FRANCE 24 spoke to Artak Beglaryan, former state minister and human rights ombudsman of Nagorno-Karabakh. The peace declaration signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan last August in Washington raised cautious hopes, but for displaced residents of Nagorno-Karabakh the situation remains difficult. “It’s relatively good news,” Beglaryan said, “but nothing was written in this declaration about Nagorno-Karabakh and the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
In August, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a peace declaration in Washington in the presence of US President Donald Trump. In an interview with FRANCE 24, Aliyev said that “peace is achieved” with Armenia.
But according to Beglaryan, the agreement falls far short. “The declaration says nothing about the rights, security or status of the 150,000 people of Nagorno-Karabakh. Nobody consulted us. […] At least politically, yes, we have been betrayed by the Armenian authorities.”
Since Azerbaijan regained control of the region in 2023, nearly all Armenians have fled. “We were forcibly displaced. The suffering of my people is immense.” The former state minister also sharply criticised the Armenian government.
“Prime Minister Pashinyan claims he is proud of the results and says we should forget our return. That is absurd. Armenia was a party to the conflict and host to refugees, and should have done everything to protect our rights.”
Beglaryan also highlighted what he described as ongoing violations and human rights abuses. Aliyev has refused to grant clemency to imprisoned Nagorno-Karabakh separatist leaders, who have been sentenced to life imprisonment.
“Aliyev himself is a Nazi leader. He and his regime have committed crimes including crimes against humanity and genocide against our people,” Beglaryan said.
Blind since a landmine accident, Beglaryan says Azerbaijani authorities wanted to punish him personally. “I never fought. I only defended my people’s rights. And yet we are punished for our very existence.”
—
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2026/03/12/we-have-been-betrayed-nagorno-karabakh-ex-minister-on-armenia-azerbaijan-pe/
