Azerbaijan systematically ‘erasing’ all traces of ethnic Armenians within the disputed area, Yerevan says.
Azerbaijan has “accomplished” the ethnic cleaning of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia claimed to the UN’s high court docket.
In a case introduced by Yerevan towards its Caucus neighbour and rival over alleged discrimination and ethnic cleaning, attorneys for Armenia on Tuesday instructed the Worldwide Court docket of Justice (ICJ) that Baku is “erasing all traces of ethnic Armenians’ presence” within the contested territory.
“After threatening to take action for years, Azerbaijan has accomplished the ethnic cleaning of the area,” Armenia’s consultant Yeghishe Kirakosyan claimed.
The 2 Caucasian nations have been contesting the Nagorno-Karabakh territory throughout the three many years for the reason that Soviet Union collapsed. Yerevan has sought to carry worldwide consideration to the mountainous enclave since Baku took management in a army operation in September.
The ICJ case, filed by Armenia in 2021, accuses Azerbaijan of glorifying racism towards and permitting hate speech towards Armenians and destroying Armenian cultural websites.
Armenia mentioned that put Azerbaijan in violation of a UN anti-discrimination treaty. Baku has denied all of the accusations towards it.
The case stems from a 2020 struggle over Nagorno-Karabakh that left greater than 6,600 individuals useless, one among three full-scale conflicts that the pair have fought over the difficulty.
Azerbaijan’s armed forces recaptured the mountainous area in September after years of ethnic Armenian management, prompting most ethnic Armenians to flee to Armenia.
Kirakosyan mentioned Baku was “now consolidating [its control of Nagorno-Karabakh] by systematically erasing all traces of ethnic Armenians’ presence, together with Armenian cultural and spiritual heritage”.
He instructed the judges that Baku “has more and more been characterising Armenia’s human rights claims … as some type of problem to Azerbaijan’s sovereignty or territorial integrity.”
“Azerbaijan is profoundly mistaken. Armenia has no claims to Azerbaijan’s territory and can be dedicated to establishing circumstances for real and enduring peace,” the lawyer asserted.
Unhealthy religion
On Monday, the primary day of the hearings, Azerbaijan instructed the court docket that almost all of Armenia’s complaints didn’t fall throughout the scope of the UN treaty.
Baku’s attorneys additionally accused Armenia of failing to genuinely have interaction in negotiations, a pre-requisite beneath the treaty for bringing the case to the ICJ.
Kirakosyan rejected the claims. “Armenia negotiated with Azerbaijan in good religion and pursued discussions far past the purpose of utility,” he said.
In November, the court docket issued emergency measures within the case, ordering Azerbaijan to permit ethnic Armenians who fled Nagorno-Karabakh to return.
Azerbaijan says it has pledged to make sure all residents’ security and safety, no matter nationwide or ethnic origin, and that it has not compelled ethnic Armenians to depart Karabakh.
The hearings will cowl solely the authorized objections to the jurisdiction of the ICJ and won’t go into the deserves of the discrimination claims. A closing ruling in each instances may very well be years away and the ICJ has no solution to implement its rulings.
