During These Three Years, the People of Nagorno-Karabakh Have Endured Inhuman Difficulties Due to Military Attacks, Terrorism, and Starvation - Armenian Foreign Ministry

The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement, which we present below:

“Three years ago on this day, Azerbaijan unleashed large-scale military operations against the indigenous people of Nagorno-Karabakh living in their homeland, targeting the civilian population and committing mass military crimes. These devastating actions were part of Azerbaijan's planned policy aimed at ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Despite numerous messages and efforts to resolve the existing issues in the region exclusively through political and diplomatic means, Azerbaijan continued its pattern of using the threat or application of force, avoiding constructive dialogue on the rights and security issues of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh under international mechanisms.

Throughout these three years, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh have endured inhuman hardships, continuously subjected to military attacks, terrorism, a blockade lasting ten months, and starvation.

Due to the lack of criticism and a robust international response to the use of force three years ago, the ineffectiveness of the security guarantees established as a result of the 44-day war in 2020, and the absence of international access to Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan's anti-Armenian actions and policies not only continued but also found new expressions—resulting in the armed attack on September 19 and the actual forcible displacement and ethnic cleansing of a significant portion of the Nagorno-Karabakh population.

Today, the Republic of Armenia commemorates all our compatriots who lost their lives during the 44-day war in 2020 and in the period that followed. Today we emphasize the imperative of condemning the use of force in the region and preventing further mass atrocities.”