THE HAGUE, November 17. /TASS/. The International Court of Justice has ruled that Azerbaijan must ensure security of all people, including Armenians, in Nagorno-Karabakh, Joan Donoghue, the court’s president, said on Friday.
Thus, Azerbaijan must guarantee that it would not use force or intimidate those who have opted to stay in Nagorno-Karabakh after September 19 or have returned there and want to stay. Azerbaijan must also ensure swift, safe and unimpeded return of those who left Nagorno-Karabakh after September 19 and wants to return and the exit of those who wants to leave.
The document also binds Azerbaijan to protect people’s registration data and documents on private property in the region.
Armenia initiated a litigation with Azerbaijan at the International Court of Justice on September 16, 2021 under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Armenia accused Azerbaijan of practicing racial discrimination for decades, which came to the fore during the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2020. On September 23, 2021, Azerbaijan lodges a counter claim accusing Armenia of discriminatory actions in the region against the Azerbaijanis.
Both sides demanded the court impose provisional measures to prevent further escalation for the period of litigation. These clams were partially met.
On September 28, Armenia demanded further provisional measures. Its motion has 10 provisions, including a demand that Azerbaijan refrain from any actions geared to drive ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the highland region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory that had been part of Azerbaijan before the Soviet Union’s break-up, but primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, broke out in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. On September 19, tensions flared up again in Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku announced it was launching what it described as "local anti-terrorist measures" and demanded the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the region. Yerevan, in turn, said there were no Armenian forces in Karabakh, calling what was happening "an act of large-scale aggression." Russia called on the conflicting sides to prevent civilian casualties and return to a diplomatic solution. On September 20, an agreement was reached to stop hostilities. On September 28, President of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Samvel Shakhramanyan signed a decree dissolving the republic from January 1, 2024. People were asked to consider Baku’s reintegration terms and make up their minds about whether stay or leave the area.