25 years ago, on February 20, 1988, the Special Session of the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast Council of People’s Deputies passed a petition to appeal to the Supreme Councils of the Azerbaijani SSR and Armenian SSR for the secession of NKAO from Soviet Azerbaijan and its transfer to Soviet Armenia, at the same time appealing to the Supreme Council of the USSR on a positive resolution of the issue on NKAO’s secession from Azerbaijani SSR and its transfer to Armenian SSR.

The decision was followed by mass rallies in Karabakh and Armenia.

In response to the peaceful demands of Artsakh Armenians, that made up 80% of the total population of NKAO, Azerbaijan unleashed aggression against the civilians. As a result of 1991-1994 national liberation war, Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed, with NKR defense army forming a security zone of 7 provinces. The cease-fire was signed in 1994.