One such individual is David Sargsyan, who calls himself the “mayor of Stepanakert.” He made a heartfelt statement: “By demolishing old quarters of ‘Stepanakert,’ Azerbaijan is trying to erase the Armenian footprint from the city. The historical face of our city is disappearing before the eyes of the international community. The civilized world silently observes the destruction of an entire civilization. Once again, universal values and international humanitarian law are subordinated to political interests.”
The city of Khankendi, meaning “Khan’s Village” in Azerbaijani, was established in the late 18th century as the private estate of Ibrahim Khalil Khan, complete with a stable of thoroughbred horses. The Armenization of Khankendi began in 1923 when the mountainous part of Karabakh was artificially separated from the plains and turned into an autonomous region within Azerbaijan. Initially, Shusha—the historic heart of Karabakh—was intended as the administrative center, but the capital was subsequently designated as Khankendi, hastily renamed “Stepanakert.”
Up until 1988, the city’s development followed master plans approved by Azerbaijani authorities. So, one has to wonder: where exactly did this “old Armenian town” supposedly emerge? After nearly three decades of occupation, Armenian forces left cities like Agdam, Jabrayil, Fuzuli, and Zangilan in ruins, dismantling them “stone by stone.” In Khankendi, there was “architectural chaos.” Now, with Azerbaijan’s restored sovereignty over Karabakh, these illegal structures are, of course, being dismantled. As has been repeatedly pointed out, illegal constructions are torn down in countries worldwide. To call the occupiers’ unlawful structures a “whole civilization” is a stretch, even for the remnants of the occupation authorities.
While rebutting such nonsense is tedious, it’s noteworthy that David Sargsyan, who made these claims, is introduced as the “mayor of Stepanakert.”
Let’s recall: following the counter-terrorism operations on September 19–20, the last “president of Nagorno-Karabakh,” Samvel Shahramanyan, signed a decree to dissolve the occupation regime, setting December 2023 as the deadline. Yet here we are in November 2024, and news from Yerevan suggests that former occupation structures are still active. Their administrative power may be limited, but their media activity is in full swing.
In theory, these efforts have as much significance as the “coronation of Russian emperors” in the film Crown of the Russian Empire, or The Elusive Avengers Return. But in practice, this maneuvering is a telling sign that Yerevan has not abandoned its claims to Azerbaijani Karabakh and is preparing for a potential military comeback. This activity persists as Armenia continues to refuse removing its claims to Karabakh from its constitution and, with backing from external allies, ramps up efforts to “revitalize” its army. This calls for an adequate response to such provocations.
Nurani
Translated from minval.az
