Reporting on False Paradise Next to Hell is Neither Human, Professional, nor Legal: Armenian Journalists from Artsakh

A group of journalists from Artsakh held a peaceful protest on July 22 along the road from Stepanakert to Shushi. According to an Armenpress correspondent, the participants called on attendees of the Global Media Forum organized in occupied Shushi by Azerbaijan to remain true to their mission as journalists—representing the truth and defending human rights and dignity.

The peaceful protesters, representing the community of journalists in the Republic of Artsakh, issued a so-called humanitarian and professional appeal to the forum participants in English and Russian:

"Considering that you, from over 120 media outlets and 50 countries, have visited Azerbaijan at the invitation of its authoritarian regime, considering Azerbaijan's most negative record for ensuring freedom of speech, including the presence of numerous journalists currently imprisoned and under pressure, considering Azerbaijan's long-standing attempts to manipulate, fabricate, and illegitimately influence international media, and considering Azerbaijan's policy of falsifying the history and culture of the native Armenian people of Nagorno-Karabakh, including Shushi, in light of numerous examples documented by international courts and human rights organizations regarding Azerbaijan's anti-Armenian ethnic hatred and discriminatory state policy, drawing attention to the fact that Azerbaijan has blockaded the 120,000 residents of Nagorno-Karabakh for more than 7 months, leaving them without food, medicine, fuel, and other essential supplies, amidst worsening acute humanitarian crises, high risks of famine, doubled mortality rates among newborns and unborn children, 90% anemia rates among pregnant women, and the cessation of public transport and agricultural and other economic activities leading to a sharp increase in unemployment and poverty, considering Azerbaijan's refusal to comply with legally binding decisions from the UN International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights regarding the unimpeded movement of people, vehicles, and cargo through the Lachin corridor connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, and considering Azerbaijan's obstacles to international investigative missions, foreign journalists, and humanitarian organizations attempting to enter Nagorno-Karabakh to document and report the real situation, we, journalists from the Republic of Artsakh, call on you to take the following actions:

1. Cease the dissemination of unilateral information and narratives regarding Nagorno-Karabakh, the blockade, and the overall conflict;
2. Cease supporting the authoritarian regime's blatant violations against freedom of speech and the rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh;
3. Come to our communities located just a few kilometers away to cover the real life of our people and the true faces of those inviting and feeding you in Shushi;
4. Stay committed to your mission as journalists—to represent the truth and defend human rights and dignity;
5. Avoid becoming a tool in the hands of an authoritarian regime and promoting ethnic cleansing policies. Otherwise, you bear heavy responsibility for the ongoing crimes against humanity.

Reporting on a false paradise next to hell is neither human, professional, nor legal. We believe you can make a difference in the world and save lives. We expect your humanitarian and professional support in defense of truth, human rights, freedoms, and dignity,” stated the journalists from Artsakh in their appeal.

The Human Rights Defender of Artsakh, Gegham Stepanyan, was also present at the protest at the invitation of the journalists.