Right now people of Artsakh being subjected to genocide- president
YEREVAN, August 8. /ARKA/. Right now the people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) are being subjected to genocide facing a real threat of annihilation and deprivation of their homeland, Artsakh president Arayik Harutyunyan said.
"The pseudo-environmental performance implemented by the Azerbaijani authorities since December 12, 2022 on the only road through Lachin corridor connecting Artsakh with Armenia and the outside world is in reality a prelude to genocide and crimes, which acquired an official and institutional character on April 22 together with the illegal installation of the Azerbaijani checkpoint in Lachin corridor," Harutyunyan said in an address to the world community.
He noted that Artsakh has been under blockade for 8 months already, and for several months it has been impossible to deliver food and medicines even with the mediation of the Russian peacekeepers and ICRC, which violates not only international law, but also the statements made specifically for the Lachin corridor.
"The blockade of Artsakh is not an isolated episode - it must be seen as part of the planned Azerbaijani policy of large-scale destruction of the people of Artsakh. The blockade of Artsakh is only a continuation of the aggression unleashed in 2020 with the direct participation of Turkey and militants from the Middle East," Harutyunyan said.
For about eight months now, 120,000 Armenians in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) have been under complete blockade of Azerbaijan with no food, medicine, fuel, gas or electricity.
The Lachin corridor, the only road connecting Artsakh with Armenia and the rest of the world was initially blocked by Azerbaijani government-sponsored fake “eco-activists” on December 12, 2022.
Azerbaijan officially institutionalized the blockage of the road by an illegal checkpoint installation on April 23, 2023, grossly violating its international obligations.
Azerbaijan continues to demonstrate a willful disregard for the provisions of the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, the ECHR ruling of December 21, 2023, as well as ICJ orders issued on February 22 and July 6, 2023, calling on Azerbaijan to urgently “take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.” -0-
