The Statement of the Acting President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh
The National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh welcomes the information campaign launched by the first chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, which is organized ahead of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (“COP29”). The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of the systematic and gross violations of human rights by the host country, Azerbaijan.
It is also aimed at uniting pan-Armenian and international efforts for the immediate release of Armenian hostages illegally held by Azerbaijan.
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In September 2023, after the genocide carried out by Azerbaijan and the complete dearmenization of Artsakh, the consent of the international community (including Armenia) to organize such a prestigious event in Baku, without a clear formulation of the agenda of responsibility for the crimes committed by that state and the elimination of their consequences, creates an additional basis for Azerbaijan’s further aggressive and unpunished behavior․
Since September 2020, as a result of the genocidal aggressions unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, not only the entire people of Artsakh were forcibly displaced, but also many Armenians are illegally detained in Baku. They are subjected to torture and illegal trial without protection of basic rights.
The immediate repatriation of these hostages, including the eight leaders of Artsakh, is Azerbaijan’s international obligation. Avoidance of that obligation must lead to appropriate consequences.
Ahead of this important international event, the issue of the safe and dignified collective return of the people of Artsakh should become one of the cornerstone issues of the international community’s policy towards Azerbaijan.
Before that, the issue of protecting the religious and cultural heritage of the Artsakh people and public and private property needs urgent attention, especially in the context of their massive destruction. It is noteworthy that the mentioned provisions are clearly established in the order of the UN International Court of Justice of November 17, 2023, as well as in the statements of individual states and international organizations.
Taking into account the above and realizing that these topics should be prioritized on the foreign policy agenda of the Republic of Armenia, we call upon the world-wide Armenians and the friends of Artsakh to actively support the launched campaign. Please use all available tools to achieve the stated goals of the campaign. We are confident that with joint efforts we can achieve justice and ensure the protection of the rights of our people.
