Armenia - October 2023

The Armenian Parliament on 3 October adopted a bill ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The move comes after Armenia’s defeat in the Second Karabakh War and government frustration at the lack of support during and after the conflict from Russia, its historical security guarantor who operates two military bases in the country. Armenia has insisted the move was not anti-Russian but predicated on its own security interests, such as one day turning to the court to prosecute crimes committed by Azerbaijan during the two states’ decades-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Sources: Eurasianet, Deutsche Welle

The Armenian government approved on 26 October the extension of “temporary protected status” to the more than 100,000 Armenians who fled Nagorno-Karabakh after the disputed territory returned to Azerbaijani control in September 2023. The announcement was met with surprise and anger, as nearly all Karabakhi Armenians also hold Armenian passports they believed also indicated they held Armenian citizenship. The status will be legal for one year. Karabakhi refugees are eligible to apply for Armenian citizenship in order to gain voting rights, pensions, and access to other social services.

Sources: Eurasianet, Civilnet