Twenty five years after the Artsakh independence referendum

By Horizon Staff Writer

December 10 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of one of the most defining moments in the modern Armenian national story, the 1991 independence referendum of Nagorno-Karabakh. On that day, 99.8 percent of voters chose freedom, dignity, and the right to determine their own future. For a people long subjected to discrimination, violence, and existential threat, the referendum was not simply a political procedure. It was a declaration of collective will and survival.

Held on International Human Rights Day, the referendum aligned Artsakh’s struggle with the broader global principle that every people has the right to determine their political status and pursue their own development. For the population of Artsakh, exercising this right was both a necessity and an expression of hope for a secure and democratic future.

A quarter century later, the meaning of that vote has only grown more consequential. The people of Artsakh, forcibly displaced from their homeland in 2023, now face a coordinated campaign aimed at erasing their political identity, silencing their history, and denying the legitimacy of their aspirations. Despite this, the referendum remains a powerful testament to what they once chose freely and overwhelmingly.

Far from being only a historical milestone, the referendum serves as a reminder that the right to self-determination does not expire simply because a people has been uprooted. It continues to define the just parameters of any future settlement and stands as a moral and legal reference point that cannot be undone by force.

Today, as the Armenian nation reflects on this anniversary, the obligation to keep the cause of Artsakh alive is more urgent than ever. The effort to suppress the truth about Artsakh, to normalize the dispossession of its people, and to undermine their rights makes remembrance itself an act of resistance.

Advocating for the self-determination of the people of Artsakh is essential to ensuring that their rights may one day be restored. It asserts that what happened to them cannot be accepted as final, and that the international community must acknowledge both the injustice they endured and the democratic mandate they expressed.

Twenty-five years after ballots were cast in the towns and villages of Artsakh, the message of December 10 endures. It speaks to a people’s steadfast belief in freedom and their unshakable commitment to their identity. It reminds us that even in displacement, their rights remain intact, their aspirations remain legitimate, and their cause remains alive.

Honouring this anniversary means reaffirming our dedication to justice for Artsakh and ensuring that the voice expressed on that historic day continues to guide our collective effort to secure a future where the rights of the people of Artsakh are once again realized in dignity and freedom.