UN Visit to Artsakh Was Significantly Delayed, Says Khandanyan

The United Nations' assessments and visit to Artsakh were significantly delayed. This was stated by Deputy Sargis Khandanyan from the "Civil Contract" parliamentary faction during a conversation with reporters in the National Assembly.

It is worth noting that the Armenian side had previously insisted that a UN mission should be sent to Artsakh, even during the blockade. Now, almost the entire indigenous population of Artsakh has left their homes, and the mission arrived only after that.

Furthermore, UN Secretary-General's spokesperson Stefan Dujarric stated on October 2 that in just one day the UN mission found no signs of destruction of civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, nor received reports of violence against civilians, and did not identify dead livestock or destruction of agricultural infrastructure.

"For 10 months, we have been saying that Azerbaijan has been pursuing a policy of ethnic cleansing and have called on UN agencies to go to Artsakh to conduct on-the-ground fact-finding activities and document the situation. However, these appeals and calls essentially did not reach their destination due to various circumstances, and I now assess that the UN mission's visit is late," said the deputy.

Regarding the statement made by the UN Secretary-General's representative, the ruling faction deputy does not consider those formulations to be normal. "This wording raises confusion and disappointment; ethnic cleansing is not only about destruction. Those people could have been evacuated to Armenia in golden cars, but they came to Armenia under gunfire and as a result of military aggression and a 10-month blockade," he stated.

Khandanyan expresses hope that the UN will eventually document the ethnic cleansing that took place in Artsakh, and that the UN will utilize its tools in response.

Recall that Azerbaijan began a large-scale attack against Artsakh on September 19. The Azerbaijani aggression resulted in at least 200 deaths and over 400 injuries in Artsakh in just one day.