10:26, 8 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. The United States has reiterated that a potential peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains “within reach” after Russia warned last week that a hastily prepared peace treaty could lead to new conflict.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller was asked during a press briefing to comment on the warnings from Moscow to Armenia and Azerbaijan against rushing into a peace agreement.

“I don’t want to speak with respect to Russia when it comes to Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Miller said. “I want to speak with respect to those two countries who are directly related – who are direct parties in this dispute.  We have been engaged directly with those countries; Special Envoy Bono traveled to the region last week and engaged directly with them.  And we believe, despite any comments from other countries who are not a party to this matter, that an agreement remains within reach, and we will continue to work with them to pursue it,” he added.

Miller added that Türkiye has a productive role it can play in this process.

 12:15, 8 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. Former Mayor of Yerevan Hayk Marutyan has announced that he will run again for mayor.

Citizens of Yerevan will head to the polls on September 17 to elect a City Council, which will then elect a mayor.

Marutyan served as Mayor of Yerevan from 2018 until 2021, when he lost a no-confidence vote.

The actor-turned-politician announced his re-election bid in a video message released Tuesday.

6 political parties have announced participation in the upcoming election. The ruling Civil Contract party’s candidate in the upcoming polls is Deputy Mayor Tigran Avinyan.

Viktor Mnatsakanyan, a former city official who oversaw the Kentron administrative district, is also running for mayor.

Other candidates include Mane Tandilyan from the Aprelu Yerkir party, MP Andranik Tevanyan from the Mother Armenia movement, Natalya Arzakantsyan and city councillor Davit Khajakyan.

 12:21, 8 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of Environment has received a letter from the Azerbaijani authorities regarding the construction of a steelworks in Yeraskh and has responded to it, Ministry of Environment spokesperson Ani Hakobyan told ARMENPRESS.

In the response, Armenia denied Azerbaijan’s accusations which claimed that the plant is being built in violation of environmental norms, and in turn demanded Azerbaijan to cease its unlawful use of force against the sovereign territory of Armenia.

Azerbaijan is falsely accusing Armenia of violating the provisions of the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context.

“We’ve responded to the accusation and we’ve stated the standards with which the plant will function. The factory is being built without violations. Armenia demands Azerbaijan to cease its unlawful use of force on the sovereign territory of Armenia, the shootings targeting the construction site, because this has resulted in injuries among the employees, and material losses. This conduct is a gross violation of the provisions of the Convention which they themselves are citing, while Armenia remains committed to all its international obligations,” Hakobyan told ARMENPRESS, adding that the content of the letter, as well as the response, is within the framework of the Convention.

The construction of the $70,000,000 steel mill in Yeraskh is being carried out by the U.S.-affiliated GTB Steel. The construction site has been targeted by Azerbaijani troops on several occasions. Two workers were shot and wounded in one particular cross-border shooting by the Azeri military.

 13:18, 8 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan has held a meeting with the new Iranian ambassador Mehdi Sobhani.

During the meeting Grigoryan congratulated Ambassador Sobhani on assuming the responsible mission and expressed hope that during his tenure the latter will contribute to the further development and strengthening of the relations between the two friendly countries, Grigoryan’s office said in a readout.

Secretary Grigoryan and Ambassador Sobhani discussed a number of items on the Armenian-Iranian bilateral agenda, as well as the regional security situation. Grigoryan presented the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from the Azerbaijani blockade of Lachin Corridor and Armenia’s stance on the matter.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.

On July 26, Armenia sent a humanitarian convoy carrying emergency food and medication for Nagorno-Karabakh, but Azerbaijan blocked the trucks at the entrance of Lachin Corridor.

 14:58, 8 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has sent a delegation of two committee staffers to Armenia.

Senate Committee on Foreign Relations representatives Sarah Arkin and Damian Murphy conducted the visit at the instruction of Senator Menendez.

On August 7, Arkin and Murphy met with Syunik Governor Robert Ghukasyan and Goris Mayor Arush Arushanyan and became acquainted with the situation on the borders of Syunik Province, Azerbaijan’s encroachments against the sovereign territory of Armenia, the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh and the resulting humanitarian disaster, the Syunik Governor’s Office said in a statement.

The delegation also visited the village of Kornidzor and witnessed the closed Lachin Corridor and absence of traffic.

The U.S. Senate representatives also inspected the Armenian humanitarian convoy which is unable to enter the Lachin Corridor and deliver emergency aid to the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.

On July 26, Armenia sent a humanitarian convoy carrying emergency food and medication for Nagorno-Karabakh, but Azerbaijan blocked the trucks at the entrance of Lachin Corridor.

 15:10, 8 August 2023

STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Nagorno-Karabakh office has facilitated the transfer of 11 patients to Armenia, the Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry of Healthcare said in a statement Tuesday, the first medical evacuation since July 29, when Azeri border guards kidnapped a 68-year-old evacuee.

9 of the patients require life-saving hemodialysis while two others are seriously-ill cancer patients.

9 other patients, accompanied by their attendants, who have received treatment in Armenia are expected to return to Nagorno-Karabakh under ICRC mediation later today.

The Azerbaijani side is continuously prohibiting the ICRC supply of essential medicine and medical items into Nagorno-Karabakh, while many patients await their turn for medical evacuation and return, the ministry said.

30 children are hospitalized in the Arevik clinic, 9 of whom are in neonatal and intensive care.

Another 80 patients are hospitalized in the Republican Medical Center. 8 patients are under intensive care, 4 of whom are in critical condition.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.

On July 26, Armenia sent a humanitarian convoy carrying emergency food and medication for Nagorno-Karabakh, but Azerbaijan blocked the trucks at the entrance of Lachin Corridor.

 16:10, 8 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan has visited the Chinese city of Datong to participate in the 6th plenary session of the Board of Directors and general shareholder assembly of the Shanxi-Nairit Armenian-Chinese joint enterprise.

The officials discussed the current state, issues and prospects of development of the joint enterprise’s activities, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures said in a press release.

The project on amending the enterprise’s charter was discussed.

Minister Sanosyan attached importance to a swift resolution to issues related to the company and ensuring its profitability. The issue of adding positions in the company under Armenian quota was also discussed.

 19:13, 8 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) has expressed support to the call by the World Council of Churches and Conference of European Churches to immediately lift the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh and further urged the parties involved to seek a just peace for the region.

After increasingly restricting shipments through the Lachin Corridor over the last seven months, the Azerbaijani government completely closed the route from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) on 15 June, an act that has created a growing humanitarian crisis, WCRC said in a statement.

“Global politics, regional dynamics, and partisan alliances often keep certain crises in the dark and focus only on some. The current crisis of Artsakh needs immediate attention and resolution that moves beyond the opening of the blockaded lifeline into an establishment of justice and long-lasting peace,” said Paul Haidostian, acting president of the Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East.

“The civilian population is now facing a lack of lifesaving medication and essentials like hygiene products and baby formula,” the International Committee of the Red Cross said in a 25 July statement. “Fruits, vegetables, and bread are increasingly scarce and costly, while some other food items such as dairy products, sunflower oil, cereal, fish, and chicken are not available.”

WCRC cited a report by Radio Free Europe which said that Azerbaijan and Armenia “have been locked in a dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh for years,” with the ethnic Armenian region sitting within the boundaries of Azerbaijan.

“Diplomatic efforts to settle the conflict brought little progress, and the two sides fought another war in 2020 that lasted six weeks before a Russian-brokered cease-fire, resulting in Armenia losing control over parts of the region and seven adjacent districts,” said Radio Free Europe’s report. “Under Armenian control, Nagorno-Karabakh’s only outlet to the outside world was the Lachin Corridor, which connected the territory to Armenia. As a result of the 2020 war, Azerbaijan retook the land surrounding the road, and the cease-fire agreement stipulated that Russian peacekeepers would control and protect the route.”

However, the Azerbaijani government has not held to the agreement and is instead using the closure of the route to increase pressure on the Armenian government and those in the territory to cede to its demands over control of Artsakh, WCRC added.

“The WCRC condemns these tactics—using the health and lives of innocent people as political leverage—and calls on its members to advocate for the lifting of the blockade and sincere negotiations to secure a just and lasting peace,” it said.

 19:43, 8 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan has stressed the need to implement international calls and statements and reopen the Lachin Corridor.

“Among others, we appreciate targeted [statements] by European Parliament, voice of EU citizens, which got stronger in course of Nagorno Karabakh blockade &violation of ICJ Orders by Azerbaijan. Now international efforts should be directed at the implementation, with relevant tools, & reopening of Lachin Corridor,” Badalyan posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.

On July 26, Armenia sent a humanitarian convoy carrying emergency food and medication for Nagorno-Karabakh, but Azerbaijan blocked the trucks at the entrance of Lachin Corridor.

 20:20, 8 August 2023

STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. On August 8th, President of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh Republic) Arayik Harutyunyan sent an urgent appeal to the international community to take immediate measures to prevent the genocide of the Artsakh people and to lift the siege.

Below is the transcript of President Harutyunyan’s address, as published by the Nagorno-Karabakh presidential press service.

“Esteemed members of the international community,

“I, Arayik Harutyunyan, the President of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic), bring forth this urgent appeal to draw your attention to the fact that this very moment, the people of the Republic of Artsakh find themselves in the midst of a harrowing genocide, confronted with an imminent threat to their very existence and the homeland they hold dear.

“For the purpose of controlling the only road connecting Artsakh with Armenia and the outside world, passing through the Lachin Corridor, the Azerbaijani authorities planned and initiated a show that started on December 12, 2022, under the guise of an “environmental” protest. In reality, this was just a prelude to the crime of genocide, which gained an official and systemic nature with the illegal establishment of an Azerbaijani checkpoint in the Lachin Corridor on April 23, 2023. On June 15, Azerbaijan completely sealed off the road passing through the Lachin Corridor, besieging the 120-thousand population of the Republic of Artsakh. For almost eight months now, the population of Artsakh has been deprived of the opportunity for unimpeded and two-way movement along the Lachin Corridor. For about two months now, there were no supplies of food, medicines and other essential goods, previously carried out by the Russian peacekeeping forces and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Azerbaijan’s actions not only violate universal legal norms but also specific international legal acts regarding the Lachin Corridor, including paragraph 6 of the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, legally binding decisions of the International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights requiring the unblocking the Lachin Corridor.

“The blockade of the Lachin Corridor is not an isolated incident; it should be regarded as part of a planned, large-scale and coordinated policy by Azerbaijan aimed at the destruction of the people of Artsakh as a whole. The blockade of Artsakh is a direct continuation of the military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan in 2020, with the direct involvement of Turkey and terrorist organizations from the Middle East. Azerbaijan has consistently pursued a policy of forcibly suppressing the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination, accompanying its actions with the use of force and widespread violations of human rights. The ultimate goal of this policy is the expulsion of the people of Artsakh and closing the issue of the right to self-determination for the people of Artsakh.

“It is in this context that Azerbaijan’s encroachments on the sovereignty of Artsakh must be considered, since the presence of a sovereign state with international legal subjectivity is a crucial condition and means for preserving the people of Artsakh and their traditions, values, culture, as well as their natural development.

“More than two years after the trilateral ceasefire statement, and having failed to achieve its criminal goal of ethnic cleansing of Artsakh through military means, Azerbaijan continues making consistent attempts to achieve its nefarious objectives еmploying non-violent yet equally inhumane methods. The establishment of an illegal checkpoint in the Lachin Corridor, with its evident criminal intent to deliberately restrict and eventually halt humanitarian cargo shipments, which are crucial for sustaining the normal livelihood of the people of Artsakh, has become a new weapon in Azerbaijan’s arsenal against the people of Artsakh. A direct victim of this illegally established checkpoint was Vagif Khachatryan, a citizen of the Republic of Artsakh, who was abducted by Azerbaijani military personnel in violation of international humanitarian law while traveling under the escort of the ICRC.

“The Azerbaijani authorities, attempting to conceal their genocidal intentions, come up with false alternatives, supposedly aimed at mitigating the humanitarian catastrophe they have themselves created. The current critical situation, which Artsakh can overcome only with international humanitarian and political support, is a direct consequence of Azerbaijan’s illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor and the factual siege of the people of Artsakh. Azerbaijan is thus trying to create the illusion that Artsakh is unsustainable and dependent on external assistance. The imposed offer of so-called assistance by the Azerbaijani authorities is an attempt to subjugate Artsakh and its people.

“But make no mistake: the offer to deliver humanitarian cargo to Artsakh from Azerbaijan is yet another means of realizing Azerbaijan’s criminal agenda, which will lead to imposing its own will, violating the human dignity and other criminal consequences of subjugating the people of Artsakh to Azerbaijan. Through these actions, Azerbaijan aims to hinder the normal development of Artsakh and the improvement of the people’s living standards.

“The Azerbaijani authorities do not conceal their goal of expelling the Armenian population of Artsakh from their homeland. Accordingly, by presenting a so-called concept of conflict resolution, along with a package of proposals, Azerbaijan is attempting to hide this new way of realizing their genocidal intention under the cover of negotiations.

“The fabricated agenda of dialogue between Stepanakert and Baku promoted by the Azerbaijani authorities is, in fact, an attempt to legitimize Azerbaijan’s criminal actions. Any calls encouraging Artsakh’s participation in such dialogue without international mediators and effective guarantees is perceived as support for the implementation of Azerbaijan’s genocidal policy. Artsakh’s participation in any such talks under these conditions would be tantamount to recognizing and legitimizing Azerbaijan’s veiled program of genocide.

“For the effectiveness and legitimacy of negotiations, it is necessary to ensure at the very least that the parties adhere to the norms of international law. At the same time, both proposals aimed at resolving the conflict itself and the potential consequences of their implementation should align with the principles of international law and universal human values. However, all of this continues to be violated by Azerbaijan with persistence and impunity.Artsakh, in turn, has always advocated for the start of meaningful and substantive negotiations, based on universal principles of justice, dignity and equality.

“Our unwavering stance is that for negotiations to take place, first of all, it is necessary to ensure favorable and equitable conditions. Subsequently, an international mechanism with a relevant international mandate should be established to define the criteria for the negotiation process. These criteria should be based on norms of international law and international practice. Otherwise, proposals to engage in negotiations with a party that remains committed to its criminal intention of destroying the other party by all means, be it military, economic or political, cannot be a subject of discussion.

“Decisions of the International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights, periodic appeals and statements from international institutions, individual states and organizations all universally acknowledge the fact of the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor. They underline the necessity of restoring free movement through the corridor. However, no effective and concrete steps are being taken in this direction. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s deliberate actions to create unbearable living conditions in Artsakh with the ultimate goal of physically destroying the people of Artsakh constitutes nothing less than a crime of genocide, composed of criminal intention and explicit actions. Leading international experts also concur with this assessment. For instance, the former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, highlighted this in his recent comprehensive report. Preventing the crime of genocide is a universal obligation of states, and each state must actively and consistently exert efforts to prevent such a crime from occurring.

“In the current circumstances, displaying inaction or indifference amounts to nothing less than condoning the crime of genocide. The international community is obligated to take effective individual and collective measures to prevent Azerbaijan’s attempt to inscribe another page of genocide into the annals of history.

“In line with the above, I earnestly call upon international actors, within the scope of their commitments, to take decisive and effective measures to prevent the crime of genocide against the people of Artsakh. Specifically, I address:

“to the Republic of Armenia

• In order to adopt a resolution involving urgent and specific actions, I urge for the immediate presentation of the humanitarian catastrophe resulting from Azerbaijan’s blockage of the Lachin Corridor and the unlawful blockade of Artsakh, which has escalated into the crime of genocide, to the discussion of the United Nations Security Council;
• I call for intensified efforts to actively raise awareness of the issue of the unlawful blockade of the Lachin Corridor and Artsakh through information, advocacy and other platforms, as well as by informing the international community;
• I call to engage with international partners to discuss and impose sanctions against Azerbaijan in order to halt its international crimes.
• At the same time, I strongly urge the authorities of Armenia, public figures and political leaders to exercise caution in their public statements and assessments of the situation: no statement or action should cast doubt on the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination or contribute to further aggressive actions by Azerbaijan;

“to the Armenian Diaspora

• I urge you to consolidate efforts with the aim of drawing the attention of authorities and the public in the countries of your residence to the international crimes committed in Artsakh, and to demand immediate and effective measures to stop them;
• from our compatriots in the Diaspora, we expect actions in the following directions:
  • ensure that your governments strongly condemn and take specific measures to increase pressure on Azerbaijan to lift the blockade of Artsakh;
  • ensure that your governments, human rights organizations, media outlets and other actors provide direct legal and political assessments of Azerbaijan’s crimes against Artsakh;
  • ensure that your governments consider and impose sanctions against Azerbaijan to halt its international crimes;

“To the Russian Federation

• Emphasizing the importance of the Russian peacekeeping mission in Artsakh, I strongly urge the intensification of efforts for the immediate lifting of the unlawful blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan and the restoration of the functioning of the Lachin Corridor, as established by the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020;

“To OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs – the Russian Federation, the United States of America and the French Republic

• I strongly urge you, both as counties directly involved in the conflict resolution process and as UN Security Council member states, to fulfill your primary obligation by taking effective measures for the immediate cessation of the illegal blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan and the restoration of uninterrupted functioning of the Lachin corridor;
• I call upon the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs countries to exert individual and joint efforts to establish a robust negotiation format endowed with an appropriate international mandate, which would ensure that the negotiation process, its criteria and final outcomes are in line with international law and universal human values;
• I hope that the co-chairing countries will demonstrate consistency in pursuing a peaceful and comprehensive settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict and will actively work towards reactivating the negotiation mechanism empowered with an international mandate for the resolution of the conflict;

“To UN Security Council members states

• I urge an immediate convening of a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the genocide and humanitarian catastrophe caused by the blockade of Artsakh. Furthermore, I call for the adoption of a UNSC resolution obligating Azerbaijan to promptly unblock the Lachin Corridor and restore its functioning in accordance with the decision of the International Court of Justice dated February 22, 2023;
• I also remind that preventing genocide is not only an erga omnes obligation but also a collective responsibility of the international community;

“To the Secretary-General of the United Nations

• I urge you to demonstrate moral and political responsibility and leadership by engaging the entire UN system to prevent further international crimes committed by Azerbaijan in Artsakh;
• I urge the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide and other relevant entities to present factual and legal information to the United Nations Security Council regarding the international crimes committed against the Republic of Artsakh;
• I propose making a meaningful contribution to the process of forming a conflict resolution mechanism between Artsakh and Azerbaijan by using your institution of good offices;

“To the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide

• I urge you to activate the early warning mechanism within your mandate, thereby presenting the crisis situation that has emerged in the Republic of Artsakh to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and through him, to the Security Council;
• I urge you to take effective measures to dispatch a fact-finding mission to the Republic of Artsakh to assess the consequences of international crimes committed by Azerbaijan through the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor;

“To the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other UN structures responsible for the protection of human rights

• I urge you, within the scope of your mandates, to provide a legal assessment of the crimes committed by Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh, document the widespread violations of human rights and provide member states of the United Nations Security Council and other international entities with detailed factual and legal information about the escalating human rights crisis in Artsakh;

“To the International Committee of the Red Cross, as the sole international organization present in the Republic of Artsakh and having the appropriate international mandate

• I urge you to provide all actors of the international community and, in particular, the UN Security Council member states, with detailed factual and legal information about the situation in Artsakh and the actions of Azerbaijan, which grossly violate norms of international humanitarian law;

“To the Council of Europe

• I urge you to take effective and decisive measures to ensure the immediate implementation of the binding ruling issued by the European Court of Human Rights on December 21, 2022;
• I strongly call for measures to be taken regarding the flagrant and severe violation by Azerbaijan of the “three pillars” of the Council of Europe, including a potential exclusion of this member state from the organization;

“To the European Union

• I urge the utilization of available resources and tools within the European Union, including the imposition of sanctions, to intensify pressure on Azerbaijan to lift the blockade of Artsakh and end its widespread human rights violations;
• I urge you to remain faithful to the values and principles proclaimed by the European Union, refraining in particular from prioritizing energy partnership with Azerbaijan over human rights and freedoms;

“To International Human Rights Organizations and Other International Actors

• I urge you to actively engage in campaigns to raise awareness about the massive and systematic violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law committed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, including by providing clear legal descriptions and demanding that governments and international organizations take appropriate preventive measures;

“To Representatives of the Media

• Acknowledging the indispensable role of independent media in increasing awareness about mass crimes and their prevention, I urge you to remain true to your mission and break the unacceptable silence by providing the international community with objective information about the mass crimes taking place in Artsakh, thereby breaking the vicious cycle of injustice and impunity.

“Esteemed representatives of the international community,

 

“As I conclude this message of alarm, I implore you not to forget that Artsakh is currently the only territory in the world under a complete siege, where even the international community lacks access. Do you not question Azerbaijan’s intent to subject the peaceful population of Artsakh to total isolation? Does it not concern you that, from a human rights perspective, Artsakh has become not a gray zone but a black hole where all the crimes imaginable by human civilization can occur? Do you not realize that such international impunity and the allowance of another genocide will give rise to new crimes, possibly even against your own peoples?!

 

“Therefore, I implore and demand from all of you to promptly take action and stop this ongoing genocide of the people of Artsakh before it becomes too late.”