Armenia tells World Court docket Azerbaijan blockade quantities to ‘ethnic cleaning’

THE HAGUE (Reuters) – A consultant of Armenia instructed judges on the World Court docket on Monday that the blockade of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh area by neighboring Azerbaijan was designed to permit “ethnic cleaning.”

The Lachin Hall is the one route via which Armenia can ship meals, gas and drugs to Nagorno-Karabakh, a area internationally acknowledged as a part of Azerbaijan however dwelling to some 120,000 ethnic Armenians.

The hall has been blocked since December 12, when protesters claiming to be environmental activists arrange tents and blocked site visitors. Azerbaijan denies any blockade, saying the employees are staging a professional protest in opposition to unlawful mining exercise.

Monday’s listening to on the Worldwide Court docket of Justice (ICJ), also called the World Court docket, was referred to as to listen to an Armenian request to the courtroom to order Azerbaijan to elevate the blockade.

Armenia’s consultant, Yegishe Kirakosyan, instructed the courtroom that the blockade had lowered meals rationing and drugs provides in Nagorno-Karabakh, whereas Azerbaijani authorities stated ethnic Armenians had been free to depart.

“Such brazen acts of ethnic cleaning haven’t any place within the trendy period and this courtroom is the final hope for ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh,” Kirakosyan stated.

Constantinos Salonidis, an Armenian lawyer, instructed the courtroom: “The entire lifting of the blockade and the unfettered restoration of public advantages will carry reduction to the victims of this merciless and pointless blockade.”

Nagorno-Karabakh has been a flashpoint between the South Caucasus neighbors for many years.

The listening to on the ICJ is an element of a bigger case that Armenia filed in 2020 alleging that Azerbaijan violated a conference in opposition to racial discrimination. Baku has filed a counterclaim that it’s Armenia, not Azerbaijan, that’s violating the non-discrimination treaty.

On Tuesday the ICJ will hear a competing declare by Azerbaijan that the courtroom order Armenia to cease planting landmines in territories it as soon as occupied.

(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg; Modifying by Gareth Jones)