The University Network for Human Rights has sent a submission to the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention, analyzing the Armenian ethnic cleansing and the threat of genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh, and called for a strong response.
In the introduction of this submission, it is noted as follows, in particular:
“The ethnic Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, known as Artsakh by Armenians, is under the very real threat of ethnic cleansing and potential genocide. The risk may extend to the southern portion of Armenia as well.
“The University Network for Human Rights, in collaboration with lawyers, academics, and students from Harvard Law School Advocates for Human Rights, UCLA’s Promise Institute for Human Rights, Wesleyan University, Oxford University and Yale's Lowenstein Project, has been investigating atrocities perpetrated by Azerbaijani forces against ethnic Armenians during the 44-Day Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, after the ceasefire, during the 2022 attacks in sovereign Armenia, as well as in periods of relative peace
“Our findings are based primarily on multiple fact-finding trips – two in Nagorno-Karabakh and four in Armenia – between March 2022 and July 2023. The University Network has conducted almost 100 firsthand interviews with forcibly displaced persons, families of missing or forcibly disappeared soldiers, families of victims of extrajudicial killings, returned prisoners of war (POWs), and current residents of Nagorno-Karabakh and border communities in Armenia. We have also carried out independent verification of claims presented by Armenian human rights organizations using open source intelligence.
“We conclude that the Azerbaijani government, at the highest levels, has condoned, encouraged, facilitated the commission of or directly perpetrated the most egregious forms of violence against Armenians. Together, the abuses we documented suggest a well-organized, comprehensive campaign to empty Nagorno-Karabakh and parts of Armenia of Armenians.
“Herein we present evidence of the substantial presence of risk factors of atrocity crimes.”
And the conclusion of this submission reads as follows:
“Significant work remains to deepen this risk assessment, incorporate indicators for other risk factors, and continue to monitor trends. However, our concern that a trigger could escalate the crisis at any moment has compelled us to present this submission to you sooner rather than later. It is our hope that your expertise can enrich and inform our risk analysis, identify opportunities to mitigate key risk factors, and help alert the international community to the gravity of the threat facing Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians.”
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