OPINION OF AZERBAIJANI LAWYERS AND LAW-ENFORCEMENT BODIES
ON POSSIBLE NATURALIZATION OF ARMENIANS – FORMER BAKU CITIZENS DIFFER

YEREVAN, AUGUST 20. ARMINFO. Opinion of Azerbaijani lawyers and
law-enforcement bodies on possible naturalization of Armenians –
former Baku citizens differ. According to the Azerbaijani newspaper
Exho, a group of Armenians from Baku residing abroad consider a
possibility of applying to the Azerbaijani authorities for
restoration of their Azerbaijani citizenship.

The lawyer, specialist in international relations Erkin Kadirov, in
this issue everything will depend on the “period and the conditions
of their leaving the country.” Besides, the lawyer says not less
important factor will be how they managed to get citizenship of other
state, in the given case, the Russian citizenship. At the same time,
Kadirov says that the Law on AR Citizenship stipulates that every
person applying for citizenship is to apply to the country’s
government with a relevant petition. On the whole, to get citizenship
it is necessary that an applicant lives in Azerbaijan for some time,
though the fact of the person’s birth in Azerbaijan changes the
situation. The position of the country’s government will not be the
last in this issue, Kadirov says, adding that the applications of
former Baku citizens will not be consider in the general order. At
the same time. He says that the legislation in Azerbaijan does not
provide for any discrimination on the national principle. At the same
time he says that if naturalized in Azerbaijan, the above people will
lose their Russian citizenship automatically.

In his turn, an MP, member of the native deputy group at PACE
Gyultekin Hajiyev says that issue of citizenship can be considered
subject to simultaneous consideration of the return of citizenship to
the Azerbaijanis- residents of the Armenian SSR by the RA leadership.
Leader of Azerbaijani Organization for Liberation of Karabakh Akif
Nagi is sharper and urges for carefulness. He thinks the
law-enforcement bodies of Azerbaijan must identify each Armenian from
Baku that wants to return to Azerbaijan of get citizenship of
Azerbaijan. “We must find out if they fought against us during
Karabakh war.”

Meanwhile, human rights activist, Head of the Peace and Democracy
Institute Leila Yunus thinks settlement of Karabakh conflict must
suppose return of Azerbaijanis – citizens of Armenia and vice versa
in the territories they left during the war.