We Demand Action from the International Community: Artsakh Foreign Ministry

We demand that all responsible members of the international community take the necessary collective and individual measures to stop the ongoing international crimes committed by Azerbaijan and to prevent the impending genocide of the Armenian people of Artsakh. This was stated in a message from the Artsakh Foreign Ministry.

Since June 15, Azerbaijan has completely blocked all types of humanitarian cargo, including food and medical supplies, carried through the Lachin corridor by the Russian peacekeeping forces (RPF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to the Republic of Artsakh, deliberately depriving 120,000 of Artsakh's population, including children, women, and the elderly, of the minimum means of survival for the seventh consecutive day.

We emphasize that the complete and arbitrary blockade of the Lachin corridor, in particular the intentional obstruction of humanitarian cargo intended for the besieged population of Artsakh, is considered a war crime under international law. Azerbaijan has essentially transitioned from gross violations of the provisions of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, and complete disregard for the legally binding order of the International Court of Justice on February 22, 2023, to actions that constitute war crimes.

It is important to recall that the Lachin corridor, established by the trilateral statement of leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia on November 9, 2020, which specifically defined the exclusive control of the corridor by the RPF, has been subjected to severe and arbitrary restrictions by Azerbaijan over the past six months and has only been used for the passage of ICRC and RPF vehicles.

Following a premeditated provocation involving the Azerbaijani flag on the bridge of Hakari on June 15, Azerbaijan completely blocked the corridor, including with the use of armored vehicles. Consequently, traffic in both directions through the corridor is now also closed to representatives of the ICRC and the RPF, who were delivering essential goods to the Republic of Artsakh.

The complete blockade and isolation of the Republic of Artsakh from the outside world exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and create fertile ground for Azerbaijan's ongoing crimes against humanity to escalate into genocide. By entirely blocking the Lachin corridor, which is the sole route for the survival of the people of Artsakh, Azerbaijan has effectively elevated its targeted policy of ethnic cleansing and destruction of its people to a new level.

There is no doubt that the initial goal of imposing illegal control over the Lachin corridor was to further blockade it and to use the blockade as a means to carry out aggressive and genocidal policies against the people of Artsakh.

In essence, the Lachin corridor, which was originally intended to ensure Artsakh's connection with the outside world and was one of the guarantees of its people's normal livelihood, is being used by Azerbaijan as a geopolitical tool to conduct aggressive operations against the Republic of Artsakh and its citizens.

Deliberately starving 120,000 people, including women, the elderly, and children, causing them unbearable suffering on a daily basis, as well as imposing one's will through force or the threat of force, requires the international community to take urgent and effective coercive measures aimed at preventing mass violations of the rights of the people of Artsakh.

We strongly demand that all responsible members of the international community take the necessary collective and individual measures to stop the ongoing international crimes committed by Azerbaijan and to prevent the impending genocide threatening the Armenian people of Artsakh. It is also time for the ICRC and other relevant international organizations and human rights groups to adequately assess the situation and urgently call on the Azerbaijani authorities to respect the rights of the people of Artsakh to humanitarian aid and international protection.

We emphasize that inaction and indifference effectively encourage Azerbaijan's genocidal actions.