Azerbaijan continues its aggression and terror against the native Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh/ Artsakh by violating the 9 November trilateral statement and having full control over the Lachin Corridor.
On April 4, 27 Armenian civilians, including elderly, children, and people with disabilities, who have been separated from their families for several months, went from the city of Goris in the Republic of Armenia to Stepanakert Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers, in accordance with a prearranged agreement.
However, Azerbaijani government agents posing as “eco-activists” blocked the passage of the vehicles of the Russian peacekeeping forces carrying civilians near Shushi, a blocked section of the Goris-Stepanakert highway.
The human rights defender/ombudsman of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh reported, that the citizens remained in that area for about 5 hours. During negotiations between the Russian side and the Azerbaijanis, some Azerbaijanis even broke into one of the cars. The well-being of four civilians worsened during the negotiations, with three of them fainting and taken to the Republican Medical Center of Stepanakert accompanied by Russian peacekeepers. The remaining 23 civilians returned to Goris, the Republic of Armenia.
The Azerbaijani side has claimed regularly, that the road is open for the transportation of civilians and cargo. This incident once again proves the false and fabricated claims of the Azerbaijani leadership, their behavior of blatant lying and misleading the international community. Moreover, by allowing the exit of people from Nagorno-Karabakh/ Artsakh in various ways, but prohibiting their entry, the Azerbaijani authorities are openly implementing a policy of ethnic cleansing.
Impunity of the illegal actions by Azerbaijan have created this ongoing terror against the native Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh/ Artsakh and therefore the international community must take immediate measures against Azerbaijan, by sanctioning the military and political leadership of the Aliyev regime and end this humanitarian catastrophe in the South Caucasus.
