Nagorno Karabakh -=- ARTSAKH

[Yervant1]

July 11 2023

Peace at risk as Azerbaijan blocks crucial road into Nagorno-Karabakh

By Euronews with AFP • Updated: 11/07/2023 - 12:06

Closing the vital Lachin corridor, Armenia's main route into the disputed region, could pose a serious risk to a fragile truce.

Azerbaijan announced on Tuesday it had suspended road traffic on the only road linking Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, after Yerevan accused Baku of obstructing access to the breakaway region.

"Crossing via the Lachin border post is temporarily suspended", the Azerbaijani border guards said in a statement, alleging that the Armenian branch of the Red Cross had used the checkpoint for multiple "smuggling attempts".

The governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan have already been in European-brokered negotiations this year to try and ease tensions in the disputed region.

The Azerbaijani authorities say the border crossing will be closed until a criminal investigation into the smuggling claims has been completed.

Flashpoint

The two countries have been fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh since the late 1980s, resulting in two wars.

The last one was in 2020, which saw the defeat of Armenian forces and major territorial gains for Azerbaijan.

Part of the enclave, located in Azerbaijan, remains under the control of Armenian separatists, but it is now surrounded by territories held by Baku.

The balance of peace in the region has depended in recent years on a Russian peacekeeping mission instituted after a bloody 2020 war between the two countries.

But since December, Armenia has accused its neighbour of obstructing supplies to the breakaway region and creating a humanitarian crisis by blocking the Lachin corridor.

Initially, Baku claimed Azerbaijani environmental activists were blocking the road to protest against illegal mines.

Then, in April, Azerbaijan announced it had installed the checkpoint on the Lachin corridor for "security" reasons.

At the end of June, the Armenian branch of the Red Cross indicated because of the blockade, it was unable to transport medical supplies and seriously ill patients to and from hospitals in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia has also criticised the Russian peacekeepers deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh for failing in their obligation to ensure traffic flow through the corridor.

The Russian government, meanwhile, is irritated at Western attempts to negotiate a new peace agreement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted earlier this year that there is "no alternative" to the ceasefire deal Moscow brokered in 2020.

https://www.euronews.com/2023/07/11/peace-at-risk-as-azerbaijan-blocks-crucial-road-into-nagorno-karabakh

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

More international efforts needed to lift 7-month blockade of Nagorno Karabakh to prevent ethnic cleansing - MFA spox

15:07, 11 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. Since establishment of illegal checkpoint in Lachin Corridor Azerbaijan repeatedly forbids even movement of the vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which is against the decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Armenia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan wrote on Twitter.

“Since establishment of illegal checkpoint in Lachin Corridor Azerbaijan repeatedly, against ICJ decisions, forbids even movement of ICRC, including medical evacuation.

More international efforts and actions needed to lift 7-month blockade of Nagorno Karabakh to prevent ethnic cleansing”, MFA Spokesperson wrote on Twitter.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1115175.html?fbclid=IwAR31Evvc0dO2koPPhKaCKt3QGZbNl3CXQL2G9z0xKmz8fV8mNOV2zp1VMTc

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Azerbaijan's claims were false and manipulative. Armenian MFA welcomes the decision of International Court of Justice

10:17, 12 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia welcomes the Order of the International Court of Justice of 6 July 2023, the complete text of which was communicated to the parties on 11 July 2023.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the MFA Armenia, the Court unanimously reaffirmed its 22 February 2023 Order obligating Azerbaijan, pending the final decision in the case, in accordance with its obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination “to take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions”.

The Court unanimously confirmed with its 6 July 2023 legally binding Order that the 22 February 2023 Order “applies without limitation” to the checkpoint established by Azerbaijan and the existence and operation of the Azerbaijani checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor plausibly constitutes racial discrimination.

It is important to highlight that the Court considered that “the tenuous situation between the Parties confirms the need for effective implementation” of that Order, which was taken to prevent an imminent risk of irreparable harm to ethnic Armenians’ rights under the CERD and which has been and is still being intentionally disregarded by Azerbaijan.

Thus, the 6 July 2023 Order of the Court reaffirms Azerbaijan’s international legal obligation to take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions, and therefore to immediately cease the operation of its checkpoint, as it unquestionably impedes the rights under the CERD of Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh.

It can be stated that the 6 July 2023 Order of the Court once again proves that Azerbaijan’s assertions of its compliance with the Order of the Court of 22 February 2023 were false and manipulative.

We also call on other international actors, and the UN Security Council in particular, to take all steps to ensure the immediate and effective implementation of the Court’s Order by Azerbaijan.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1115221.html?fbclid=IwAR0c4cXMA7CqqcNY4d49tOy6_B9y5LPIzHEB4qwxlhMSF4DnbKF9c3pfm18

[MosJan]

[MosJan]

noone will do nothing to him. till Russia Ukrainian war ends and Russian gas starts going to EU normally.. long time

[MosJan]

[MosJan]

March For Artsakh

[MosJan]

[MosJan]

like marching did anything at all ever.....

[MosJan]

all wee have got was Nikol after he walked / marched from Gyumri..

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Rally held in Stepanakert demanding to unblock the Lachin Corridor

14:57, 12 July 2023

STEPANAKERT, 12 JULY, ARMENPRESS. On July 12, a rally was held by the initiative of the "People's Movement for Unblocking the Corridor" in Stepanakert's Renaissance Square, demanding to unblock the Lachin Corridor.

The coordinators of the rally noted that the situation created by the complete blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan after July 15 forces to take actions for unblocking the Lachin Corridor as soon as possible, as the situation is getting worse.

"Our plan is to gather a large number of people here, after which we will start a march to Hakari Bridge. For that, we need to be provided with fuel and security, and we need to turn to the Russian peacekeepers for both of those issues. If they don't do anything, we will close the airport and cut off their supply, just as ours is cut off. For now, we will inform the population about our actions so that a large number of people gather," Arthur Osipyan, an activist of the rally, told Armenpress.

Then the participants of the rally headed to the headquarters of the "People's Movement for Unblocking the Corridor", where the action group announced that today they will also turn to Artsakh authorities to support the implementation of the goals of the rally.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1115253.html?fbclid=IwAR27WmobDmV0tS7865sLug6o51aZ1Kp0G5IB_rruq42JaDjhFUl9zskhaSU

[Yervant1]

July 12 2023

AFP

Armenia demands humanitarian access for breakaway Karabakh

Armenia said Wednesday that international humanitarian organisations must be allowed to access Nagorno-Karabakh, after Azerbaijan shut the only road linking the breakaway region with Armenia.

Residents pointed to empty store shelves, while health authorities said that locals did not have access to health services and more than 180 people -- including "two critically ill children" -- needed to be moved to Armenia.

Karabakh has been at the centre of a decades-long territorial dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which have fought two wars over the mountainous territory, mainly populated by Armenians.

On Tuesday, Azerbaijan said it was shutting the only road linking the region to Armenia, accusing the Armenian branch of the Red Cross of smuggling.

On Wednesday, Armenia's foreign ministry said the move was "aimed at creating conditions incompatible with life for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.

"It is unfortunate that during these months the international community and international humanitarian organisations have been unable to gain humanitarian access to Nagorno-Karabakh," said the ministry statement.

Such access was "crucial to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh", the statement added.

- 'Getting worse' by the day -

Residents in the rebel region's main city, Stepanakert, reported food shortages and critical problems with access to medical services.

"Citizens are dying because they don't have access to health services," Metakse Iakobyan, 51, told AFP.

"In my opinion, this is the biggest problem."

Lucine Gasparyan, 37, said she was worried about the future.

"Store shelves are empty, we can only buy bread, I can't imagine what our conditions are going to be in the future," Gasparyan added.

Zhanna Krikorova, 61, said people were running out of food.

"The scariest thing is, what do we give our children for breakfast?" she said.

"How do we treat the sick who need help that cannot be provided here?"

The separatist government's health minister, Vardan Tadevosyan, said that more than 180 people including "two critically ill children" needed to be brought to Armenia for treatment.

Karabakh's rights ombudsman Ghegham Stepanyan said that the humanitarian situation was steadily deteriorating.

"For patients and medicine, the situation is getting worse day the day," he said, warning that the local residents were now living under the threat of "starvation."

He called for a "very strong" reaction from the international community.

- 'Crucial role' of Red Cross -

The Red Cross insists that no unauthorised material has been found in its vehicles.

The European Union said on Wednesday it "strongly supports the crucial role of the ICRC in the region, and reiterates its call for Azerbaijan to ensure the unrestricted movement of people and goods via the Lachin corridor".

The latest developments followed a months-long blockade of the road by Azerbaijani activists, which Yerevan says sparked a humanitarian crisis.

In February, the International Court of Justice, the UN's top judicial body, ordered Azerbaijan to ensure free movement on the road.

The two former Soviet republics have fought two wars for control of Karabakh, in the 1990s and again in 2020.

Six weeks of fighting in autumn 2020 ended with a Russian-sponsored ceasefire agreement that saw Armenia cede swathes of territories it had controlled for decades.

Under the deal, the five-kilometre-wide Lachin Corridor was to be manned by Russian peacekeepers to ensure free passage between Armenia and Karabakh.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has complained about "problems" with Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh.

mkh-im/as/jj

https://uk.style.yahoo.com/armenia-demands-humanitarian-access-breakaway-173825037.html

[Yervant1]

PASADENA NOW

July 13 2023

California State Senate Passes Holden’s Resolution Condemning Azerbaijan’s Blockade of Artsakh

Published on Thursday, July 13, 2023 | 4:57 am

The California State Senate passed a resolution by Pasadena area Assemblymember Chris Holden condemning Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh with a unanimous vote of 39-0.

“This resolution reaffirms California’s solidarity with Armenia and our 200,000 strong community of California-Armenians,” said Assemblymember Holden. “There is power in our solidarity and there is even more when we acknowledge the wrongs committed and urge for justice.”

Holden added that the resolution, known as AJR 1, sets a precedent for the future and creates long-lasting ties toward a better tomorrow.

The bill has passed both houses of the California Legislature with bi-partisan support. The resolution calls on the Biden Administration to work to immediately facilitate the provision of urgent humanitarian assistance by way of airlift to Armenians in Artsakh.

“Armenians in Artsakh are facing extermination by the Azerbaijani government, with their illegal blockade. Mr. Holden and his colleagues in the California Legislature have stood up for humanity by condemning Azerbaijan’s barbaric acts,” said ANCA National Board Member Aida Dimejian.

“The Armenian American community is thankful for this resolution calling on the Azeri government to end its illegal blockade and to hold Azerbaijani government accountable for its relentless aggression against the innocent men, women and children of Artsakh.”

Today, there are nearly three million Armenians living in the Republic of Armenia, which consists of a portion of the Armenians’ historic homelands. The United States has the second largest diaspora of Armenians. California has the largest population of Armenians in the country.

https://www.pasadenanow.com/main/california-state-senate-passes-holdens-resolution-condemning-azerbaijans-blockade-of-artsakh

[Yervant1]

July 13 2023

‘Another Genocide’: As Nagorno-Karabakh Horrors Continue, Expert Warns Some of World’s Oldest Churches Are in Dire Danger

 

By Billy Hallowell

Editor

A prominent member of the U.K.’s House of Lords is continuing to sound the alarm about the ongoing blockage in Nagorno-Karabakh, a small, landlocked region between Armenia and Azerbaijan, warning that the Armenian Christians living there lack food, resources, and other necessities.

Baroness Caroline Cox, a longtime member of Parliament, told CBN’s Faithwire about the region’s history and why she continues to passionately advocate for those living there.

“Armenia was the first nation of the word to become Christian … back in 301 AD,” Cox said. “And the little land of Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Ancient Armenia, and Armenians have lived there for 1,700 years, and you get some of the oldest churches and stone crosses in the world in that little holy land.”

That history is threatened, according to Cox, who has been to the region around 90 times. She said the current conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh has bred a “situation of tragedy and of conflict.”

After some of the latest skirmishes in 2020, Azerbaijan is now controlling a “significant proportion of the land” and, according to Cox, has reportedly destroyed “at least three churches.”

“We can’t prove that because we can’t go there to see,” the Crossbench Life peer, who has served in Parliament since 1983, added, expressing worry over the historical stone crosses and Christian monuments.

Watch Cox express her fears over the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1OrkuOqwz4

As CBN’s Faithwire has extensively reported, the most recent chaos in the region began Dec. 12, when individuals identifying as Azerbaijani protestors reportedly blocked the Lachin corridor, the only roadway into and out of Nagorno-Karabakh, effectively halting food, medicine, and essential transport.

“There’s a huge shortage of food and medicines inside … [and a] lot of suffering,” Cox said, noting Azerbaijan has also “cut off electricity supply a lot of the time.”

The lack of heat and resources created problems with warmth and even farming, making it more difficult to grow food and resources. Cox expressed dismay over the months-long blockade, claiming it’s being done “with complete impunity” and without enough counterpressure from the international community.

“That blockade of the road can … be the beginning of another genocide of people just being starved to death,” Cox said. “No one has challenged or opened up that blockade to the road and, as said, is causing enormous suffering.”

Cox said the international community should call Azerbaijan “to account for the suffering it has already caused” through the blockade.

She also said food and resources should be made available to Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Cox concluded the interview by explaining how she believes Christians should be praying for the Armenians trapped in the region.

“When we visit our Christian brothers and sisters who are suffering so horrifically, we always ask them, ‘What’s your priority?'” she said. “And if I was one of them, I’d say, ‘Food for water’ … but their priority request is always for prayer, and that [is humbling].”

Cox continued, “Prayer needs to be informed prayer. So it is important that our wonderful friends in the United States do study a little bit what is actually happening in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh so the prayer can be informed prayer.”

Read more about the history behind the situation here.

Listen to the podcast at https://www.faithwire.com/2023/07/13/another-genocide-as-nagorno-karabakh-horrors-continue-expert-warns-some-of-worlds-oldest-churches-are-in-dire-danger/

[MosJan]

[MosJan]

[MosJan]

ok now what

[Yervant1]

July 14 2023

Red Cross restarts Karabakh evacuations after protests over blockade

Tigran GASPARYAN with Mariam HARUTYUNYAN in Yerevan

Azerbaijan on Friday allowed the Red Cross to resume medical evacuations from its restive Nagorno-Karabakh region to Armenia, after Baku's closure of the sole land link between the enclave and Armenia sparked protests and fears of a humanitarian crisis.

The closure came days before the leaders of the two countries were set to meet in Brussels for EU-mediated peace talks, while local separatists urged Moscow to ensure free movement through the Lachin Corridor that links the region to Armenia.

The Red Cross meanwhile told AFP it had restarted medical evacuations from Karabakh to hospitals in Armenia on Friday evening.

"Eleven patients in serious condition were transported through the Lachin Corridor," said Zara Amatuni, the spokeswoman for the organisation's Armenian branch.

On Friday morning, thousands of protestors rallied in Nagorno-Karabakh to demand Baku reopen the road linking it to Armenia and decry crisis conditions in the region.

Some 6,000 people gathered at the central square of Karabakh's main city Stepanakert, shouting chants such as "No to the blockade!" and "Open the road of life!"

- 'Irreversible consequences' -

"Russian peacekeepers must guarantee rights and physical survival of the people of Artsakh," Karabakh's rights ombudsman, Ghegham Stepanyan, told the crowd, using the Armenian name for the region.

AFP this week spoke to locals in Stepanakert, who reported food shortages and critical problems with access to medical services.

Demonstrators later marched towards the office of the Red Cross in Stepanakert and the headquarters of Russian peacekeepers deployed in the region, before returning to the city's Renaissance Square, vowing permanent rallies until the corridor is reopened.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said Baku had offered to provide assistance "regarding the supply needs of the Armenian residents" of the region.

Azerbaijan has said the decision to temporarily shut the Lachin Corridor was made after the Red Cross failed to "prevent illegal actions", such as smuggling mobile phones from Armenia to Karabakh using the organisation's medical vehicles.

On Thursday, an official in the separatist government called on Russia to ensure free movement on the Lachin Corridor.

"The situation is terrible, in a few days we will have irreversible consequences," said Gurgen Nersisyan, a state minister in the rebel government.

- 'Illegal blockade' -

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan earlier announced fresh round of peace talks with Baku, under the mediation of European Council President Charles Michel.

Pashinyan also said the "illegal blockade" of the Lachin Corridor contradicts a ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The UN's top judicial body ordered Azerbaijan in February to ensure free movement along the road.

Karabakh has been at the centre of a decades-long territorial dispute between the two countries, which have fought two wars over the mountainous territory, mainly populated by Armenians.

In autumn 2020, Russia sponsored a ceasefire agreement that ended six weeks of fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces for control of Karabakh.

The deal saw Armenia cede swathes of territories it had controlled for decades, while Russia deployed peacekeepers which are manning the five-kilometre-wide Lachin Corridor to ensure free passage between Armenia and Karabakh.

Armenia, which has relied on Russia for military and economic support since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, has accused Moscow of failing to fulfil its peacekeeping role in Karabakh.

str-im/sea/giv

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/red-cross-restarts-karabakh-evacuations-160000988.html

[Yervant1]

July 14 2023

Red Cross restarts Karabakh evacuations after protests over blockade

Stepanakert (Azerbaijan) (AFP) – Azerbaijan on Friday allowed the Red Cross to resume medical evacuations from its restive Nagorno-Karabakh region to Armenia, after Baku's closure of the sole land link between the enclave and Armenia sparked protests and fears of a humanitarian crisis.

The closure came days before the leaders of the two countries were set to meet in Brussels for EU-mediated peace talks, while local separatists urged Moscow to ensure free movement through the Lachin Corridor that links the region to Armenia.

The Red Cross meanwhile told AFP it had restarted medical evacuations from Karabakh to hospitals in Armenia on Friday evening.

"Eleven patients in serious condition were transported through the Lachin Corridor," said Zara Amatuni, the spokeswoman for the organisation's Armenian branch.

On Friday morning, thousands of protestors rallied in Nagorno-Karabakh to demand Baku reopen the road linking it to Armenia and decry crisis conditions in the region.

Some 6,000 people gathered at the central square of Karabakh's main city Stepanakert, shouting chants such as "No to the blockade!" and "Open the road of life!"

'Irreversible consequences'

"Russian peacekeepers must guarantee rights and physical survival of the people of Artsakh," Karabakh's rights ombudsman, Ghegham Stepanyan, told the crowd, using the Armenian name for the region.

Nagorno-Karabakh, a region disputed for three decades © Valentin RAKOVSKY, Sophie RAMIS / AFP

AFP this week spoke to locals in Stepanakert, who reported food shortages and critical problems with access to medical services.

Demonstrators later marched towards the office of the Red Cross in Stepanakert and the headquarters of Russian peacekeepers deployed in the region, before returning to the city's Renaissance Square, vowing permanent rallies until the corridor is reopened.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said Baku had offered to provide assistance "regarding the supply needs of the Armenian residents" of the region.

Azerbaijan has said the decision to temporarily shut the Lachin Corridor was made after the Red Cross failed to "prevent illegal actions", such as smuggling mobile phones from Armenia to Karabakh using the organisation's medical vehicles.

On Thursday, an official in the separatist government called on Russia to ensure free movement on the Lachin Corridor.

"The situation is terrible, in a few days we will have irreversible consequences," said Gurgen Nersisyan, a state minister in the rebel government.

'Illegal blockade'

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan earlier announced fresh round of peace talks with Baku, under the mediation of European Council President Charles Michel.

Pashinyan also said the "illegal blockade" of the Lachin Corridor contradicts a ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The UN's top judicial body ordered Azerbaijan in February to ensure free movement along the road.

Karabakh has been at the centre of a decades-long territorial dispute between the two countries, which have fought two wars over the mountainous territory, mainly populated by Armenians.

In autumn 2020, Russia sponsored a ceasefire agreement that ended six weeks of fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces for control of Karabakh.

The deal saw Armenia cede swathes of territories it had controlled for decades, while Russia deployed peacekeepers which are manning the five-kilometre-wide Lachin Corridor to ensure free passage between Armenia and Karabakh.

Armenia, which has relied on Russia for military and economic support since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, has accused Moscow of failing to fulfil its peacekeeping role in Karabakh.

© 2023 AFP

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230714-red-cross-restarts-karabakh-evacuations-after-protests-over-blockade

[MosJan]

 

Վիտալի Բալասանյանի տանը հայտնաբերվել է մեծ քանակությամբ զենք և հումանիտար օգնություն

 

 

[MosJan]

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Azerbaijan must ensure free movement of ill persons through Lachin Corridor, rules ECHR

11:11, 17 July 2023

YEREVAN, 17 JULY, ARMENPRESS: On July 12, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), after examining the request of the Armenian government to apply interim measures against Azerbaijan regarding the unblocking of the Lachin Corridor, decided to reaffirm the decision made on December 21, 2022, the Office of the Representative on International Legal Matters said in a statement on July 17.

The December 21 ruling ordered Azerbaijan to ‘take all measures’ to ensure safe passage through the “Lachin Corridor” of seriously ill persons in need of medical treatment in Armenia and others who were stranded on the road without shelter or means of subsistence.

With this decision, the European Court of Human Rights reaffirmed the need of implementing the decision made of December 21, 2022 in the current situation, and it must be implemented by Azerbaijan.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations and the Red Cross has been facilitating the medical evacuations of patients.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1115572.html?fbclid=IwAR2kNijleQ2inYMBXEK2JmKR5FH1kA7RYUvWY0PKfV4cr-kiHv742yeIEUQ

[Yervant1]

Asbarez.com

People of Artsakh Will Resort to ‘Tougher Measures,’ Says President, Joins Sit-In Protest

by Asbarez Staff

July 17, 2023

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Main, Latest, News, Top Stories

Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan joined the mass sit-in in Stepanakert on Jul. 17

 

Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan on Monday warned that the people of Artsakh will resort to “tougher measures” if life for the people of his country does not return to normal and the Azerbaijan’s blockade is not lifted. He also announced that he will join the sit-in protest in Stepanakert’s Revival Square.

In a televised address to the nation Harutyunyan enumerated the massive challenges the people of Artsakh are confronting due to Azerbaijan’s more than seven-month-old blockade of the Lachin Corridor, again reiterating the warning that Artsakh is on the brink of ethnic cleansing by Baku.

“We are fighting for the realization, recognition and protection of our inalienable right to a dignified life and self-determination in our own homeland. These are inalienable right and cannot become subject to negotiation and concession,” said Harutyunyan.

“Throughout the blockade, we have hoped that various members of the international community would work to lift the blockade and prevent it from further deepening. However, we have heard only words. We haven’t seen the practical implementation of either the Tripartite Declaration, the orders of the UN International Court of Justice, the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, or the calls of international organizations, individual states and other actors,” added Harutyunyan.

[sEE VIDEO]

The Artsakh president explained that his government has been open to discuss with Azerbaijan all the elements of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict in a constructive manner. However, he said, “Azerbaijan has never wanted to have a real dialogue with us. Encouraged by international impunity, it has chosen the path of increasing oppression and subjugation.”

Taking into account the current dire situation, I have decided to resort to an extreme measure: to join the sit-in started by many citizens in Stepanakert’s Revival Square from this very moment,” said Harutyunyan, who said that his decision should be seen as yet another attempt by Artsakh to “sound the alarm” and focus international attention on this matter, so that world player can “fulfill their obligations.”

“With this sit-in, we expect that Armenia, Russia, the U.S., France, the European Union, the UN Security Council and other authorized bodies, as well as all other related players, will refrain from encouraging Azerbaijan and ignoring its further aggressive and criminal actions,” added the Artsakh President.

“If within a week the situation of the people of Artsakh does not return to a more or less stable and normal state through international intervention, then after that we will resort to tougher actions both in Artsakh and outside,” expressed Harutyunyan.

https://asbarez.com/people-of-artsakh-will-resort-to-tougher-measures-says-president-joins-sit-in-protest/?fbclid=IwAR1sTyvurbOegaNSfqI1j3vDIl1IECfwXcbvmaQ_nZoeKq9fT-4SVkRREto

[MosJan]

[Yervant1]

TASS

Russia - July 18 2023

Nagorno-Karabakh’s president goes on sit-down strike

Arayik Harutyunyan plans to hold it on Renaissance Square in Stepanakert

YEREVAN, July 18. /TASS/. President of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh republic Arayik Harutyunyan said on Monday he is going to stage a sit-in in Stepanakert’s central square.

"I am forced to take this extreme step so that Armenia, Russia, the United States, France, the European Union, the UN Security Council and others cannot ignore Azerbaijan’s current and future aggressive actions and crimes and ultimately implement their commitments under the trilateral statement, the international court ruling and other documents," he said in a televised address to the nation.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told a government meeting on June 16 that Azerbaijan had completely blocked the Lachin corridor making it impossible to deliver humanitarian cargoes to Nagorno-Karabakh, leaving some 120,000 people in the region on the edge of a humanitarian catastrophe. International organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, have limited access to the region.

https://tass.com/world/1648177