Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense Announces Intent to Forcefully Displace 120,000 Residents of Artsakh

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh has issued a statement regarding Azerbaijan's military aggression against Artsakh: "On September 19, the Azerbaijani armed forces unleashed yet another military aggression against the Republic of Artsakh, violating the principles of international law and the provisions of the trilateral statement on the cessation of hostilities dated November 9, 2020. The capital, Stepanakert, and other settlements are currently subject to massive artillery and missile bombardment and airstrikes. There are casualties, including among the civilian population.

The ongoing illegal blockade of Artsakh and the military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan is an overt genocide and an extreme manifestation of the denial of the fundamental rights of the people of Artsakh. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense has explicitly announced its intention to forcefully displace the 120,000 residents of Artsakh, which is tantamount to the eradication of the Artsakh people as such and their community and integrity.

By subjecting the entire country to an illegal blockade and using hunger as a method of warfare, Azerbaijan has decided to resort to the use of force, confident that it will face no resistance from the international community. In recent weeks, Azerbaijani authorities have been preparing the ground for this military offensive by openly and falsely accusing Artsakh and Armenia of military provocations.

It should be emphasized that none of these fabrications have been confirmed by the reports of the Russian peacekeeping forces. Azerbaijan's military aggression against Artsakh is a direct consequence of the lack of collective measures by the international community to halt its genocidal actions and the ongoing illegal blockade of Artsakh for more than 9 months.

By ignoring warnings about Azerbaijan's criminal intentions and refusing to take appropriate actions, all responsible international actors have failed to prevent Azerbaijan's latest aggression against Artsakh. The Republic of Artsakh demands that the international community take all necessary measures to immediately stop the continuation of Azerbaijani military aggression and to ensure the safety of the population. The prevention of the crime of genocide is the duty of each state, including the involved actors. Inaction contributes to the commission of the crime."