International Community's 'Inconvenient' Silence Not Accompanied by Real Actions to Rectify Situation: Armenia's Human Rights Defender

The incursion of Azerbaijani armed forces into the village of Parukh in the Askeran region of the Republic of Artsakh is a direct logical continuation of Azerbaijan's criminal state policy. This was stated by Armenia's Human Rights Defender Kristine Grigoryan.

This behavior, which violates all well-known norms of international law, has been ongoing for weeks and months, manifesting through various actions aimed at pressuring, terrorizing, and creating unbearable conditions for the normal life of the population of Artsakh. This incursion is yet another testimony to the fact that the targeting of the peaceful residents of Kharamort and other villages over the past weeks did not yield the desired results—people did not leave their homeland. Therefore, Azerbaijan resorted to its tried-and-tested behavior of provocation.

It is a shameful fact that the policy of ethnic cleansing against the people of Artsakh is a priority for the Azerbaijani state, and this takes precedence over its own international legal obligations and the signatures placed under the legal commitments it has undertaken.

The 'inconvenient' silence of the international community regarding the documented human rights violations in Artsakh has not yet been accompanied by real actions to rectify the situation. The people of Artsakh possess the same rights as those in other corners of the world.

I strongly condemn Azerbaijan's criminal behavior and urge organizations and actors with human rights mandates to act to stop this genocidal policy against the population of Artsakh.