Ocampo: To save Armenia, it is necessary to qualify Artsakh events as  genocide

ArmInfo. To save Armenia, it is important to recognize that the events in Artsakh are genocide.  This was stated by Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, as he addressed the 5th Global Forum "Against the Crime of Genocide". He noted that Armenia is facing a new risk of genocide.  According to him, Azerbaijan is creating conditions aimed at the destruction of groups that are  different from them.

"Representatives of the Azerbaijani parliament have stated that there is no Armenia, this is the so-called Western  Azerbaijan. This statement has already been voiced at the  parliamentary level. In this context, Armenia's ratification of the  Rome Statute is of great importance. Aliyev understands that he could  be next," Ocampo emphasized, recalling the arrest warrants issued by  the International Criminal Court for Benjamin Netanyahu. 

In this vein, Ocampo emphasized the importance of using the terms  "genocide" and "risk of genocide" to prevent such crimes in the  future. The former prosecutor also noted that he would argue with  lawyers who claim that the events in Artsakh are not genocide.  "Creating conditions in which people starve is already considered  genocide," Ocampo noted. At the same time, he explained that there  are two obligations under international law: punishment and  prevention. "Regarding punishment, the participation of the  International Criminal Court in this process is important. It is only  necessary to analyze the committed crimes. The Rome Statute ratified  by Armenia can help the country apply to the International Criminal  Court and exert pressure on Azerbaijan," he noted. Ocampo also  highlighted other issues in this area. He recalled that Israel, a  country that experienced the Holocaust, is currently selling weapons  to Azerbaijan to be used against Armenia. In this regard, he  emphasized the importance of addressing these concerns. "We are aware  of the risk of genocide and we must consider what we can do. There is  a new dynamic at play that requires monitoring."