Quoting from the declaration of independence With the participation of delegates from all levels of councils in a joint session of peoples deputies of the Nagomo Karabakh NK regional and Shahumian district councils by the expression of the popular will supported by a documented referendum and by the decision taken by the authorities of the NK autonomous region and the Shahimian district between 1988 91 concerning its freedom independence equal rights and neighborly relations The burden is now on you to show that the referendum did not exist in Shahumian