__NOTOC__Until 2023, unless a visa or an official warrant was issued by Azerbaijani authorities, the government of Azerbaijan condemned any visit by foreign citizens to the self-declared Armenian breakaway state of Artsakh, its surrounding territories and the Azerbaijani enclaves of Karki, Yuxarı Əskipara, Barxudarlı and Sofulu which are de jure part of Azerbaijan, but were under Armenian control. Azerbaijan considered entering these territories through Armenia (as it was usually the case) a violation of its visa and migration policy. Foreign citizens who entered these territories would be permanently banned from entering Azerbaijan and would be included on the list of "unwelcome people" by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.Персоны нон грата в Азербайджане – СПИСОК. Day.az. 2 August 2013.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has explained the matter as: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan would like to remind all nationals of foreign countries wishing to travel to Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied regions of Azerbaijan that due to continuing occupation by the Armed Forces of Armenia, these areas are temporarily out of control of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Any visit without the consent of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the above-mentioned territories, which are internationally recognized as an integral part of Azerbaijan is considered as a violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and as a breach of national legislation, as well as relevant norms and principles of international law.
Accordingly, the Ministry calls all foreign nationals to refrain themselves from travelling to the occupied territories in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The Ministry would like to remind that those who traveled to the occupied territories without prior permission of the Republic of Azerbaijan will be denied the entry to the Republic of Azerbaijan. In case of necessity, appropriate legal actions will be taken with regard to these persons.
As of 10 September 2020, the list of people declared personae non gratae included 1020 people.
List
Date unknown Caroline Cox, member of the British House of Lords Shreela Flather, member of the British House of Lords Stephen Pound, British MP Michèle Rivasi, French Member of the European Parliament Damien Abad, French Member of the European Parliament Eduardo Eurnekian, Argentine businessman of Armenian descent Tsvetana Paskaleva, Bulgarian journalist of Armenian descent Aleksey Kochetkov, former director of the CIS-EMO / Alan Yelbakiyev, former adviser to the President of South Ossetia / Anastasia Taylor-Lind, reporter at The New York Times
2007 Kaupo Känd, senior adviser to the OSCE High Commissioner Mila Alečković Nikolić, Serbian professor and member of the Writers Union Dave Loewen, City Councillor of Abbotsford Sergey Markedonov, Russian MP Valeri Spektor, President of the National Security Affairs of the Academy of Sciences of Russia Sergey Glotoy, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Regulations and Organizational Issues Yelena Semerikova, Member of Russian Public Chamber Rumen Batalov, Russian political scientist Sergei Valentinovich Pughacyov, Ukrainian city council member
2008 Eckart Stratenschulte, director of the Europäische Akademie Berlin
2009 / Hamed Kazemzadeh Director of Caucasus Studies Institute and Professor in Canada
2010 Harout Chitilian, Canadian politician Reda Haddad, former MP from Jordan Konstantin Zatulin, Russian MP Maksim Mishenko, Russian MP Andrey Kuraev, Russian Orthodox Priest Igor Chernishenko, Russian MP Kirill Cherkasov, Russian MP Tatyana Volozhinskaya, Russian MP Galina Ratnikova, international observer Andrei Areshev, expert of Strategic Culture Foundation of Russia Viktor Sheyns, Russian political scientists, economist František Mikloško, Slovak politician François Rochebloine, French MP Arlette Grosskost, French MP Pascale Crozon, French MP Dzovinar Melkonian, Paris representative of France Institute of Democracy and Cooperation Maurice Bonneau, independent French observer Richard Mallie, French MP René Rouquet, French MP Michel Diefenbacher, French MP Jean-Pierre Delannoy, secretary of the France-Armenia Friendship Group Michel Porret, French lawyer Moris Bonno, French MP Rubik Sardaryan, Iranian MP Martin Makdal, Czech MP Alen Fresnel, French MP Tomasz Poręba, Polish member of the European Parliament Hartmut Egger, professor of Free University of Berlin Bernard Coulie, Belgian academic Fransua de Kort, Belgian academic Jean Marisa, Belgian academic Bernard Snoy, Belgian professor Michael Kambek, German politician Peter Schreiner, German academic Alexandra Vorontsova, Russian politician Sergey Popov, Russian politician Michael Kovak, head of the Netherlands-US mission Gordon Marsden, British MP Anastasios Nerantzis, Greek MP Martin Mahdal, Czech film director Rubik Sardarian, member of Iran-Armenia friendship union Mirghassem Momeni, member of Iran-Armenia Friendship society Jose Arbo, parliamentarian from Argentina Sergio Nahabetian, former parliamentarian from Argentina of Armenian descent
2011 Sergei Buntman, Russian journalist Yuri Snigirev, Russian journalist of Izvestia Yuri Vasiliyev, Russian painter Valeri Obedkov, Russian painter / Diana Markosian, U.S. and Russian photojournalist of Armenian descent / Alexander Lapshin, Russian-Israeli blogger Stephan Vermeersch, musician John Whittingdale, British MP Will Englund, correspondent for The Washington Post Joe Simitian, California senator of Armenian descent Kutlay Erk, Turkish Cypriot politician Emine Çolak, Turkish Cypriot politician Meltem Samani, Turkish Cypriot historian and peace activist Tomas Ladiga, Lithuanian musician Abigail Sin, Singaporean musician Valérie Boyer, French MP Guy Teissier French MP Jacques Remiller, French MP Georges Colombier, French MPAzerbaijan Protests French Deputies' Visit to Nagorno-Karabakh. Radio Free Europe. 23 August 2011. Alain Néri, French MP
2012 Walt Secord, Australian politician Pavel Chernev, Bulgarian politician and lawyer Jim Karygiannis, Canadian MPGloria Galloway. Azerbaijan upset over Liberal MP’s trip to disputed territory's election. The Globe and Mail. 19 July 2012. Makvala Gonashvili, chairman of the Georgian Writers Union Marius Chelaru, Romanian poet Philippe Marini, French Senator Sophie Joissains, French Senator Bernard Fournier, French Senator Charles Duke, US astronaut and Air Force brigadier general Claude Nicollier, the first astronaut from Switzerland Meinrad Schade, Swiss photographer Ueli Leuenberger, Swiss MP Luc Barthassat, Swiss MP Dominique de Buman, Swiss MP Keith David Watenpaugh, American historian and professor Otto Luchterhandt, legal expert Hans-Jürgen Zahorka, German Member of European Parliament Nikos Lygeros, Greek academic Aleksandr Balberov, Russian MP Aleksei Martynov, Russian Director of Institute of New States Denis Dvornikov, Member of the Public Chamber of Russia Ivan Sukharev, Russian MP Stanislav Tarasov, Russian journalist Vitali Skripchenko, Russian writer Daniël van der Stoep, Dutch member of the European Parliament Gert Laursen, Danish information technology specialist Mateusz Piskorski, Polish politician Jorge Orrico, Uruguayan MP Rubén Martínez Huelmo, Uruguayan senator Ricardo Planchón Geymonat, Uruguayan MP Richard Sander, Uruguayan MP Daniel Radio, Uruguayan MP
2013 / Bedros Kirkorov, Bulgarian-Russian singer of Armenian descent Anna Chapman, Russian journalist and agent Montserrat Caballé, Spanish opera singer Ewald Stadler, Austrian member of the European ParliamentЕвропарламент прокомментировал визит ряда своих депутатов в оккупированный Нагорный Карабах Азербайджана. Eleni Theocharous, Cypriot member of the European Parliament Kyriacos Triantaphyllides, Cypriot member of the European Parliament David Turashvili, Georgian writer and playwright Beso Khvedelidze, Georgian writer Matthias Wilkes, German mayor Jonathan O'Dea, Australian MLC Marie Ficarra, Australian MLC Gladys Berejiklian, Premier of New South Wales Amanda Fazio, Australian MLC Fred Nile, Australian MLC David Clarke, Australian MLC Russell Pollard, photojournalist William Zartman, American professor Terrence Hopmann, American professor John Pérez, Speaker of the California State Assembly Bob Blumenfield, Member of the Los Angeles City Council Milena Gabanelli, Italian journalist
2014 Anastasia Karimova, Russian journalist Alexander Shmelev, Russian journalist Alisa Ganieva, writer-journalist Dmitry Bavyrin, Russian journalist Marina Skorikova, Russian journalist Svetlana Shmeleva, Russian journalist Alain Néri, French MP
2015 Lyubov Kazarnovskaya, Russian opera singer
2016 Antonia Arslan, Italian writer John Marshall Evans, former United States ambassador to ArmeniaAzerbaijan to blacklist former US Ambassador to Armenia Public Radio of Armenia 29 June 2016
2017 Rubina Berardo, Member of the Assembly of the Republic Anthony Bourdain, TV personality and chef Tulsi Gabbard, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and current U.S. Director of National Intelligence Frank Pallone, member of the U.S. House of Representatives David Valadao, member of the U.S. House of Representatives
2019 Martin Sonneborn, Member of the European Parliament Ronnie Grob, journalist, editor-in-chief at Swiss monthly magazine Schweizer Monat
2020 Harald Maass, Cicero magazine correspondent Lukas Rühli, journalist at Schweizer Monat Stephan Bader, journalist at Schweizer Monat Stephan Rindlisbacher, journalist at Schweizer Monat Miles Howthorn, Director of the HALO Trust program in the occupied territories of Karabakh
2024 Nikolai Valuev, Member of the Russian State Duma Theodoros Roussopoulos, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Removed from the list The names of certain people initially declared personae non gratae were taken out of the list following formal requests and apologies on their part. Nagehan Alçı, Turkish journalist of Akşam, was blacklisted in 2009 after a two-day visit to Nagorno-Karabakh for research purposes. It was reported that she had referred to Nagorno-Karabakh as "100% Armenian land" in an interview on a television channel broadcast in Nagorno-KarabakhAkşam Gazetesi Yazarı Nagehan Alçı "Karabağ Ermeni Toprağıdır" Dedi, 19 November 2009. Alçı later denied making such a statement, saying she had never mentioned the history of the region at all.Turkish Journalist Punished for Visiting Nagorno-Karabakh. Memorial. 19 November 2009. In 2013, she sent a request to the Azerbaijani government asking to exclude her from the "black list" and reaffirming her support of the territorial integrity of "brotherly Azerbaijan". Her request was granted in December 2013.Turkish Journalist No Longer Blacklisted. Echo. 11 December 2013. Aleksey Mitrofanov, Russian politician, was blacklisted in 2011 for attending the opening ceremony of a banquet hall in Stepanakert. In a letter to the Azerbaijani foreign ministry, he expressed "sincere regret" for having visited Nagorno-Karabakh. The ban on his entry to Azerbaijan was lifted in September 2013.Azerbaijan Excluded Four People from the Blacklist. Arminfo. 24 September 2013. James Brooke, an American journalist blacklisted in 2011, was taken down from the list around the same time.