Armenian Foreign Ministry Issues Statement

On April 4, another gross violation of the rights of the citizens of Artsakh occurred, highlighting the true intentions of Azerbaijan, which has kept the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) under complete blockade for more than 110 days.

The Azerbaijani side has refused to allow the vehicles of the Russian peacekeeping forces to pass through the Lachin Corridor, which were transporting Artsakh citizens who were left stranded in Armenia due to the blockade and deprived of the opportunity to reunite with their families.

In the blocked section of the Lachin Corridor, the Azerbaijani side stopped the vehicles and subjected those inside, mainly women, children, and elderly individuals, to psychological terror for 5 hours. Subsequently, Azerbaijan attempted to turn the suffering of these individuals into a staged act of false humanity.

This alarming incident clearly demonstrates that the Azerbaijani authorities have moved on to implementing the next phase of their criminal plan for the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and the expulsion of its people from their historical homeland. The President of Azerbaijan publicly stated these intentions in an interview with Azerbaijani media on January 10, 2023. Subsequently, the political leadership of Azerbaijan has repeatedly reiterated the threat that residents of Artsakh must either submit to Azerbaijan's anti-Armenian authorities or leave their homeland.

Under absolute impunity, the criminal actions perpetrated by Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh are taking on an increasingly threatening nature and scale. The inaction of the international community in the face of such serious human rights violations amounts to silent approval, if not complicity, in the inhumane actions of official Baku. It is absolutely essential for the UN Security Council, which has the appropriate mandate and tools, to take urgent and decisive measures to immediately halt the illegal blockade and prevent the ongoing crimes of Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh in the eyes of the international community.