YEREVAN, APRIL 13, ARTSAKHPRESS. It’s already been nearly four months that Azerbaijan is illegally blockading the Lachin Corridor, ignoring the February 22 binding ruling of the International Court of Justice and the clear demand by the international community to fulfill it, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said at a joint press conference with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Foreign Minister of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani on April 13.
“With the blockade of Lachin Corridor, the terror, as well as other actions aimed at making the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh forcefully leave their homes, Azerbaijan seeks to implement a coordinated policy of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh. I want to especially underscore that the International Court of Justice has stated the presence of direct threats of irreversible damages to the rights of Armenians under the Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination,” FM Mirzoyan said.
FM Mirzoyan repeated that in this situation, unimpeded access of international humanitarian organizations into Nagorno Karabakh and the deployment of an international fact-finding mission to Nagorno Karabakh and Lachin Corridor can have important significance to end the fake narratives generated by Azerbaijan, to prevent the aggression, end human sufferings and establish stability in the region.
Mirzoyan also mentioned the violations of other terms of the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement by Azerbaijan.
“Azerbaijan refuses to return all Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held as hostages, by continuing false trials against them,” FM Mirzoyan said.
He added that along with refusing to ensure the return of IDPs and refugees to Nagorno Karabakh under the supervision of the UNHCR as envisaged under the 9 November statement, Azerbaijan is populating the Armenian settlements that have gone under its control with Azerbaijanis.
By displaying explicit disregard for fundamental principles of international law, Azerbaijan continues belligerent rhetoric and hate speech, threatening with renewed aggression and seriously jeopardizing regional stability, the Armenian FM added.
The United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan on February 22 to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. The Lachin Corridor has been blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022.
