Recognition of the Right to Self-Determination for the People of Artsakh: Geneva's Blow to Azerbaijan

Geneva's City Council has adopted a resolution condemning Azerbaijan's military aggression, recognizing the right to self-determination of the Armenians of Artsakh, and calling for the freezing of Aliyev's clan's assets in Switzerland, with 49 votes in favor, 18 abstentions, and 2 against.

According to Armenpress, the resolution's co-authors include Anna Barseghyan, Arno Moreil, Brigitte Studer, and several other council members. The resolution, titled "The Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh Have the Right to Live and Self-Determination," provides a historical overview of the violent annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan and the frequent and brutal ethnic cleansings that occurred there, including massacres in Sumgait, Baku, and Kirovabad starting from 1988. It also references Azerbaijan's attacks on Armenian borders in July 2020 and Azerbaijan's aggression unleashed against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh with the involvement of Turkey starting from September 27. War crimes against the civilian population are condemned, and the city council is called to do everything possible to uphold the provisions of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.

"The Geneva City Council recognizes the right to self-determination of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh as the only guarantee of their security," the resolution states.

The resolution's adoption is particularly significant as it comes just ahead of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov's visit to Geneva. On the 12th day of Azerbaijan's large-scale military operations, on October 8, Bayramov is scheduled to have meetings in Geneva with the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.