The exclave of nakhchivan has lost significant autonomy following new constitutional amendments approved by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The changes, enacted on Tuesday, dramatically reduce the region’s self-governance and increase presidential control over its administration. For many years, nakhchivan and its approximately 500,000 residents enjoyed a considerable degree of independence.
However, these amendments introduce an “authorised representation” of the president as an executive power within the region. Furthermore, Aliyev will now be able to appoint and dismiss local representatives, who will report directly to Baku. Critically, the nakhchivan government will no longer be accountable to the region’s parliament, the Supreme Assembly, but will instead coordinate with the Azerbaijani president.
Following the implementation of the amendments, Aliyev issued a decree requesting the Azerbaijani government to develop proposals for aligning laws and regulations concerning nakhchivan within three months. Discussions regarding these constitutional amendments began in June 2025. Human rights lawyer Yalchin Imanov expressed concern, stating that the changes aim to expand central government influence over nakhchivan.
He argues that the amendments diminish the Supreme Assembly’s power and effectively eliminate the region’s autonomy, contradicting its sovereignty. Imanov highlighted that these actions contradict principles of counter-centralisation seen in democratic nations, concentrating power within the president’s office. The preamble of nakhchivan’s constitution has also been altered, removing references to treaties between Russia and Turkey from 1921 that previously defined the region’s borders and autonomy.
Topics: #nakhchivan #amendments #autonomy
