21:10,
STEPANAKERT, JULY 31, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno-Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan has said that he hopes a strong international intervention will bring an end to Azerbaijan’s genocidal policy.
In a statement released Monday evening, Harutyunyan warned that the security and humanitarian situation is deteriorating day by day, while the dangers and restrictions posed by Azerbaijan are becoming stronger, with the kidnapping of the Red Cross-protected medical evacuee at the illegal checkpoint being the latest manifestation. Harutyunyan said that an intensification in the international efforts for the resolution of the situation can be noticed.
The Nagorno Karabakh President said he’ll speak about the situation, the risks and prospects in an interview to the local public television in a few days, and then “will launch consultations with all active political circles to discuss our tasks and to make the appropriate decisions.”
“We hope that the genocidal policy carried out by Azerbaijan will be halted immediately as a result of effective and strong international intervention. At the same time, we are always ready for peaceful negotiations to discuss all problems and find solutions, however this also requires proper international involvement and guarantees,” Harutyunyan added.
A 68-year-old medical evacuee from Nagorno-Karabakh, Vagif Khachatryan, was kidnapped on Saturday by Azerbaijani border guards while being transported to Armenia for treatment by the ICRC. The Armenian foreign ministry said the Azerbaijani actions amount to a war crime.
Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno-Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.
On July 26, Armenia sent a humanitarian convoy carrying emergency food and medication for Nagorno-Karabakh, but Azerbaijan blocked the trucks at the entrance of Lachin Corridor.