Armenian Foreign Ministry Qualifies Azerbaijani Actions as Terrorism

On March 5, three officers from the Passport and Visa Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Nagorno-Karabakh were killed and one wounded as a result of a diversionary attack carried out by Azerbaijani armed forces in the region. The facts demonstrate that this was a pre-planned provocation directed by the top leadership of Azerbaijan.

Following the incident, Azerbaijani official bodies disseminated information claiming they had received operational intelligence suggesting that weapons, ammunition, and personnel were being transferred from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, and they acted on this intelligence. However, the official hypothesis put forth by Azerbaijan is absurd; they have not presented and cannot present any evidence or justification to support this claim.

This event occurred less than two weeks after the International Court of Justice issued a decision rejecting Azerbaijan's unfounded allegations regarding Armenia's supposed mine placements.

The video evidence in the possession of the Nagorno-Karabakh police clearly shows that the Azerbaijani diversionary group attacked a "UAZ" minibus, which was carrying four employees of the Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry of Internal Affairs, who were on an official trip from Stepanakert to the villages of Hin Shen and Mets Shen. Moreover, the footage confirms that there were no items in the "UAZ" besides official documents and service weapons.

The actions of the Azerbaijani diversionary group can only be categorized as terrorism. For almost three months, in parallel to the blockade of the Lachin corridor and the creation of a humanitarian disaster in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan has continued its campaign of terror against the Armenian population of Artsakh, creating inhumane conditions for them to live in their homeland, ultimately aiming for ethnic cleansing.

It is significant that following the approval of Armenia's request for interim measures against Azerbaijan by the International Court of Justice on February 22, the Azerbaijani side not only failed to take steps towards the implementation of the court's legally binding decision but also has initiated new criminal acts against the Armenian population of Artsakh, including civilians.

On February 28, Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire on a resident of the village of Myurishen in the Martuni region of Artsakh, who was engaged in agricultural work. The ceasefire was also violated by Azerbaijani armed forces on March 2 and during the night of March 2-3, from areas under Azerbaijani control in the Askeran, Martakert, and Martuni regions.

These actions by Azerbaijan serve as a practical denial of Baku's sincerity regarding the establishment of peace and stability in the region. This once again underscores the necessity of ensuring the rights and security guarantees for the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the need for international involvement in this process.

The Republic of Armenia calls on the international community, countries interested in establishing real peace in our region, and international organizations to strongly condemn the use of force and the threat of force by Azerbaijan, as well as this latest manifestation of provocations aimed at instigating large-scale military actions, and to take effective measures to prevent Azerbaijan from further violating its international obligations. Under the current circumstances, sending an international fact-finding group to the Lachin corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh becomes a vital necessity.