Council commemorates Artsakh Conflict anniversary

Published on 27 September 2025

The City of Ryde has pledged its support to the people of Artsakh on the fifth anniversary of the start of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Conflict which has forced the displacement of an estimated 100,000 indigenous Armenians.

In 2020, after decades of intermittent skirmishes, Azerbaijan launched a full-scale military operation against Artsakh and after a 44-day war reclaimed a significant part of the territory, which is situated in transcontinental Caucasus, between Eastern Europe and West Asia, and has been the home of indigenous Armenians for thousands of years.

In September 2023 another large-scale Azerbaijani offensive occurred, leading to the dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh and the mass exodus of its entire Armenian population.

Azerbaijan has been accused of committing ethnic cleansing, with the illegal detainment of Armenian hostages, the annexation of internationally recognised Armenian territory, and the destruction of cultural and religious sites.

The rights of displaced Armenians to return to their homes remains unaddressed as fruitless negotiations continue.

City of Ryde Mayor Trenton Brown said Council was a passionate supporter of the rights of the displaced Armenian population.

“Ryde is home to a significant population of people with Armenian descent, many having relatives who were victims of the Armenian Genocide that occurred during World War I,” he said.

“In 2019, Council established a sister city relationship with Stepanakert, which was home to most of the Armenians in the Artsakh region, and in April 2022, we voted unanimously to support those who were being impacted by Azerbaijani attacks in violation of a ceasefire agreement.

“More recently, on 22 August 2023, Council established a ‘Mayor’s Appeal for Artsakh’ to help facilitate urgent humanitarian aid to Armenians who were living in the self-declared independent republic.

“At this time, Council recognises the suffering and displacement of the indigenous Armenians and calls on the international community to join together and assist them in their plight.”