Shahramanian was again summoned to the Investigative Committee as a witness in a criminal investigation stemming from Azerbaijan’s September 2023 military offensive that forced Karabakh’s entire population to flee to Armenia. The committee is investigating possible “negligence” in the surrender of the Karabakh army’s weaponry to Azerbaijan. It has not charged anyone yet.
Shahramanian’s lawyer, Roman Yeritsian, told reporters that the criminal case was opened in October 2023. He said the investigators must publicly explain why they began “intensively” questioning his client only 19 months later.
Yeritsian did not exclude that Shahramanian will be indicted in this or one of several other cases opened by the Investigative Committee. But he said he does not yet see political motives behind them.
The interrogations began late last month as Shahramanian completed his term in office. Karabakh’s exiled legislature has since been trying to elect a new president. Most of its members are understood to support Shahramanian’s candidacy.
According to some Armenian media outlets, the Armenian government is strongly opposed to that and is pressuring Shahramanian to avoid reelection. The Karabakh leader has not confirmed that. His lawyer said in this regard that Karabakh lawmakers will likely elect a “new president” soon.
In March 2024, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian lambasted Karabakh’s Yerevan-based leaders for continuing to present themselves as a government in exile and threatened to crack down on them. Pashinian renewed his threats in June 2024 as he accused unnamed Karabakh leaders of encouraging Karabakh Armenian refugees to participate in antigovernment protests in Yerevan.
The leaders of Karabakh’s main political groups responded by accusing Pashinian’s government of unleashing repressions and waging a smear campaign against the Karabakh Armenians.
Pashinian publicly recognized Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh even before the September 2023 offensive. He has repeatedly indicated that the Karabakh issue is closed for his administration. His critics say he is now trying to dismantle all Karabakh bodies in order to woo Baku and convince it to sign an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty.