Separatists say 'Karabakh republic' will 'cease to exist' by Jan. 1, 2024

The separatist regime of Karabakh has announced that it will dissolve itself and the unrecognised republic will cease to exist by January 1, 2024, a move that reasserts Azerbaijan's complete recontrol over the enclave following a lightning anti-terror operation.

The separatist leader of the territory issued a decree on Thursday ordering the dissolution of all institutions by the end of the year and said Karabakh "ceases to exist" as of January 1, 2024.

The move comes after Azerbaijan carried out a anti-terror operation to reclaim full control over its breakaway region and demanded that Armenian troops in Karabakh lay down their weapons and the separatist government dissolve itself.

The dissolution will bring to an end three decades of Armenia-backed self-rule for Karabakh, an Armenian settlers enclave inside the internationally recognised borders of Azerbaijan.

The decree said residents should "familiarise themselves with the conditions of reintegration" offered by Azerbaijan and make "an independent and individual decision" on whether to stay.

Separatist leader Samvel Shakhramanyan also said that an agreement struck with Azerbaijan would ensure the "free, voluntary and unhindered passage" for all those who wanted to leave.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over Karabakh, in which tens of thousands have died.

During a six-week operation in 2020, Azerbaijan took back parts of Karabakh along with surrounding territory that Armenian forces had claimed during the earlier conflict.

In December last year, Azerbaijan imposed a blockade of the only road connecting -Karabakh with Armenia, alleging that the Armenian government was using the road for mineral extraction and illicit weapons shipments to the region’s separatist forces.

Tens of thousands of Armenian settlers have since fled the enclave to Armenia.

Separately, an Azerbaijani court on Thursday placed former Karabakh separatist leader Ruben Vardanyan in pre-trial detention after charging him with financing terrorism and other crimes.

A Baku court ruled that Vardanyan, a businessman who headed the Armenian settler region from November 2022 until February this year, should be arrested and placed in pre-trial detention for four months, Azerbaijan's state security service said.