in Russian – http://crossroadorg.info/artsakh-10-12-2023/
in Armenian – http://crossroadorg.info/hy/artsakh-10-12-2023-hy/
His Excellency Mr. António Guterres
Secretary-General
United Nations
New York, NY 10017
CC: Leaders of the UN Security Council member states
Dear Mr. Secretary General,
Leaders of the member states of the Security Council,
These days, as the world celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, we are turning to you to convey the concerns and expectations of tens of thousands of Artsakh Armenians.
Seven months ago, in May 2023, 60,000 citizens of the Republic of Artsakh, (which is not a member state of the United Nations), joined the “NO TO ETHNIC CLEANSING OF ARTSAKH” public movement, and tried to bring to your attention the suffering of 120,000 Artsakh Armenians, and the threat of de-patriation and genocide hanging over them under the Azerbaijani-imposed blockade spanning from December 12, 2022 onwards. On May 12, in the Petition sent to you through the UN Armenia Office, we warned that “there is not only a serious humanitarian crisis in Artsakh, but Azerbaijan is openly carrying out a genocidal policy of ethnic cleansing and depriving the indigenous people of Artsakh of their homeland with its actions.” It is with great pain that we have to state that, due to the lack of effective steps by the international community, including the UN, to stop Azerbaijan’s aggression, the president of that country felt “encouraged” to tighten his tyrannical policy even further and to impose a total, all-encompassing blockade on Artsakh on June 15, 2023.
After nine-months of total blockade, the leadership of Azerbaijan, violating the obligations it assumed by the November 9, 2020 Trilateral Statement on the cessation of hostilities, started a new military aggression against the civilian population of Artsakh on September 19, 2023, shelling peaceful settlements and vital civil infrastructures. Presenting all these as an “anti-terrorist operation”, Azerbaijan is actually equating the people’s right to self-determination with terrorism, opposing the principles on the basis of which peace negotiations were conducted for nearly 30 years.
The Armenians of Artsakh—after having suffered from the September-November 2020 aggression of Azerbaijan, whereby tens of thousands of them became forcibly displaced, thousands more killed and wounded; after having endured the physical and psychological deprivations and pressures of the nearly 10-months’ blockade; deprived of the political and moral support of all parties involved in the peace negotiations; amidst the conditions of inaction of the Russian peacekeeping mission; and as Azerbaijan embarked on the final act of genocide and the destruction of Artsakh statehood—did not accept the deadly “integration” proposed by Azerbaijan. In order to save the lives of 30,000 children, 20,000 elderly people, and more than 10,000 disabled people in Artsakh, the acting authorities of Artsakh, under the pressure of the threat of using force from Azerbaijan, had to accept the ultimatum demands of Azerbaijan, receiving in return the possibility to evacuate the rest of the population and temporarily transport them to the Republic of Armenia.
After all the above, the leadership of Azerbaijan, ignoring the norms of international humanitarian law, unlawfully and unjustifiably detained and imprisoned a group of former and current political and military figures of Artsakh: former Presidents Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan and Arayik Harutyunyan; Head of the Artsakh Parliament Davit Ishkhanyan; former Minister of State and a renowned philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan; former Minister of Defense Levon Mnatsakanyan; former Minister of Foreign Affairs Davit Babayan; and former Deputy Minister of Defense Davit Manukyan.
The “sin” of the figures of the Republic of Artsakh is that they defended their people’s desire to live freely and stand up for their right to self-determination and independence as the only way to escape the genocide. The statesmen of the Republic of Artsakh have been consistently guided by Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, exactly 75 years ago, which states: “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty”.
December 10, International Human Rights Day, is also on the list of holidays of the Republic of Artsakh. Since 1991, it is also marked as Independence Referendum Day and, since 2006, also as Constitution Day.
On this December 10, 2023, the people of Artsakh mark the day with very weak and fragile hopes of overcoming the most tragic period of their history, with their habitat under occupation and with an uncertain future.
Considering this situation, and in defense of the right of the people of Artsakh to return to their homeland, we, the representatives of the undersigned non-governmental organizations of Artsakh and Armenia, urge and demand that you:
1. Give an adequate assessment of the 44-day war of September 2020 launched by Azerbaijan, the aggression of September 19, 2023, the preceding 10-months blockade of the Republic of Artsakh, as well as of the actions during the forced displacement of 150 thousand people that contain elements of crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes as well as gross violations of International Humanitarian law.
2. Exert visible and viable efforts to free all Armenian hostages kept in Azerbaijan.
3. Include ensuring the right of the Artsakh people to return to their homeland in the list of priority tasks of the UN General Assembly, the UN Secretary General and the UN Security Council. Form a new negotiation platform and give the people of the Republic of Artsakh the opportunity to stand up for the protection of their right to self-determination.
December 10, 2023
Yerevan
Signed by:
- “Against Legal Arbitrariness” NGO, executive director: Larisa Alaverdyan
- Artsakh Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan
- HayaQve-Legislative Initiative
- “Motherhood”, NGO of Artsakh mothers, President: Hasmik Mamikionyan
- “Cease Fire – the Pain of Human Loss” NGO, President: Aghun Ghukasyan
- “Patrida”, NGO of Greeks of Armenia and Artsakh, President: Eduard Polatov
- “Union of Artsakh Journalists” NGO, President: Kim Gabrielyan.
- “Union of NSS Reserve Force Officers” NGO, President: Lieutenant -General Hrant Episkoposyan
- “Alternative” Research Center, President: Knarik Hovsepyan
- “Civil Council” NGO named after Ter-Tadevosyan, President: Tatul Manaseryan
- ”Return to Kashatagh” NGO, President: Karine Movsisyan
- “Political Research Academy” NGO, Alexander Manasyan
- “Patriotic Call of Artsakh” NGO, President: Vanya Barseghyan
- “National Center for Dialogue of Civilizations” NGO, Head: A. Sargsyan
- “Caravan 88” NGO, president: Zoya Julhakyan
- “Neruzh” NGO, President: Zh. Ghevondyan
- “Armenian woman: support for democracy” NGO, President: Zh. Telyan”
- Assembly of Azerbaijani Armenians” NGO, President: Grigory Ayvazyan
- “Ahazang” Armenian refugee support NGO, President: Grisha Oganezov
- “Patriotic Union of Gardman Armenians” NGO, President:
- “Naras” People’s Party of Large Families, President: Narine Asatryan
- “Homeland Path” NGO, President: Elmira Babayan
- “Patriotic Association of Gardman Armenians” NGO, President: Hakob Martirosyan
- “Talented generation” NGO, President: Liana Stepanyan
- “Union of Artsakh Refugees” NGO, President: Sarasar Saryan
- “Armenian Association of Political Scientists” NGO, President: Mihran Shahzadeyan
- “Union of Wounded in the Artsakh War” NGO, President: Davit Babayan
- “Center for Human Rights and Genocide Studies”NGO, President: Lilit Martirosyan
- “Union of Women-Refugees of Artsakh” NGO, President: Ruzan Avagyan
- “Sons’ Call” Socio-Patriotic NGO, President: Arus Hayrapetyan
- “Youth Association for Justice” NGO, President: Snezhana Tamrazyan
- “Union of Relatives of Persihed and Missing Servicemen” NGO, President: Armen Asryan
- “For the Future of Refugees” NGO, President: Margar Sahakyan
- “Union of Artists of Artsakh” NGO, President: Ira Tamrazyan
- “Union of Artsakh Musicians” NGO, president: Lusine Martirosyan
- “Krunk” refugee rights NGO, President: Mariam Avagyan
- “Shushi; Social-Educational and Expert Center” NGO, President: Ashot Harutyunyan