Artsakh President sends urgent appeal to int`l community requesting  to prevent genocide of  Artsakh people 

ArmInfo. On August 8th, President of the Republic of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan  sent an urgent appeal to the international community to take urgent  measures to prevent the genocide of the Artsakh people and to lift  the siege. 

According to the press service of the head of the Republic of  Artsakh, in his urgent appeal-message, Harutyunyan warned:

"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 Azerbaijan? 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 ?mploying  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."