Note: This material was originally prepared in Azerbaijani. This English version was translated using artificial intelligence. The credible version is the Azerbaijani version.
MP Bahruz Maharramov claimed during the plenary session of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijan’s Parliament) on November 8, 2026, that the dignified return of more than 100,000 citizens to their ancestral homes had been ensured.
In 2022, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree approving the First State Programme on the Great Return, which established the reconstruction of infrastructure and the economy, social development, and balanced environmental development in Karabakh as its main objectives for 2022–2026. According to a statement made by Ilham Aliyev in October 2026, 25.5 billion Azerbaijani manats had been allocated from the state budget for restoration and reconstruction efforts by that time.
The MP’s reference to citizens returning to “their ancestral homes” makes it clear that he was referring to the return of internally displaced persons to Karabakh under the government’s return programme.
However, according to official statements, the number of internally displaced persons who have returned to Karabakh is not 100,000. Statements by MPs Tahir Mirkishili and Mehriban Valiyeva indicate that a total of 40,922 people had returned to Karabakh as of October 23, 2026.
As for the figure of 100,000, it refers to the overall number of people living, working, or studying in Karabakh. This population includes not only returning internally displaced persons but also people employed in reconstruction and other projects, as well as university students. According to Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov, the number of people currently living, working, or studying in Karabakh is approximately 100,000.
In other words, of the approximately 100,000 people living, working, or studying in Karabakh, around 41,000 are returning internally displaced persons.
Although the Great Return Programme set a target of 140,000 people by the end of 2026, it appears unlikely that the government will achieve this target within the remaining two months.
Photo was prepared through artificial intelligence
Therefore, the number of internally displaced persons who have returned to Karabakh is approximately 41,000, while the total number of people living, working, or studying there—including students, public-sector employees, and workers involved in reconstruction projects—is approximately 100,000.
Fakt Yoxla concludes that MP Bahruz Maharramov’s claim is false.
