14:55,
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has presented facts of the numerous atrocities committed by the Baku regime against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh substantiating its request for provisional measures against Azerbaijan.
In his remarks to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Armenia’s council to the UN court Lawrence H. Martin explained that Armenians in NK had to “pick up and leave” and they had very compelling reasons to flee their ancestral homeland “rather than risk their lives under Baku’s iron fist”.
Martin reminded of the grave consequences of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan emphasizing that Azerbaijan had been pursuing anti-Armenian policy long before the blockade imposed on December 12, 2022.
“To understand these reasons, we have to look back even beyond the start of the blockade last December. As we explained in Armenia’s Memorial, anti-Armenian hate is engrained in official State policy in Azerbaijan. It has created a society where ethnic Armenians hide their identity and to call someone Armenian is considered an insult. This deep hatred has motivated countless atrocities against ethnic Armenians, in Nagorno-Karabakh and elsewhere”, Lawrence H. Martin said.
Martin reminded of the atrocities committed by the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan during the 44-day war in 2020, stating that Baku’s 19 September attack was “the culmination of a well-considered plan”. He also reminded of the decisions of the court all of which were ignored by the Azerbaijani regime.
“Last February, you ordered Azerbaijan to “take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions”. But nothing happened. Azerbaijan refused to comply, even as it claimed with its usual “up is down” double-speak that it was complying. Despite wide-spread condemnation from across the international community and the intense suffering of the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan left the so-called “eco-protestors” in place for more than another two months. Azerbaijan sent them home immediately after it installed a government checkpoint at the Hakari border bridge at the entrance to the Lachin corridor”, Armenia’s council to the world court said.
“There is a pressing need to stop and reverse the ongoing forced exodus of the local Armenian population, which amounts to ethnic cleansing, and to ensure the conditions for their safe return to Nagorno-Karabakh”, Martin said.
He also mentioned the Azeri attacks on farmers in Nagorno-Karabakh seeking to prevent harvest works, with the widespread shortages of food causing starvation.
Armenia has named the ten provisional measures it seeks the ICJ to indicate against Azerbaijan. The request was submitted by Armenia’s agent Yeghishe Kirakosyan during the world court oral proceedings on the request for the indication of provisional measures filed by Armenia against Azerbaijan.
“On the basis of its request for provisional measures dated 28 September 2023 and its oral pleadings, Armenia respectfully requests the court to indicate the following provisional measures pending its determination of this case on the merits:
1) “Azerbaijan shall refrain from taking any measures which might entail breaches of its obligations under the CERD”;
2) “Azerbaijan shall refrain from taking any actions directly or indirectly aimed at or having the effect of displacing the remaining ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, or preventing the safe and expeditious return to their homes of persons displaced in the course of the recent military attack including those who have fled to Armenia or third States, while permitting those who wish to leave Nagorno-Karabakh to do so without any hindrance”;
3) “Azerbaijan shall withdraw all military and law-enforcement personnel from all civilian establishments in Nagorno-Karabakh occupied as a result of its armed attack on 19 September 2023”;
4) “Azerbaijan shall facilitate, and refrain from placing any impediment on, the access of the United Nations and its specialized agencies to the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, and shall not interfere with their activities in any way”;
5) “Azerbaijan shall facilitate, and refrain from placing any impediment on, the ability of the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide humanitarian aid to the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, and shall cooperate with the International Committee of the Red Cross to address the other consequences of the recent conflict”;
6) “Azerbaijan shall immediately facilitate the full restoration of public utilities, including gas and electricity, to Nagorno-Karabakh, and shall refrain from disrupting them in the future”;
7) “Azerbaijan shall refrain from taking punitive actions against the current or former political representatives or military personnel of Nagorno-Karabakh”;
8) “Azerbaijan shall not alter or destroy any monument commemorating the 1915 Armenian genocide or any other monument or Armenian cultural artefact or site present in Nagorno-Karabakh”;
9) “Azerbaijan shall recognize and give effect to civil registers, identity documents and property titles and registers established by the authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh, and shall not destroy or confiscate such registers and documents”;
10) “Azerbaijan shall submit a report to the Court on all measures taken to give effect to this Order within one month, as from the date of this Order, and thereafter every three months, until a final decision on the case is rendered by the Court,” Kirakosyan said.