Punitive actions could undermine efforts to arrive at peace agreement  between Armenia and Azerbaijan - Ambassador Andrew Turner

ArmInfo. Canada and its allies have discussed sanctioning Azerbaijan over its military incursion last month into the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh - which triggered a mass exodus of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians into neighbouring Armenia - a senior diplomat told the Commons foreign affairs and international development committee Monday, www.cbc.ca reports. 

"There absolutely have been discussions ... continued debate about  when it would be most appropriate to use that tool," said Andrew  Turner, Canada's recently appointed ambassador to Armenia, in  response to questions from NDP foreign affairs critic Heather  McPherson.

Speaking by teleconference from Yerevan, Armenia's capital, Turner  also said there's a risk that punitive actions could undermine  efforts to arrive at a peace agreement between Armenia and  Azerbaijan.

"The pursuit of sanctions right now would risk disrupting the ongoing  efforts at peace," he said.

"While we have not seen anyone take the route of sanctions, we have  seen announcements from France, for example, about the possibility of  military support, and that has caused Azerbaijan to withdraw from  planned international meetings and discussions that could have helped  advance the peace process."

Turner's testimony came a few days after Foreign Affairs Minister  M‚lanie Joly visited Armenia to officially inaugurate Canada's  embassy. Asked by journalists about the prospect of sanctions during  her trip, Joly said "everything is on the table" - which prompted  criticism from Azerbajian's foreign affairs department.

Prior to September's military shelling operation, Nagorno-Karabakh  had a majority ethnic Armenian population. Since the collapse of the  Soviet Union, Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought two wars over the  region, which is recognized as part of Azerbaijan under international  law but had a de-facto ethnic Armenian government.

Refugees unlikely to return: International Crisis Group 

Turner also pointed out that Ottawa has told Azerbaijan that refugees  who fled Nagorno-Karabakh should be guaranteed the right to return.

Canada has signed a multi-country declaration to the United Nations  Human Rights Council to that effect.

While Azerbaijan has said repeatedly that refugees are welcome to  return, one expert told the Parliamentary committee that few refugees  are likely to take up that offer.

"In my meetings with displaced people scattered throughout Armenia,"  said Olesya Vartanyan, a senior analyst with the International Crisis  Group, "I have not met a single person who is considering returning  to Nagorno-Karabakh any time soon.

"They have no trust in [Azerbaijan's] rule and are too afraid to  return."

Vartanyan said Azerbaijan could build some trust by allowing  displaced refugees to at least visit their homes and the graves of  family members who have been killed, perhaps with assistance from  international bodies such as the International Committee of the Red  Cross.

Some of the experts who testified disagreed with the ambassador's  suggestion that punitive actions could drive Azerbaijan out of peace  talks.

"Now is the time for targeted sanctions to be imposed on Azerbaijan,"  said University of Windsor law professor Christopher Waters.

"They would be a warning that Canada expects Azerbaijan to protect  cultural heritage, to safeguard the few remaining ethnic Armenians,  to preserve the possibility of the right of return for those who  fled, and to ensure fair treatment for civilian leaders who have been  detained by the [Azerbaijani] regime under the guise that they are  terrorists."

He reminded the committee of how Canadian-manufactured drone parts  wound up being sold to Turkey, Azerbaijan's ally in its conflict with  Armenia, and then used in drones by Azerbaijan against Armenia in  2020.

Waters also pointed to how Azerbaijan has taken over some parts of  Armenia's sovereign territory itself, and to Azerbaijani government  rhetoric claiming another strip of land within Armenia.

Jean-Fran‡ois Ratelle, an expert in insurgency and the politics of  Caucasus states at the University of Ottawa, also suggested the  International Criminal Court could be another avenue for justice. He  said Canada should support Armenia's recent move to ratify joining  the body, which could lead to a probe of alleged ethnic cleansing in  the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

He cited the economic blockade imposed by Azerbaijan on  Nagorno-Karabakh in the nearly 10 months prior to its military  incursion, which largely stopped food and medication from making its  way to the local population, as well as the exodus itself.

Bloc Qu‚b‚cois MP St‚phane Bergeron, also a member of the committee,  suggested Azerbaijan could feel emboldened to attack because of its  recent military successes.

"I find it particular to point to France, which has been Armenia's  only ally in the last few months," he said, citing how Paris brought  up the conflict at the UN Security Council and sold defensive  weaponry to Armenia.