HRC 49th Session: Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief. Right of Reply on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Delivered by Mr. Nairi Petrossian, Deputy Permanent Representative

10 March, 2022

President,

Armenia requested the floor to exercise its right of reply to Azerbaijan.

The sanctimonious talks of peace that representatives of Azerbaijan pursue are not matched with the corresponding appropriate actions on the ground.

Exactly at this moment as we speak, Azerbaijan attempts to take advantage of the disarray the world found itself to finalize its long-term plan of ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh. Azerbaijan blew up the gas pipeline that supplies Nagorno Karabakh with hydrocarbon energy. Azerbaijan also halted all other energy power supplies to Nagorno Karabakh, thus imposing unbearable living conditions upon its indigenous people, especially in the current, still winter conditions.

It has already been for weeks that Azerbaijan has been terrorizing civilian population of the Armenian villages in the vicinity of the Line-of-Contact by threats spread through loudspeakers. The message is crystal clear: Azerbaijan urges the civilian population to leave their ancestral homes.

That is an obvious manifestation of the intentions of Azerbaijan that is further coupled with the use of force on the ground: only last night Azerbaijani armed forces used 60mm mortar launchers 15 times, firing a total of 23 shells in the direction of the Armenian villages. Further to that, Azerbaijan exerted to a significant build up and concentration of heavy forces, including artillery, tanks, and other heavy armored vehicles.

All these actions undertaken by Azerbaijan are nothing else but grave violation of the human rights of the people of Nagorno Karabakh. It is carried out as a collective punishment on indigenous civilian population of Nagorno Karabakh for its desire to exercise fundamental freedoms.

Armenia calls upon all States and the United Nations, as a whole, to urgently intervene to prevent this ethnic cleansing in making. We further urge to mobilize support for civilian population of Nagorno Karabakh and to address their prevailing needs. The international community should call upon Azerbaijan to halt its hostile actions, abide by the ceasefire regime and ensure the unimpeded delivery of the humanitarian assistance to Nagorno Karabakh, in line with Azerbaijan’s international commitments.

There are ample mechanisms to call a State that is a serial violator of human rights to order, and thus to avert yet another humanitarian disaster. Turning a blind eye to the ethnic cleansing in making is not an option.

I thank you.

MFA RA
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