Lawyer Artashes Khalatyan on the UN Court's Decision

Lawyer Artashes Khalatyan, who also serves as the head of the Civil Status Acts Registration Agency, considers Armenia's application to the International Court of Justice as an unprecedented step in Armenian diplomacy, while also labeling the court's decision as unprecedented. Khalatyan expressed this view during a roundtable discussion organized by the Armenian Center for Democracy and Security on the topic, "What Followed Sochi, and What Precedes Brussels: Is a New Armenian-Azerbaijani War Possible?"

"Applying to the UN International Court is a very important, non-standard, unprecedented step in our 30-year struggle in Armenian diplomacy. We have initiated a process outside the realm of political negotiations, which is essentially aimed at strengthening our negotiating positions at the bargaining table regarding the issue of Artsakh," Khalatyan stated.

The Armenian side has not presented the entire package of solutions to the Artsakh issue at the UN International Court but has distinguished the humanitarian aspect, focusing on human rights. "To achieve success in the Artsakh negotiation process, we must convince the international community that there is a problem of fundamental human rights violations here," Khalatyan said.

Thus, Armenia has approached the UN International Court, claiming that Azerbaijan continuously violates the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination. "We have clearly outlined our demands here, which we have negotiated for years in a political package, specifically that the people of Artsakh are facing existential threats. Azerbaijan continuously threatens the right to life of the people of Artsakh; the Artsakh war erupted as a realization of the self-defense rights of the people of Artsakh against Azerbaijani aggression, which aimed to carry out an ethnic cleansing of the region. There is a continuous cultural genocide occurring, and the cultural presence of Armenians in Artsakh is systematically being eliminated, along with the ill-treatment of prisoners of war—killings, not returning them, and so on," he explained.

The Hague court has demanded that Azerbaijan prevent the spread of racial hatred against Armenians. According to the decision, Azerbaijan must protect the safety of individuals captured during or as a result of the 2020 Artsakh war and guarantee their equality before the law. It must take measures to prevent the spread of racial hatred against people of Armenian descent, including by officials and representatives of state institutions. Azerbaijan must take all necessary measures to prevent and punish acts of vandalism and desecration committed against Armenian cultural heritage.

"This is nothing but a recognition of the legitimacy of the Armenian side's demands. Even before discussing them in detail, the UN Court recognizes their apparent legitimacy," he stated, considering the UN court's decision as unprecedented.