Aliyev dismisses special representative overseeing Stepanakert and surrounding districts

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has dismissed Elchin Yusubov, his special representative overseeing Stepanakert, Martakert and the Khojaly district in occupied Artsakh.

The dismissal was formalized through a presidential decree issued on October 22 and published on Azerbaijan’s official presidential website. No explanation was provided for the decision, and a successor was not immediately announced.

Yusubov was appointed to the position on March 7, 2024, several months after Azerbaijan’s September 2023 military aggression against Artsakh, which resulted in the forced displacement of more than 120,000 ethnic Armenians.

His appointment formed part of Baku’s efforts to consolidate administrative control over the territory following its military occupation and the collapse of Artsakh’s Armenian institutions.

Azerbaijan has since implemented administrative restructuring and infrastructure development programs in the occupied region, presenting them as reconstruction and economic reintegration initiatives.

Meanwhile, the question of the safe and dignified return of Artsakh’s displaced Armenian population remains unresolved.

The dismissal marks a change in Azerbaijan’s administration of Stepanakert and neighbouring districts, although it remains unclear whether the move signals broader changes in Baku’s policies toward the region.