Armenia’s counsel at the World Court Lawrence Martin presented the facts justifying Armenia’s request for provisional measures against Azerbaijan at the International Court of Justice.
Armenia presents facts to World Court justifying request for provisional measures against Azerbaijan
STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 30, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: “We’ve come before you today to request your urgent intervention to end an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe,” Martin said.
“Since 12 December last year the ethnic Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh has been almost entirely cut off from the outside world. They have been and continue to be deprived of access to food, medicine and all other necessities of life. Without swift actions by the court their lives are in danger. “
Lawrence Martin reminded that tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians were forcibly displaced from territories which Azerbaijan captured during the 44-day war in 2020.
He said that after the deployment of Russian peacekeepers, Azerbaijan continued to do everything to make the life of Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh “intolerable”, it attacked villages in violations of the ceasefire agreement, forcibly displaced residents, including in Parukh, Berdzor, Aghavno and Sus villages, terrorized and killed Armenians.
Azerbaijan never concealed its intentions, Martin said, quoting Azerbaijani president Aliyev as saying “Our main duty was to expel the Armenians from our lands.” “And this is the man who calls Armenians dogs, savages, barbarians,” Martin said.
Armenia’s counsel showed to the court that the so-called “eco-activists” of Azerbaijan blocking the Lachin Corridor are fake. He said that after two days when the blockade began, the authorities in Nagorno Karabakh responded to the demands of the so-called eco activities, announcing that they would allow international monitors to inspect the two mines in question, however the Azerbaijani side refused. Moreover, Nagorno Karabakh shut down the operations of the mines after two weeks, but again the blockade did not stop.
Furthermore, the counsel mentioned that those claiming to be eco-activists are affiliated with state-sponsored NGOs in Azerbaijan and one of the leaders of the activists is actually a military intelligence officer.
The counsel added that Azerbaijanis have far more serious environmental problems right near their homes that they should think about. For example, the oil and gas production leading to disastrous environmental consequences, including in the Caspian Sea.
“What’s actually happening here? It is obvious, Azerbaijan is attempting to achieve what the Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev described as his main duty, to expel Armenians from Nagorno Karabakh,” Martin said the International Court of Justice public hearing on Armenia’s request for provisional measures against Azerbaijan in the case of Armenia v. Azerbaijan (Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan) - Request for the indication of provisional measures).
Armenia requests the following provisional measures: Azerbaijan shall cease its orchestration and support of the alleged protests blocking uninterrupted free movement along the Lachin corridor in both directions, Azerbaijan shall ensure uninterrupted free movement of all persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin corridor in both directions, and Azerbaijan shall immediately and fully restore and refrain from disrupting or impeding the provision of natural gas and other public utilities to Nagorno Karabakh.
