Federal Member for Bennelong, Jerome Laxale MP and New South Wales State Member for Ryde, Jordan Lane MP, in yet another display of bi-partisan support for the Armenian-Australian community, rose in their respective parliaments’ chambers to condemn the almost 200-day blockade of the Republic of Artsakh, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).
Both Members of Parliament who represent one of the largest Armenian-Australian electorates in their respective jurisdictions, Laxale federally in Canberra and Lane in Australia’s largest state of NSW, have called on Azerbaijan to immediately end its illegal siege against the 120,000 inhabitants of the Republic of Artsakh.
On 20th June, Laxale delivered a powerful 90-second speech in the Federation Chamber praising the International Court of Justice’s provisional measure against Azerbaijan, and Australian Judge Hilary Charlesworth – a member of the ICJ – for voting in favour of the provisional measures.
“I note that the International Court of Justice has ordered provisional measures demanding Azerbaijan open the corridor. Specifically, I acknowledge Australian judge Hilary Charlesworth, a member of the ICJ, who took a principled stance and voted in favour of this measure, with the hope of ending the humanitarian crisis,” Laxale said before taking aim at the Azerbaijani dictatorship.
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“This is a humanitarian crisis that the International Association of Genocide Scholars is now calling a risk of genocide, as a result of Azerbaijan’s blockade on this entire region.”
On 21st June, Lane shared similar sentiments in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, calling for immediate international action to lift the blockade.
“Without prompt and resolute international intervention, the position of the Republic of Armenia will become increasingly untenable. The international community must take swift and decisive action to condemn Azerbaijan’s aggression and unlawful actions in Artsakh,” Lane said.
Michael Kolokossian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) thanked both Mr Laxale and Mr Lane for their statements standing in support of their local community and condemning Azerbaijan’s brazen sense of impunity.
“There is only one acceptable outcome, a Republic of Artsakh that has its right to self-determination respected. Anything less will only green-light Azerbaijan’s barbaric attempts to ethnically cleanse the region’s indigenous Armenians,” Kolokossian said.
