This is genocide happening now: US Congress discusses the situation in Artsakh

Hearings are taking place in the US Congress' Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission regarding the situation created due to the Azerbaijani blockade in Nagorno-Karabakh. Speakers unanimously assert that what is happening amounts to genocide against the Armenian population of Artsakh.

Co-chair of the commission, Christopher Smith, emphasized that 120,000 ethnic Armenians are suffering because of the Azerbaijani government. He stated, “This horrific crime, this genocidal crime is being planned and implemented by the Azerbaijani government, I would say by President Aliyev, who runs Azerbaijan as a dictator. I have met with Aliyev twice in Baku and spoke very candidly with him about the human rights violations perpetrated by his government and by him personally…”

Christopher Smith also announced plans for drafting new legislation concerning human rights in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Former International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo also shared his expert opinion, stating that he had presented a report on August 7, highlighting that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that genocide is being perpetrated against Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023.” He appealed to the attendees, saying, “The Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh need you; make ‘never again’ a reality by remembering the genocide of 1915.”

Summarizing his report, he stated, “This is genocide happening now. People usually think that genocide requires a high number of deaths and killings. However, there are various ways to carry out genocide. One method requires zero casualties, simply by creating conditions for the destruction of people.”