Since the 12th of December 2022, Azerbaijani so-called environmentalists blocked the only highway, known as the Lachin Corridor, connecting Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to the outside world. Many of these “protesters” have been identified as members of the Azerbaijani military and government posing as civilians.
The Lachin corridor serves as a vital lifeline which connects Nagorno-Karabakh with the Republic of Armenia and the only way to supply Artsakh with basic needs. Moreover, starting on 13 December Azerbaijan shut off the gas supply to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) during freezing winter temperatures.
The Azerbaijani blockade has created a humanitarian disaster, stopping food and medical supplies and desperately needed medical care from reaching the region. At the same time, Azerbaijan is repeatedly violating the trilateral declaration of November 9, 2020, namely its obligation to guarantee the secure movement of citizens, vehicles, and cargo in both directions through the corridor. These acts will inevitably lead to serious humanitarian consequences and undermine the fragile peace in the region.
Since the 44-day War in the latter part of 2020, Azerbaijani authorities have carried out policies aimed at ethnic cleansing Artsakh of the native Armenian population, using various methods, including military provocations and psychological terror. The current provocation is clearly a manifestation of that policy.
These actions, targeting civilians, highlight the plight of the indigenous Armenian population to secure their fundamental human rights and self-determination within their homeland.
IUSY strongly condemns the ethnic cleansing policies by Azerbaijan against the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and its violations of the trilateral declaration of 9 November 2020.
IUSY calls the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately and unconditionally cease the blockade of the Lachin corridor.
IUSY calls on the international community and its international partners to take concrete measures to immediately and unconditionally end the blockade of the Lachin corridor and ensure that these incidents will not be repeated in the future.
IUSY supports and recognizes the right to self-determination of the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).
IUSY calls for the international recognition of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to ensure the fundamental rights of the indigenous Armenian people of Artsakh in order to stop ethnic cleansing.