Legal evaluation of the deportation of Azerbaijanis from the Armenian SSR in 1988-1991 from the perspective of the Declaration on Independence of Armenia and the constitution of Armenia: interpretation of the constitutional acts of the Republic of Armenia

The subject of the article is the return of Azerbaijanis to their native territories, a topic that has gained enough attention recently in the legal community and in both Azerbaijani and Armenian society, particularly after the 2020 clashes between the two states. The article's study direction, in contrast to many other scientific and journalistic works already in existence, addresses this return to the national level rather than the international ground. As a result, the constitutional acts of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Republic of Armenia are interpreted. To support this interpretation, the relevant legislation from the USSR at that time, as well as the Azerbaijan SSR's analogical citizenship acts are also evaluated. The article's goal is to assess the 1988–1991 deportation from the perspective of Armenian legislation. It was determined that the 1988–1991 deportation described in the article violated Armenia's constitutional acts in addition to other theoretical aspects and public legal relations. Keywords: citizenship, deportation, constitutional law, declaration of state independence, fall of the USSR, Azerbaijan-Armenia relations, Karabakh conflict.