Azerbaijan considering amnesty for Armenian separatists in Karabakh who give up their weapons - President's assistant

BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 22. Azerbaijan is considering amnesty for Armenian separatists in Karabakh who surrender their weapons, Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan - Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, said in an interview with Reuters, Trend reports.

"Even with regard to former military personnel and combatants, if they can be classified as such, we are contemplating the possibility of amnesty. Some individual military groups and officers have made public statements that they will not accept our conditions and will continue to resist," he said.

Hajiyev emphasized that Azerbaijan aims to initiate the process of reintegrating Karabakh Armenians into Azerbaijani society.

In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement, suppress large-scale provocations in the Karabakh economic region, disarm and withdraw Armenian armed forces formations from the territories of Azerbaijan, neutralize their military infrastructure, ensure the safety of civilians returning to the territories liberated from occupation, civil servants involved in construction-restoration works, and Azerbaijani military personnel, as well as restore the constitutional order of Azerbaijan, anti-terrorist activities of a local nature were carried out in the region on September 19–20.

Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent, an agreement was reached on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) to cease anti-terrorist activities of a local nature under the following conditions: the formations of the armed forces of Armenia, Armenian illegal armed formations located in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm; the formations of the armed forces of Armenia leave the territory of Azerbaijan; Armenian illegal armed groups are dissolved.