Luis Moreno Ocampo publishes 2nd report on genocide committed in Nagorno-Karabakh

ArmInfo. Former ICC Prosecutor General Luis Moreno  Ocampo published his 2nd report on the genocide committed in  Nagorno-Karabakh, highlighting the consistent international practice  of denying this fact. It contains the testimony of former Artsakh  State Minister Artak Beglaryan.

The Summary of the report, in particular, states: "December 2023  marks the 75th anniversary of the Genocide Convention's adoption,  exposing the consistent state parties' position to deny the  commission of genocide.

Just in the last months of 2023, the UN Special Adviser on the  Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, alerted about six  different situations where there is a risk of genocide against ethnic  groups, including the Rohingya,1 the Nagorno-Karabakh people,2 the  Tigray in Ethiopia,3 the Israelis and Palestinians,4 and the Masalit  in Darfur, Sudan.5 1 Remarks by United Nations  Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser Nderitu Panel Discussion  "Impact of Majoritarianism on Religious Minorities in South Asia"  U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C. 7 June 2023.

2 Special Adviser Nderitu stated "on September 22, 2023, Military  action .put the civilian population in the area at risk of violence,  including risk of genocide and related atrocity crimes." UN Press  Release, Statement by Ms. Alice Wairimu Nderitu, Special Adviser on  the Prevention of Genocide, on the situation in Armenia and  Azerbaijan (September 22nd, 2023).

3 Special Adviser Nderitu stated to be "alarmed at the heightened  risk of genocide and related atrocity crimes in Ethiopia." UN Press  Release, New York, October 10th, 2023.

4 Alice Wairimu Nderitu, Statement of the Special Adviser on the  Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, on the situation in  the Middle East, (October 15th, 2023).

5 UN Press Release, Statement by Ms. Alice Wairimu Nderitu, United  Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, on the renewed  escalation of violence in Darfur, Sudan (November 14th, 2023).

The Genocide Convention's 75th anniversary provides an opportunity to  move beyond empty "never again" promises. The University of Sao Paulo  project "Innovation on Global Order" will conduct research and teach  how to make operational the duties to prevent and punish genocide.   This paper focuses on the Nagorno-Karabakh situation.

Since the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, state parties of the  Genocide Convention involved in conversations with Azerbaijan, like  the US, France, Germany, the UK, Israel, and Russia, ignored for  different reasons the precise and available information about the  serious risk of genocide for the Nagorno-Karabakh ethnic group.  Instead, most wanted to facilitate an agreement between Armenia and  Azerbaijan to avoid new hostilities and achieve particular economic  and geopolitical national interests. Israel, for instance, benefited  from substantial weapons sales to Azerbaijan.  State parties of the  Convention should not benefit from genocide.

Their obligation to prevent genocide requires continuing to assess  President Aliyev's genocidal intention to attack Armenia, ensure  reparations for those who have lost their lives and their property in  Nagorno-Karabakh, guarantee the rights of the ethnic group to return  to their ancestral land safely, and to release the "Armenian  prisoners."

That is the most urgent aspect of genocide prevention, to end the  risk of "serious bodily and mental harm" (Genocide Convention Article  II b) to more than twenty victims of genocide, including three former  Artsakh presidents and five other community leaders, incarcerated by  Azerbaijan. Their captivity is part of the genocide and a message to  their community: if you come back to Nagorno-Karabakh, you will be  starved, incarcerated, or killed. They became hostages.  As a  Nagorno-Karabakh's leader, Artak Beglaryan was hunted by Azerbaijan  forces before and after the September 19th attack. Still, unlike most  of the others, he was able to escape in challenging circumstances  despite his visual impairment. His testimony, attached,6 is evidence  of the serious mental harm suffered by the entire ethnic group as  established by the Genocide Convention Article II b).

On December 12, 2023, more than 100 global figures, including former  heads of state, Nobel Prize laureates, and business and humanitarian  leaders, demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the  "Armenian Prisoners."7 A recognition that genocide was committed will  trigger the state parties' obligations to prevent it and help to  ensure their release.  6 Testimony by Artak Beglaryan

7  https://apnews.com/press-release/pr-newswire/azerbaijan-azerbaijan-government-ireland  government-mexico-ireland-8a97a8083398d96c068755a695bf0c95".

To become acquainted with the full text of the Report, please visit:   https://luismorenoocampo.com/lmo_en/report-genocides-december-2023/   .