# Pashinyan Confronts Karabakh Refugees > Armenian PM Pashinyan faces backlash for dismissing Karabakh refugees as 'runaways' amid peace efforts. - Title: Pashinyan Confronts Karabakh Refugees · Foreign Policy - Summary: Armenian PM Pashinyan faces backlash for dismissing Karabakh refugees as 'runaways' amid peace efforts. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan faces… - Keywords: nicholas pashinyan, karabakh, armenia, azerbaijan, refugees, peace deal, real armenia, velvet revolution, baku, artsakh, elections, democracy - Source: Foreign Policy — https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/10/02/pashinyan-karabakh-armenia-democracy-azerbaijan-refugees - Author: Francesca Ebel - Read time: 2 min - Topics: nicholas pashinyan, karabakh, armenia, azerbaijan, refugees, peace deal, real armenia, velvet revolution, baku, artsakh, elections, democracy ## Armenia’s Karabakh Mission The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s official mission in Yerevan, once employing 2,000 officials, now shows signs of a recent government raid. > A plaque emblazoned with the vanished state’s emblem is overgrown with ivy. ## Karabakh’s Disappearance The self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic existed from 1991 to 2023 but was never internationally recognized. > Nestled in the mountains between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh has been at the center of a brutal conflict between the two South Caucasus nations for decades. ## 2023 Military Crisis In 2023, Azerbaijan launched a lightning military operation, seizing control of Nagorno-Karabakh and forcing thousands of ethnic Armenians to flee. > The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s official mission in Yerevan was part of a government presence that once employed 2,000 officials and administrators. ## Pashinyan’s Peace Shift Pashinyan’s government has accepted defeat and moved toward a peace agreement with Baku, despite criticism from Karabakh supporters. > Supporters insist that this is a matter of pragmatism and that after 30 years of war with Baku over this land, it is time to move toward a more stable future. ## Refugee Scapegoating Karabakh refugees face online hate speech and government harassment, with narratives labeling them 'ungrateful' and 'deserter'. > Researchers have found that stigmatizing narratives around the 'ungrateful' and 'deserter' Karabakhian have been systematically amplified by figures loyal to Pashinyan’s government. ## Artsakh Funding Crisis Artsakh’s government funding, previously a $100-200 million annual budget, has dried up after losing diplomatic status. > According to Artak Beglaryan, Artsakh’s former state minister, Artsakh’s government funding, which was previously a $100-200 million annual budget, has dried up. ## Pashinyan’s Campaign Clash Pashinyan clashed with Karabakh refugee voters over their displacement, calling them 'runaways' during a campaign event. > Pashinyan tried to give a voter a campaign pin bearing a map of Armenia that excluded Nagorno-Karabakh. The woman, a refugee from Karabakh and the daughter of a commander killed in the first Karabakh war, flared up when Pashinyan referred to her as a 'runaway.' ## Artsakh Activist Arrest Karabakh activist Artur Osipyan was arrested after criticizing Pashinyan’s handling of the 2020 Karabakh war. > Pashinyan exploded: 'You should have gone and died in the place of our children … you thieving animals. Why are you still alive?' Osipyan was subsequently arrested and spent almost a month in pretrial detention. ## Pashinyan’s Democratic Shift Pashinyan’s government has shifted from pro-democracy leadership to authoritarian tactics after the 2020 Karabakh war. > Armenia’s Investigative Committee opened more than 120 criminal proceedings during the lead-up to the 2026 election, most of them targeting Strong Armenia, the main opposition party. ## Election Crackdown Over 120 criminal proceedings were opened targeting opposition figures ahead of the 2026 elections, with 89 charged and 13 under house arrest. > Eighty-nine people were charged, and 13 were placed under house arrest. ## Real Armenia Doctrine Pashinyan unveiled his 'Real Armenia' doctrine, urging focus on Armenia’s current borders rather than historical claims over Nagorno-Karabakh. > In a televised address on Feb. 19, 2025, Pashinyan unveiled his 'Real Armenia' doctrine. The doctrine’s core message was that Armenians should focus on the development and prosperity of the existing state within its current, internationally recognized borders. ## Peace Agreement Signed Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a peace agreement on August 8, 2025, at the White House. > In August of that same year, Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a declaration on the cessation of hostilities at the White House in Washington, initialing a peace agreement. ## Refugee Hardship 70 percent of Karabakh refugees face unemployment, living in poverty with limited political rights. > Most live in poverty, while 70 percent face unemployment, according to Artsakh officials. ## Lucine Minasyan’s Struggle Lucine Minasyan, a Karabakh refugee, struggles to pay rent on $400 a month income after fleeing with her son in 2023. > Lucine Minasyan is now struggling to pay rent on an income of $400 a month. She fled Karabakh with her then-four-year-old son in 2023, with a single bag of clothes and her husband’s military medals. ## Larisa and Gevorg Sargsyan Larisa and Gevorg Sargsyan, Karabakh refugees, received Armenian passports and live in Yerevan with their family of 10. > Larisa and Gevorg Sargsyan, meanwhile, received their Armenian passports this spring and now live with their entire family of 10 in three rickety rooms on the outskirts of Yerevan. ## The Future for Karabakh Karabakh refugees face no immediate return to their homeland, with many planning to leave Armenia for Russia if Pashinyan signs the peace deal. > Minasyan said she will leave Armenia if Pashinyan signs the peace deal, most likely to Russia. 'My son has revenge in his heart. There will never be peace.' ## Key takeaway Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan faces criticism for scapegoating Karabakh refugees after abandoning their homeland, risking political backlash over peace deals with Azerbaijan.