Electoral participation seen as key to integration and retention of Karabakh Armenians in Armenia
By Gayane Zakaryan
Armenian authorities continue to view forcibly displaced residents of Nagorno-Karabakh with suspicion, often treating them as potential supporters of former presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, both of Karabakh origin. Officials and pro-government circles have warned against their political mobilization, at times encouraging public hostility toward them.
Gegham Baghdasaryan, head of the Stepanakert Media Club, countered that displaced Karabakh Armenians enjoy all fundamental rights, including collective political rights such as the right of return. “There is nothing illegal about engaging in politics, framing problems politically or setting political agendas. It is their right, and no one can take it away,” he said.
He cautioned, however, against attempts by highly politicized Karabakh groups tied to Armenia’s internal politics to exploit social grievances for factional agendas. “Such approaches hinder public consensus around the individual and collective rights of the displaced,” he said.
At a recent discussion hosted by the Stepanakert Media Club, civic leaders from both Armenia and Karabakh stressed the importance of participation by displaced persons in upcoming local government and 2026 parliamentary elections, framing it as vital to integration and even to their continued presence in Armenia. More than 17,000 displaced persons have already left the country, according to recent figures.
Artur Sakunts, head of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly in Vanadzor, endorsed what he called “integration through the exercise of electoral rights,” noting that local elections offer particular opportunities since they do not require citizenship and allow direct influence over community decisions.
Debates also touched on issues such as quotas for non-citizens on party lists, observer roles, and inclusion in precinct commissions through positive discrimination. Some argued that targeting displaced persons as a separate electoral bloc could hinder integration, and that broader voter awareness campaigns might be more effective.
Concerns were raised that political forces could exploit the Karabakh issue with unrealistic promises or attempt vote-buying, risking further psychological trauma for displaced communities. Civil society actors were urged to provide impartial coverage and organize program discussions in communities with large displaced populations.
“Full participation in Armenia’s political and civic life will help us overcome isolation and narrow perceptions of our problems,” Baghdasaryan said. “It will also counter the pointless narrative that all Karabakh Armenians belong to one political camp.”
This article was written and published on CIVILNET following a roundtable organised by Stepanakert Media Club on 28 August 2025, with the participation of civil society leaders from Armenia and Nagorny Karabakh,. This roundtable is part of a series of events that aim to create dialogue platforms to discuss the most pressing social and political issues faced by the displaced community from Nagrony Karabakh in Armenia. The initiative aims to foster mutual understanding and collaboration between the Nagorny Karabakh and Armenian communities.
