The blockade of Artsakh and the cutting of gas supply is a very clear manifestation of the Azerbaijani genocidal policy, which has its assessment by international law, Advisor to the State Minister of Artsakh Artak Beglaryan told reporters while he was doing a sit-in outside the UN Office in Yerevan.
According to him, an urgent reaction to this is the obligation of the UN Security Council, the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“I am starting a sit-in outside the UN Office in Armenia with different demands and calls, but the main demand is directed to the international community, first of all, to the UN so that they take concrete actions to protect the security and rights of the people of Artsakh, including to eliminate the Azerbaijani blockade at this moment, but also to ensure long-term international guarantees”, Beglaryan said.
Beglaryan said the United Nations is the only organization that has the capacity, and mechanisms to give a concrete mandate to particular countries to carry out peacekeeping activities, as well as it has the authority and obligation to protect the security and rights of different nations if they are violated.
He said that the war in 2020 was stopped by Russia’s mediation. “During these two years the Russian peacekeepers, both good and bad, have ensured peace and security. Of course, incidents have taken place in this period. And now we have a situation where even the Russian peacekeepers are unable to eliminate the blockade and completely ensure security. Therefore, I think that the UN, in the person of the UN Security Council, must discuss this issue and ensure serious international guarantees for our people so that we can live and create safety in our homeland”, he said.
“This is terrorism against the entire nation, it’s not only psychological terrorism, but also terrorism from the viewpoint of vital needs, and interests, which leads the Armenian population of Artsakh to elimination and ethnic cleansing. Therefore, it’s the obligation of the UN Security Council, and the High Commission for Human Rights to reach very quickly, otherwise, it can be too late, and they will not manage to fulfill their duties, and otherwise, the people of Artsakh will have to use all of their tools to fully protect their rights”, Artak Beglaryan said.
He emphasized the importance of more activeness within the Armenian public regarding the matter and stressed the need for concrete protests outside the embassies of 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council – US, Russia, France, UK, and China, so that they understand that the Armenian society cannot accept this situation, the Armenian society has concrete rights and is demanding the international community to protect its compatriots. As for the Diaspora, Beglaryan said he is expecting greater mobilization from the Diaspora.
Azerbaijan is keeping the Lachin Corridor blocked for over 48 hours. Over 1100 people including children are stranded and unable to return home. Artsakh authorities are unable to transport critically-ill patients to hospitals in Armenia for treatment.
The Lachin Corridor is the only road connecting Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) with Armenia and the rest of the world. Furthermore, on December 13, Azerbaijan cut the gas supply to Artsakh.
