Ms. Dorota Dlouchy-Suliga, the Head of Division in the European External Action Service – EEAS has responded to my urgent letter.
I had alarmed H.E. Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission about the incident of exerting emotional and psychological violence by a group of Azerbaijanis against 19 Armenian children returning to Artsakh.
In particular, I had noted that 10-15 Azerbaijanis, with their faces covered, had broken into the children’s bus and subjected the children to psychological terror, defiantly threatened them. Azerbaijanis had recorded videos on the incident where the frightened faces of the Armenian children were visible, they deliberately spread them on social media making one more step towards the implementation of genocidal policy against ethnic Armenians.
Justifying the existence of grave violations of the Convention on the Rights of a Child in Azerbaijanis’ actions, I had requested Ms. Ursula von der Leyen to take concrete steps to impose sanctions against Azerbaijan’s political authority which had given the order.
In response, I have got a letter from Ms. Dorota Dlouchy-Suliga, the Head of Division in the European External Action Service who assures that they are well aware of the case.
The Head of Division in the European External Action Service notes: “We remain equally concerned about the distress the ongoing restrictions to freedom of movement are causing for the local population, and about humanitarian implications”.
Ms. Dlouchy-Suliga adds that since the beginning of December 2022, they have been mobilizing all diplomatic efforts to come to a solution of that situation. The EU High Representative/Vice President Josep Borrell, and the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar are in regular contact with the authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The Head of Division in the European External Action Service sums it up: “We continue to insist that the security and freedom of movement of persons, vehicles, and cargo must be restored along the Lachin Corridor in accordance with the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement. We share your concern and will continue our efforts towards finding a timely and peaceful resolution to the situation.”
Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs, nonpartisan Taguhi Tovmasyan
