Official Letter Regarding Lachin Crisis Sent to Leaders of Over 30 Countries' Parliaments

The President of the National Assembly of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, has sent an official letter regarding the Lachin crisis to the leaders of the parliaments of over 30 countries and the presidents of international parliamentary organizations. The letter specifically draws attention to the blockade of the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia, which has been ongoing for more than a month.

The letter states that the blockade of the Lachin corridor, controlled by Russian peacekeeping forces, is a gross violation of the international obligations undertaken by Azerbaijan in the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020.

Regarding the 120,000 Armenians in Artsakh under blockade, it is noted that the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh is deepening day by day. "The danger of malnutrition is becoming increasingly tangible. 41 kindergartens and 20 schools are closed, depriving thousands of children of their right to education. Moreover, this blockade hinders the free movement of the population in Nagorno-Karabakh. At least 1,100 civilians have recently been stranded along the blocked highway, unable to return to their homes," the official letter states.

The letter also refers to 270 minors who have temporarily sought refuge in Armenia while their parents remain in Artsakh.

Alen Simonyan informs that today Nagorno-Karabakh lives in isolation, with an extreme shortage of electricity and without access to essential services and goods for life. "This blockade is nothing but a vivid continuation of Azerbaijan's systematic policy of ethnic cleansing,” the letter states.

It is noted in the letter that several governments, including France and the United States, the European Union, the European Parliament, and many national parliaments, the UN, human rights organizations, and notable international organizations dealing with genocide issues, have condemned this unlawful and hostile action and called for the immediate and unconditional unblocking of the corridor.

"Once again emphasizing the Armenian side's determination to build peace and stability in the region, we urge our international partners to take additional measures to prevent the dire situation unfolding in Nagorno-Karabakh, including the imposition of sanctions against Azerbaijan," the letter concludes.

This is the second similar official letter by the President of the National Assembly of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, to international partners. He also addressed his counterparts on this issue after the adoption of the National Assembly's declaration on December 14, 2022, regarding Azerbaijan's creation of a humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh.