We welcome the indication of provisional measures by the International Court of Justice against Azerbaijan which among other things confirms that the incitement and promotion of racial hatred and discrimination against persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin are promoted by officials and public institutions of Azerbaijan. The Court order comes to prove the existence in Azerbaijan of a state policy of racial hatred and discrimination against Armenians.
We have numerously noted that Azerbaijan’s attacks against Armenians, including torture, killings, and inhumane treatment are committed pursuant to or in furtherance of Azerbaijan’s state policy of widespread and systematic violations of fundamental rights of Armenians. Over past decades Azerbaijan has not only deliberately failed to take actions against persons who have committed crimes against Armenians, which amounts to promotion of such crimes, but has also openly and deliberately encouraged any criminal acts directed against Armenians.
The largescale and systematic manner of crimes committed against persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin, including serious deprivations of fundamental rights of people of Artsakh as well as the existence of such state policy amount Azerbaijan’s discriminatory acts to crimes against humanity.
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Gegham G. Stepanyan, Human Rights Defender of Artsakh
