Armenia’s former ombudsman spins lies about Azerbaijan Tatoyan’s fake factory

Armenian former ombudsman Arman Tatoyan, who, even in Armenia itself, is acknowledged as having failed to establish himself as a genuine political figure, has once again decided to make his presence felt.

This time, he spread a “sensation,” claiming that “Azerbaijan has officially announced the completion of registration for over 100,000 Azerbaijanis born in Armenia for resettlement in the country,” and presented a photograph as “evidence” — a photo that immediately makes it clear that the former ombudsman is brazenly lying.

The truth is that this photo has nothing to do with any official government documents. It is simply a membership card issued to a representative of a civil organisation, which, like in many countries around the world, also indicates the owner’s place of birth. But presenting such a document as a “resettlement programme” is a deliberate falsification.

The fact that the former ombudsman’s grandiose claims are once again nothing but lies and manipulation was even confirmed by Armenian media, which noted that there was no official statement from Baku regarding the registration of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis for resettlement in Armenia.

In addition, the former ombudsman should be aware that throughout its period of independence, Azerbaijan has never officially made territorial claims against any country, including Armenia. Moreover, a recent meeting took place in Washington between President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump, resulting in the signing of the Washington Declaration, in which both sides clearly reaffirmed the principle of mutual recognition of territorial integrity.

Those in Armenia genuinely committed to peace with Azerbaijan understand perfectly well that Baku has no intention of altering the demographic composition of the republic or “occupying the country,” as Tatoyan tries to convince his followers. Yet, what else can be expected from a man who has turned lying into a tool for building his “political” career?

For instance, in 2022 he claimed that Azerbaijani forces were allegedly “firing on Armenian villages,” even though international observers confirmed no such incidents. In 2021, he asserted that “Azerbaijani soldiers cut off access to water in Syunik” (Zangezur – editor’s note), when in reality the issue concerned internal water supply problems within Armenia itself.

Each time, facts have refuted his statements, yet they consistently make their way into the Armenian media agenda as a convenient propaganda tool. This is unsurprising — Tatoyan has long demonstrated political ambitions, and his attempts to build a career around “defending national interests” boil down to creating sensational news stories that are actively circulated by certain political circles in Armenia and beyond.

Tatoyan’s support comes from forces interested in maintaining tension between Baku and Yerevan, and his “sensations” serve those who aim to derail the peace process and obstruct the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement. However, like his previous schemes, Tatoyan’s current project is doomed to complete failure.

Azerbaijan has never appointed “presidents” or “foreign ministers,” nor created a “parliament” on behalf of a group of individuals who are merely members of a civil organisation of people from Armenia. In contrast, Yerevan once granted quasi-authorities to separatist structures in Karabakh and persistently sought recognition of the so-called “NKR” in various countries. How that ended — we all know: the illegal separatist entity vanished into the black abyss of nonexistence, and the leaders of the Karabakh junta are now testifying in Baku courts.

Tatoyan urgently needs to keep all of this in mind and refrain from polluting the information space with “sensations” generated by his somewhat unhealthy imagination.