures who were with the people during these three years. And the current so-called deputies have lost the trust of the people," the woman said.

Artem Balayan expressed the opinion that the representation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh must be preserved. According to him, "we need to ensure that they work, not just publicize themselves as representatives of the people," and added that "elections for a new chairman of the parliament are necessary; otherwise, the authorities of Armenia will have another reason to humiliate the Artsakh people."

* the activities of the company Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) are banned in Russia.