HRC 54rd Session. Item 3 – General Debate. Right of Reply - Embassy of Armenia to Switzerland and Permanent Mission of Armenia to the UN office at Geneva

HRC 54rd Session. Item 3 – General Debate. Right of Reply

21 September, 2023

Delivered by Hambardzum Minasyan, First Secretary

Mr. President,

We exercise right of reply to the statements delivered by Azerbaijan and Türkiye.

Azerbaijan has been preparing for military aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh for the last several weeks, through accumulation of attack weaponry and massive disinformation campaign about so-called provocations by Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, which has been consistently refuted. However, we would like to make it clear: no pretext can justify the massive use of force by Azerbaijan against civilian population of Nagorno Karabakh in violation of the UN Charter and core human rights documents. Despite months-long intense peace negotiations, Azerbaijan resorted again to the use of force vividly demonstrating that it has not been inclined to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Since the very first hours of aggression, there have been reports of a number of casualties among civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh, including children, women and older persons. The overall death toll is counted in hundreds, with numerous wounded and missing persons. Videos circulating on social media clearly show destruction of residential areas and civilian infrastructure.

Given the recent history of the grave violations of the international human rights law and international humanitarian law committed in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan may again resort to extrajudicial killings, torture and other kinds of degrading and humiliating treatment of civilians. This must be prevented.

Azerbaijan has claimed the creation of so-called “humanitarian corridors” in an attempt to drive Armenians out of Nagorno-Karabakh under the threat of extermination. It is nothing short of a well-orchestrated ethnic cleansing.

A number of international human rights organizations, independent experts, including the former ICC Prosecutor, the first Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide, the Global Action Against Mass Atrocity Crimes, the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect have alerted on the dire humanitarian crisis and the risk of commission of genocide.

In response to Türkiye, we would like to state that support that it keeps extending to Azerbaijan emboldens the latter to continue committing the crimes against humanity in Nagorno-Karabakh. The killings, torture, coercion and other violations of human rights perpetrated by Azerbaijan cannot under any circumstances be viewed as willingness or readiness of Azerbaijan for a peaceful dialogue.

At this critical juncture in light of the rapidly aggravating situation, the time for calls of the international community is well overdue and it is time for action.

I thank you.

MFA RA
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