Blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh

2022–2023 blockade of Artsakh
Part of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Azerbaijanis illegally blockading the Lachin corridor on 17 December
Date	12 December 2022 – present (1 year, 5 months, 1 week and 2 days)
Location	Lachin corridor and Shusha 39°45′07″N 46°43′44″E
Methods	Demonstrations, sit-ins
Status	Ongoing
Parties
Azerbaijani "environmental activists" (according to Azerbaijan) Azerbaijan Russian peacekeepers Artsakh
Lead figures
No centralized leadership declared Andrey Volkov Ruben Vardanyan
Casualties and losses
- - 1 civilian (a patient who could not be transferred to Armenia for tertiary care) died

The 2022–2023 blockade of Artsakh is an ongoing event in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Nagorno-Karabakh region is disputed between Azerbaijan and the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, which has a mostly ethnic Armenian population and is supported by neighbouring Armenia. Since 2020, Russian peacekeepers have also been deployed to the region under a ceasefire agreement.

On 12 December 2022, citizens of Azerbaijan claiming to be "eco-activists" launched a blockade of the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting Artsakh to the outside world and to Armenia. Although the Azerbaijanis claim to have peaceful intentions, their blockade is causing severe consequences for the population; importation of food, fuel, and medicine is blocked, and the 120,000 residents of the region are trapped, creating a humanitarian crisis. Shortages of food, medicine, and electricity are widespread, and emergency reserves are being rationed. It is widely suspected that the blockade has been orchestrated by the Azerbaijani government as a form of hybrid warfare in its quest to subdue and eventually take control of the region. Turkey has also supported Azerbaijan's actions during the blockade. The authenticity of the claims of "environmental activism" by the "protesters" has come under scrutiny. Since 12 December 2022, only vehicles belonging to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Russian peacekeepers have been able to pass through the Lachin corridor. The government of Armenia has been able to send limited amounts of essential supplies (medicines, hospital food, infant formulas) only twice, transported by ICRC trucks. The ICRC has transferred a limited number of patients to Armenia for tertiary medical or surgical care.

During the blockade, various vital infrastructure which passes from Armenia to Artsakh through Azerbaijani-controlled territory has been damaged at different times, including gas, electricity, and Internet. For several days during the start of the blockade, Azerbaijan cut off the only natural gas supply to Artsakh; and again on January 17 for six hours. On 10 January, the only high-voltage power line supplying Artsakh was damaged, with Azerbaijan preventing repair teams from accessing the damaged section. Artsakh authorities has resorted to daily rolling blackouts in order to ration the limited local electricity production. On 12 January, internet access in Artsakh was disrupted due to damage to the only broadband internet cables leading into the region, with Artsakh officials accusing Azerbaijan of deliberately severing the connection. Internet was restored after Armenian specialists repaired the damage the next day.

Artsakh officials have proposed the involvement of international environmental inspectors as a solution; however, Azerbaijani officials have consistently refused to communicate with Artsakh representatives, demanding the entry of Azerbaijani inspectors as a condition for lifting the blockade.

Numerous countries, international organizations, and political analysts have condemned or criticized the blockade, many of which consider it to be a violation of the ceasefire agreement that ended the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, which stipulates that Azerbaijan guarantee the security of movement along the Lachin corridor in both directions.

Background

See also: Political status of Nagorno-Karabakh and Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

The Republic of Artsakh, also known as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, is a de facto state located on territory that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. The vast majority of Artsakh's inhabitants are ethnic Armenians; the mainland of Armenia is located to the west of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan does not recognize the sovereign status of Artsakh. Despite being offered citizenship, Artsakh residents do not trust Azerbaijan's guarantees of security due to the country's history of human rights abuses, Armenophobia, and lack of rights to ethnic minorities. Since the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, Azerbaijan no longer promises any special status or autonomy to its ethnically Armenian residents.

Artsakh was blockaded for the first time in August 1989, with Azerbaijan severing transport and economic links; this 1989 blockade has continued into the present day. During the Siege of Stepanakert (November 1991–May 1992; part of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War), Stepanakert, the capital city of Artsakh, was blockaded by Azerbaijani forces, and many civilian targets in the city were bombarded by aircraft and artillery. Turkey has blockaded mainland Armenia since 1993, in support of Azerbaijan's position in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The political isolation and existential threats that Artsakh residents experience from Azerbaijan have cultivated a siege mentality in public life.

Because the Lachin corridor remains the only transportation route in and out of Artsakh, it is often described as an essential "lifeline" to Artsakh residents. In 2017, a second and faster highway was built between Artsakh and Armenia (the Vardenis–Martakert highway), but this alternative route has been closed since Azerbaijan took control of the Dadivank-Sotk section (in Kalbajar) during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War (2020). Regular air transit in and out of Artsakh has also not existed since the Stepanakert Airport was closed in 1990 during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. The Artsakh government has attempted to re-open a commercial airport various times since it was reconstructed in 2011 but has been blocked by Azerbaijan, who warn that airplanes flying over Nagorno-Karabakh will be destroyed.

The gas connection to Artsakh has been severed three times by Azerbaijan in 2022, with the longest shutoff period lasting 3 weeks. Many Artsakh and Armenian officials have claimed that Azerbaijan can disrupt the gas supply to Artsakh on demand by means of a control valve that Azerbaijan installed in March 2020 during repair works.

After Azerbaijan closed the Vardenis–Martakert highway in 2020, Artsakh residents expressed fear that Azerbaijan would eventually close the Lachin corridor and in 2021 unsuccessfully petitioned the Russian peacekeeping forces to reopen an alternative route. With the Vardenis–Martakert highway closed, Stepanakert is now a six-hour drive from the nearest accessible international airport in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia, meanwhile Azerbaijan has built two new airports in Zangilan and Fuzuli, located in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, since recapturing these cities from Artsakh in 2020.

As per the 2020 ceasefire agreement, on 26 August 2020, Armenia surrendered the Lachin District to Azerbaijan, excluding the 5km-wide Lachin corridor, which is controlled by Russian peacekeepers. In December 2022, the Azerbaijan government inaugurated its "Great Return" program, which ostensibly promotes the settlement of ethnic Azerbaijanis who once lived in Armenia and Nagorno-Karbakh. As part of this program, a natural gas pipeline will be built between Agdam and Stapanakert which will begin operation in 2025 which is also when the Russian peacekeeping forces' mandate in Nagorno-Karbakh ends.

Azerbaijan has drawn parallels between the Lachin corridor and the Zangezur corridor, a concept which it insists was part of the 2020 ceasefire agreement; in the context of the blockade, according to Azerbaijan, it is merely demanding that the "principle of reciprocity be upheld" as per the 2020 ceasefire agreement. Since the end of the Second Nagorno-Karbakh War, Azerbaijan has increasingly promoted irredentist claims to Armenian territory which it describes as "Western Azerbaijan." After Azerbaijan attacked Armenia in September 2022 including areas around the Lachin corridor, pro-government media and certain Azerbaijani officials promoted the irredentist concept of the “Goycha-Zangazur Republic” which claims all of southern Armenia, including the region that borders the Lachin corridor. Azerbaijani member of parliament Hikmat Babaoghlu condemned the idea, arguing that it weakens Azerbaijan's public case to create the Zangezur corridor. Coinciding with the September 2022 incursions, Russia removed some of its soldiers from the Lachin Corridor and redeployed them to the war in Ukraine. Speaking about Azerbaijan's demand for the Zangezur corridor, a senior Azerbaijani official reported to Eurasianet in November 2022, "What if we were to install a [border] post at the entrance of Lachin and finish the whole process? How can you breathe with no air?"

Two weeks before the 2022–2023 blockade started, the prime minister of Armenia said amid a cabinet meeting, "Azerbaijan's president is trying to come up with bogus excuses for closing the Lachin corridor and for blockading the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh and for their genocide and expulsion."

Blockade timeline

Signs used by "eco-activists" during the blockade

Armenians protesting in front of the UN office in Yerevan

On 3 December, Artsakh information headquarters reported that a group of Azerbaijanis blocked the Lachin corridor between Stepanakert and Gorisat at the intersection around Shusha–Dashalty. The road was later reopened after being closed for four hours, but Azerbaijan announced that it would send specialists to the location of the Russian peacekeepers.

On 10 December, the Ministries of Economy and Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan issued a joint statement, according to which Azerbaijan is starting environmental observations in the territory of the Republic of Artsakh. On the same day, a group of Azerbaijanis tried to enter the Kashen mine, but the mine's security staff did not allow it.

On the morning of 12 December, a group of Azerbaijanis who call themselves environmentalists blocked the only road connecting Armenia to Artsakh. According to the group, they are protesting against the actions of Russian peacekeepers who allegedly cover up the unlawful exploitation of mineral deposits in the territories they control. After some time, the individuals involved in the blockade placed tents in the middle of the road. According to Azerbaijani media, environmental groups protested after being denied access to the Drombon and Kashin mines and demanded a meeting with the commander of the Russian peacekeepers, Andrei Volkov. Human Rights Watch reported that Russian peacekeeping forces "also barricaded the road to prevent further escalation of the situation if the people gathered were to advance to the mines in the Nagorno-Karabakh-held areas", while Azerbaijan denies that it is responsible for closing the road.

Between 13 and 16 December, Azerbaijan cut off the gas supply from Armenia to Artsakh. Azerbaijani gas supply agency Azeriqaz denied involvement on gas supply interruption.

On the evening of 13 December Azerbaijani media reported that Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan and the police arrived to the area of the protests to "ensure the security of the participants of the action".

On 14 December, Azerbaijani authorities claimed that it was the Russian peacekeeping forces which were blockading the corridor.

On 16 December the individuals involved added to their list of demands "restoration of control by all state structures of Azerbaijan, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Border Service, and the State Customs Committee" along the Lachin corridor. One of the Azerbaijani self-described protesters Dilara Efendiyeva created a hotline to appeal for assistance in crossing the blockade; however, this has been dismissed as ingenuine or propaganda by many Armenians. On 19 December, several International Committee of the Red Cross vehicles passed through the corridor, ICRC reporting that it facilitated the transfer of a patient in need of urgent medical assistance across Lachin road to Armenia. According to HRW, which refers to some media reports, several Russian peacekeeping trucks that allegedly contained humanitarian goods were allowed to pass, although it is unclear for whom the goods are intended. Artsakh Human Rights ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan told HRW that the goods were not for the public in Nagorno-Karabakh. The road remains closed for the general public and transportation of goods.

On 25 December, a truck of the International Committee of the Red Cross delivered through the Lachin corridor from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh 10 tons of humanitarian cargo, consisting of medicine, baby food and medical supplies. As outlined in the joint report by Armenia and Artsakh Human Rights Defenders, "Artsakh heavily relies on the supply of foodstuffs from Armenia to satisfy its local demand". According to human rights activist Gegham Stepanyan, over 400 tons of 'essential' goods, 'including grain, flour, vegetables, fruits' used to be imported from Armenia daily. On the same day, 40,000-70,000 Artsakh residents rallied in the capital Stepanakert in protest of the blockade, making it one of the largest protests in Nagorno-Karabakh since the 1988 Karabakh movement.

On 26 December, Armenia's Security Council secretory Armen Grigoryan stated that "Armenia is being forced to provide an extraterritorial corridor [referring the Zangezur Corridor] and join the Union State," a view which Moscow later denies. This perception was echoed by other Armenian politicians and political analysts who claimed that Russia was using the blockade to obtain concessions from Armenia. Same day, an AFP correspondent on the ground saw the Russian military vehicles moving freely along the road, which remained blocked near a Russian checkpoint, about 15 kilometers from Stepanakert.

On 27 December, Azerbaijan specified that the blockade would be lifted if state monitors were permitted entry into the mining sites used by Artsakh.

On 28 December, Artsakh authorities halted mining operations at Kashen, pending an "international ecological examination" to disprove Azerbaijani claims of environmental damage. The Kashen mine, operated by Base Metals, is Artsakh's largest corporate taxpayer and private employer.

On 29 December, the Armenian prime minister criticized the Russian peacekeeping forces for not maintaining open transport in and out of Artsakh and suggested the role be delegated to a United Nations peacekeeping mission, a suggestion that Azerbaijan rejected.

On 31 December, efforts to get the United Nations Security Council to issue a joint statement on the blockade were not successful. The exact reason was unknown with responsibility being variously attributed to Azerbaijan, France, and Russia: however, Azerbaijan's ambassador to Belgium and the European Union, Vaqif Sadiqov, credited additional parties for not approving the resolution: "Words of gratitude go to Albania, Russia, UAE & UK! A great job of AZ diplomats!" he wrote in a tweet.

On 5 January 2023, the parliament of Artsakh called on the US, France and Russia to take action to open the corridor or begin the operation of an airlift to Stepanakert's airport to prevent an "urgent humanitarian crisis". Artsakh's state minister, Ruben Vardanyan, said "Pressure from international organizations, European countries and the United States would have great significance. The only solution which will allow us to live normally in this situation in the winter months is the possibility of opening an air bridge."

On 6 January, the World Court stated that Azerbaijan had requested it to order Armenia to stop planting mines, and give Azerbaijan information on existing mines.

On 8 January, authorities in Artsakh announced that kindergartens and schools with extended hours will be shut down indefinitely beginning on 9 January due to shortages caused by the blockade.

On 9 January, Artsakh announced that coupons would be issued to people in order to purchase scarce supplies. The government issued a rationing system to commence on January 20 of buckwheat, rice, sugar, pasta and cooking oil.

Clossed and mpty grocery stores in Stepanakert

Empty grocery stores in Stepanakert

Empty grocery stores in Stepanakert

Empty grocery stores in Stepanakert

Empty grocery stores in Stepanakert

Food queue in Stepanakert

Сlossed grocery stores in Stepanakert

On 10 January, Armenian prime minister Pashinyan denied claims that Moscow has pressured Armenia to join the Union State of Russian and Belarus but said "the reality isn't as simple as it seems. Sometimes, it's not the text but the subtext that needs to be considered." On the Same day President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev in a press conference talking about Lachin corridor stated that: "whoever does not want to become our citizen, the road is not closed, it is open. They can leave, they can go by themselves, no-one will hinder them."

On 10 January, the electricity operator of Artsakh reported that the high-voltage power line supplying electricity to Artsakh from Armenia was damaged on the Aghavno-Berdzor section of the corridor under Azerbaijani control and that Azerbaijan is hindering restoration works on the line. In addition, the Armenian Prime Minister announced that the planned CSTO military exercises would not be held in Armenia due to the situation, while Moscow downplayed Armenian refusal to host the alliance.

On 12 January, there were widespread Internet outages in Artsakh that lasted an hour and caused fear among local residents. In a Stepanakert-Yerevan online conference, State Minister Vardanyan stated "We have three choices: to become citizens of Azerbaijan, to leave, or to overcome this situation. This is the struggle for life, we must do everything in our power." Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian urged Nagorno-Karabakh’s leaders to tone down their rhetoric and negotiate with Azerbaijan in order to end the blockade of the Lachin Corridor. The same day the ICRC facilitated the transfer of three patients requiring urgent medical treatment to Armenia. Previously, ICRC transferred four foreign nationals, who suffered from chronic diseases, from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. The ICRC reported that since 12 December 2022, it facilitated the transfer of 21 patients to Armenia. ICRC reported mediation and support in transferring 4 more patients to Armenia, with the total number of evacuated patients reaching 46. On 15 January, an ICRC truck delivered medicines and other supplies from Armenia to the medical facilities of Nagorno-Karabakh, and five more patients were transferred to Armenia through the ICRC mediation.

On 16-17 January, the Armenian FM traveled to Vienna for a special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council that Armenia initiated, to deliver remarks and meet with counterparts.

According to News.am, as of 16 January, 726 businesses - or 17.7% of all businesses in Artsakh - have suspended operations due to the blockade, and in addition more than 14,000 tons of food and supplies which would have been delivered to Artsakh ordinarily were not able to enter.

On 17 January, according to Artsakh’s InfoCenter, Azerbaijan blocked the only gas pipeline delivering gas to Artsakh from Armenia again. As reported by Artsakhgas CJC, the residents are deprived of gas as the supply in the republic has been stopped as of 13:00 local time.

On 19 January, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the blockade, describing it as a humanitarian crisis and a violation of the 2020 ceasefire declaration. It also called for Azerbaijan to "protect the rights of Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh and refrain from its inflammatory rhetoric that calls for discrimination against Armenians and urges Armenians to leave Nagorno-Karabakh." The resolution also "Condemns the inaction of Russian ‘peacekeepers’; considers that their replacement with OSCE international peacekeepers, under a UN mandate, should be negotiated urgently"

According to Russian Ministry of Defense bulletins, from 22 to 27 January 2023 Russian peacekeeping contingent convoys with humanitarian cargo passed daily along Goris-Stepanakert route, and on 25 January 2023 along the Erebuni-Stepanakert route. Russian peacekeepers also reported distribution of food parcels to the residents of Martuni and Askeran on 25 January and Mardakert and Stepanakert on 26 January 2023.

Humanitarian crisis

ICRC vehicle facilitating the transfer of a patient in need of urgent medical assistance across the Lachin road to Armenia.

Ration stamps for sugar, buckwheat, vegetable oil, rice and pasta, provided by Artsakh Government in January 2022.

The blockade is creating a humanitarian crisis due to the Republic of Artsakh losing regular supplies of food, fuel and medicine; before the blockade, the territory received 400 tons of food and medicine. Various vital infrastructure which passes from Armenia to Artsakh through Azerbaijani-controlled territory has also been damaged at different times during the blockade: including gas, electricity, and Internet. On the night that the second phase of the blockade began (12 December), more than 1,100 Artsakh citizens were stranded on the roads in cold winter conditions. Among the stranded citizens are 270 children, many of whom were returning from attending the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Yerevan; they have been grounded in Armenian territory and are unable to return home. Hundreds of families have been divided. Schools and other educational institutions have been suspended. Among the 120,000 people blockaded are 30,000 children, 20,000 elderly, and 9,000 disabled people.

Lack of access to supplies and medical care

Shortages of food and medicine are widespread, and emergency reserves are being rationed.

There are several isolated communities along the corridor to the west of the protests that have been cut off from both Armenia and the rest of Artsakh, rendering them completely isolated: Mets Shen, Hin Shen, Yeghtsahogh and Lisagor. It has become impossible to deliver food and other basic necessities to these communities from either Armenia or Artsakh.

On January 20, Artsakh authorities announced a coupon-based food rationing system that permits allocates one kilogram of pasta, buckwheat, rice, and sugar and a litre of cooking oil per month.

A BBC News article from 6 January stated that the only product left for sale at the main market was dried thyme, that shop shelves were empty in all of Stepanakert, and that all basic medication had run out, even at the hospital.

The transfer of critically ill patients from Artsakh to Yerevan remains impossible, with one death resulting from the situation

Empty grocery stores in Stepanakert during the blockade

Damage to infrastructure

Various vital infrastructure which passes from Armenia to Artsakh through Azerbaijani-controlled territory has been damaged at different times during the blockade, including gas, electricity, and Internet.

Gas supplies were cut in two instances; first between 13–16 December 2022, and again for six hours on 17 January 2023. Several Armenian media repeated previous allegations that the gas cuts were triggered by a control valve installed by Azerbaijan in March 2022.

On 10 January, the only high-voltage power line from Armenia to Artsakh was damaged, with Azerbaijan preventing repair teams from accessing the damaged section. As a result, Artsakh authorities announced that daily blackouts would be instituted (between two and four hours) to ration the limited local electricity-production.

On 12 January, internet access in Artsakh was disrupted due to damage to the only broadband internet cables leading into the region, with Artsakh officials accusing Azerbaijan of deliberately severing the connection. The internet was restored after Armenian specialists repaired the damage the next day.

Authenticity of the "environmental activism" claims

The authenticity of the claims of "environmental activism" by the activists is under scrutiny. It is widely suspected that the blockade is being orchestrated by the Azerbaijani government, with some level of support from the Turkish government as well. There is also little evidence to suggest that there is a specific environmental issue within Artsakh that is justifying the protests. Many countries, international organizations, and political analysts have condemned the blockade and scrutinized the authenticity of the eco-activism claims.

Azerbaijani and Turkish government involvement

According to media outlets such as Eurasianet, there is "plenty of evidence" to indicate that the Azerbaijani government is involved in the blockade, such as the fact that some of the participants work for Azerbaijani state-affiliated organizations and are promoted by the Azerbaijani government. The participants are also endorsed by the Turkish government. The Azerbaijan government has also paid Public Relations firms to produce expert-signed op-eds which recite Azerbaijani propaganda that environmental concerns underlie the ongoing blockade.

Judging by videos from the scene, those among the ranks of the participants include the employees of state-owned companies, military servicemen, and workers from Turkish companies. Some of the participants appear to be bused in and out from the Kharibulbul Hotel in Shusha.

The Azerbaijani government has openly sponsored the participants, such as by providing them with tents. The foreign minister of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, said that the participants' demands must be met in order to lift the blockade.

Scrutiny of the protests and environmental claims

With regards to the liberal nature of the "protest", critics have pointed out that freedom of assembly is not a recognized civil right in Azerbaijan. The participants appear to not have an extensive history of eco-activism. Outwardly, the blockade action appears more political than environmental. The participants have made claims about alleged environmental issues such as the idea that the Artsakh government is "illegally" mining gold, and they have specifically requested that Azerbaijani inspectors be granted access to the sites.

A number of inconsistencies have been observed between the visible attitudes of the participants and the demands that an environmentalist mobilization usually raises; for example, the participants have carried a large flag of Azerbaijan, and many of them have wrapped national flags around themselves; furthermore, several participants have worn fur coats, which lends doubt as to whether the participants genuinely care about the environment.

Nationalist slogans have taken the place of environmental ones, and the participants have been photographed making the hand symbol of the Gray Wolves, a Turkish ultra-nationalist organization with a history of committing violence against minorities in Turkey, including Armenians. The participants have also been recorded shouting Azerbaijani military chants, such as "the best soldier is the Azerbaijani soldier."

Early in the blockade, the participants released white doves (i.e. pigeons) to symbolically represent peace among nations; however, one of the pigeons was accidentally strangled to death by a woman in a fur coat as she gripped the bird and shouted through a loudspeaker. The suffocated pigeon became a symbol for the intentions of the blockade to Armenians, with hashtags such as "#WeAreThePigeon" being posted on social media. One resident told OC Media: "They say we should live peacefully together, but they want to suffocate us like that pigeon she strangled to death. It was a hint, many just didn't get it. They just want to do the same with us."

Lawsuits

International Court of Justice

Armenia has applied to the International Court of Justice with a request to apply interim measures and oblige Azerbaijan to stop organizing and supporting the alleged "demonstrations" that have blocked free movement in both directions through the Lachin corridor.

European Court of Human Rights

On December 14, 2022, Armenia applied to the ECHR requesting to oblige Azerbaijan to unblock Lachin Corridor and to apply interim measures. In turn, Azerbaijan applied to the ECHR on December 22, demanding to annul the decision to apply measures against itself and to impose interim measures against Armenia. In response to this, in January 2023, the Armenian side provided the ECHR with information about the humanitarian crisis caused by the blockade and requested intervention in resolving the issue from the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which controls implementation of the decisions of the ECHR.

On January 17, the ECHR sent an urgent notice on the issue of the Lachin corridor to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe satisfying the request made by Armenia and also rejected Azerbaijan's request to take measures against Armenia.

Reactions

Soldiers of the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Defense Ministry during the blockade

Numerous countries, international organizations, and political analysts have condemned the blockade or implied that Azerbaijan is deliberately orchestrating the crisis as an attempt to take control over Artsakh. Thomas de Waal, a political analyst and author of several books on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, wrote that the environmental activists were "evidently sent there by the [Azerbaijani] government" and are comparable to the "little green men" used by Russia to occupy Crimea in 2014. De Waal also said, "The eco-activists give Baku 'plausible deniability'. Since 2020, Azerbaijan has been in the dominant position in this dispute and it has certain things it wants to achieve. It uses both negotiations and force. When negotiations don't go so well from its point of view, it uses force." Commenting on the blockade, Azerbaijani political expert Agshin Kerimov predicts "the process will end with the establishment of Baku's sovereign rights over the entire territory of Karabakh." The director of an influential Azerbaijani political think tank, Topchubashov Center, Rusif Huseynov said "The current standoff is a win-win situation for Baku. If [Azeri] officials are allowed into Karabakh and to inspect the mines, it would mean everyone, including the Russian peacekeepers and 'Nagorno-Karabakh Republic' leadership acknowledges and further legitimizes Azerbaijan's sovereignty over the territory."

According to Markéta Gregorová, a Czech MEP and the EU-Azerbaijan Cooperation Council, an agreement signed between the EU and Azerbaijan to replace Russian imports of gas has undermined the EU's ability to apply pressure. Nathalie Loiseau, a French MEP and chair of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Security and Defense said "the blockade is "illegal, cruel and contradictory with Baku's claims that the territory belongs to Azerbaijan. Which country would intentionally prevent its own people from receiving food or medicine?" Michael Rubin, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and ex-Pentagon official wrote "Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's attempt to starve, if not eradicate, Armenian Christians was predictable...Dictators precipitate famines when they believe they can murder opponents without consequence."

Ten different human rights organizations have issued a collective genocide warning: "All 14 risk factors for atrocity crimes identified by the UN Secretary-General's Office on Genocide Prevention are now present...The current Azerbaijani aggression against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh conforms to a long pattern of ethnic and religious cleansing of Armenian and other Christian communities in the region by the government of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Turkey, the Ottoman Empire, and their partisans."

Caucasus expert Laurence Broers draws parallels between "the Russian discourse about Ukraine as an artificial, fake nation, and the Azerbaijani discourse about Armenia, likewise claiming it has a fake history", thus elevating the conflict to an "existential level".

Involved parties

Demonstration in Yerevan demanding the opening of the Lachin corridor on 20 December.

• Armenia – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia stated that the provocative actions of Azerbaijan may lead to a large-scale humanitarian disaster The prime minister of Armenia criticized Russian forces whose mandate is to secure transport in and out of the region as "becoming a silent witness to the depopulation of Nagorno-Karabakh." Margaryan, Permanent Representative of Armenia, told the U.N. Security Council that "the ongoing blockade is not just one isolated case, but another demonstration of systematic violence used by the Azerbaijani authorities to subject the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to ethnic cleansing." Certain Armenian officials have suggested that Russia is using the blockade to obtain concessions from Armenia. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan stated that Azerbaijan does not fulfill its obligations, closing the Lachin road since 12 December, and while 300-400 vehicles used to pass this road daily, transporting everything necessary for the livelihood of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, only 400 vehicles passed in 40 days, mostly for humanitarian purposes. In his opinion, the Russia does not want to use force, trying to resolve the issue through negotiations.
• Artsakh – The President of Artsakh, Arayik Harutyunyan said the "aggressive behavior of Azerbaijan, through which it terrorizes our population, is highly unacceptable". Vagram Balayan, leader of the Dashnak parliamentary faction of Artsakh, said 'the Azeris actually do not want any negotiations, they just want us to disappear from history." Ruben Vardanyan, the state minister for Artsakh, told CNN "The message that Azerbaijan is sending with these eco-activists is either you leave or you accept our rule of law, or you will starve and die because nobody cares about you all." In other instances, however, Vardanyan has also drawn increased criticism for his public messaging as the crisis has dragged on. Vardanyan has downplayed the severity of the situation by emphasizing the exceptions to the blockade where some Russian-supplied humanitarian aid and ICRC-escorted patients were allowed through.
• Azerbaijan – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan denied the blockade claiming that "civilian transport can move freely in both directions" and voiced "readiness to meet humanitarian needs of ethnic Armenians living on Karabakh". The Spokesperson for the ministry, Ayxan Hajizade, called claims of a blockade "fake news." Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev praised the individuals blockading Nagorno-Karabakh, saying that "they show the whole world how high-quality the Azerbaijani youth are" and stated "it is simply unfair to call the events happening on the Lachin - Khankendi road a blockade." Aliyev said that residents who do not want to live in Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijani citizens are free to leave. He also stated that within a month, about four hundred trucks of peacekeepers had passed through the corridor, and had also taken food and other necessary goods to Nagorno-Karabakh residents. Aliyev also stated that the Red Cross was granted permission to pass as many times as they asked.
• Russia – The Russian Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that "Russia's defense ministry and the Russian peacekeeping contingent have been actively working to de-escalate the situation and we expect full transport links to be restored in the very near future." On 12 January 2023 Zakharova stated: "We continue to work on complete unblocking of the Lachin corridor in accordance with the tripartite statement of the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan of November 9, 2020. Consistent steps are being taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense of Russia and the command of the peacekeeping contingent to de-escalate the situation". She also stated that presently convoys carrying humanitarian aid are passing through the Lachin corridor. On 18 January 2023, Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Russian defense officials are looking into Azerbaijan's allegations that, in breach of the agreements, Armenia was transporting land mines through the Lachin corridor. He also proposed that Russian peacekeepers could examine cargo transported via this road, adding that he believed the issue would be settled shortly.

International

• Brazil – Ambassador Filho called for open channels of dialogue and said "any obstruction jeopardizes the well-being of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and threatens the reconciliation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan."
• Canada – The Canadian Foreign Ministry calls on Azerbaijan to open the Lachin corridor.
• Cyprus – Cyprus called on Azerbaijan to lift the blockade and restore gas supply.
• Estonia – The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern about the blockade which poses "severe human suffering of the local population in Nagorno-Karabakh".
• France – The French Foreign Ministry called for the unblocking of the Lachin corridor without any conditions and to respect the rights of the Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh. Speaker of the French parliament Yaël Braun-Pivet during her visit to Yerevan stated that her country is concerned about the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh and the deepening humanitarian crisis, and that in order to achieve a peaceful and lasting solution, it is necessary to restore dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan. She also said that her country does not recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh in accordance with international law, and that France will not impose sanctions on Azerbaijan.
• Germany – German Commissioner for Human Rights and Humanitarian Assistance called for the restoration of free movement of people, vehicles and goods on the Lachin corridor as soon as possible, noting the risk of grave humanitarian effects for civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Greece – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece called on the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure freedom and security of movement and transport without any preconditions, and that the local population should be spared from hardships and distress.
• Ireland – Ireland calls on Azerbaijan to immediately and unconditionally restore freedom and security in the Lachin corridor.
• Lebanon – The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said it deeply regrets the closure of the Lachin corridor and impact on the livelihood and humanitarian conditions in the area.
• Lithuania – The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern about the continuing blockade and its resulting severe humanitarian consequences for Nagorno-Karabakh
• Netherlands – The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for the unblocking of the Lachin corridor, and for Armenia and Azerbaijan to restart peace negotiations. The Netherlands Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the government to urge the European Council to pressure Azerbaijan to cease hostilities against the people of Artsakh and to open the Lachin Corridor. It also stated that: “Russian peacekeepers do not intervene in that area, and that this situation threatens to create a humanitarian emergency for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
• Norway – The Minister of Foreign affairs Mona Juul called on Azerbaijan to guarantee safe movement across the Lachin corridor: "It is in nobody's interest to trigger an avoidable humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh...The international community cannot just "weather the storm" in the hopes that [the situation] will go away"
• Poland – The Senate of Poland unanimously adopted a resolution, calling on Azerbaijan to lift the blockade and restore free movement on Lachin corridor without delay or preconditions.
• Spain – the Spanish Congress unanimously adopted a statement which "Calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure the freedom and safety of movement along the corridor in accordance with the trilateral declaration of November 9, 2020. Restrictions on free movement cause great suffering to the population and can create a humanitarian crisis."
• Turkey – The Ambassador of Turkey to Azerbaijan Cahit Bağcı, personally visited the blockade, writing on Twitter, "Karabakh is Azerbaijan."
• United Kingdom – United Kingdom Minister of State for European Affairs Leo Docherty has expressed concern that the blocking of the Lachine corridor and disrupting gas supplies in winter risks severe humanitarian consequences.
• United States – United States Department of State spokesman Ned Price said that the closure of the corridor has serious humanitarian consequences and called on Azerbaijan to restore free movement through the Lachin corridor. U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said on 16 December that closure of the Lachin corridor has potentially severe humanitarian implications, calling for the restoration of free movement through the corridor as soon as possible. Ambassador Robert A. Wood, Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs, called on "the government of Azerbaijan and others responsible for the corridor's security to restore free movement, including for humanitarian and commercial use, as soon as possible" during the UN Security Council meeting on 20 December 2022. On 22 December 2022, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan expressed ongoing concern of the United States over impeded access to the Lachin corridor and the growing humanitarian implications of this situation, calling to fully restore the free movement through the corridor. Five USA congress members issued a separate statement: "It is disturbing that the only time the people of Azerbaijan are allowed to freely protest is when it threatens the lives of Armenians...We urge the United States and our European partners to use every diplomatic tool at their disposal to halt this clearly fabricated crisis created by Azerbaijan."
  • Los Angeles – On 4 January, the Mayor of Los Angeles sent a letter to US President Biden urging the United States "come to the aid of the people of Artsakh". The mayor issued this statement after a cordon of Armenian truckers paralysed the traffic around her residence to bring attention to the brewing humanitarian crisis.
• Uruguay – Uruguay's Senate called for the end of the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan putting an end to the harassment of the civilian population, and expressed solidarity with the people of Artsakh.
• Vatican City – Pope Francis expressed concern about "precarious humanitarian conditions of the people, which are in further danger of deteriorating during the winter season," speaking of the "situation created in the Lachin corridor in the South Caucasus."

Supranational

• European Union – "The EU calls on Azerbaijan to ensure freedom of movement, and that restrictions to such freedom of movement cause significant distress to the local population and creates humanitarian concerns." PACE co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Azerbaijan and Armenia also released a joint statement urging for urgent restoration of freedom of movement along the Lachin corridor. Nathalie Loiseau, Chair of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Security and Defence, told POLITICO that the EU should use its economic ties to put pressure on Azerbaijan to end the blockad, saying "we mustn't shy away from defending universal values. If we don't do it, who will act?"
  • The Renew Europe Group of the EU Parliament called on Azerbaijan to unconditionally end the blockade. Nathalie Loiseau, the MEP that initiated the resolution, said "it is more than a blockade that he [President Aliyev] is imposing, more than blackmail, it is ethnic cleansing that he wants."
• The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights issued a statement expressing concern about the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh caused by the blockade of the Lachin corridor and demanding that "those responsible for maintaining public order and security of the corridor should take all the necessary steps to restore movement along that road as a matter of urgency and prevent a deterioration of the humanitarian situation". Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović wrote on Dec 22, 2022 that "Movement along the Lachin corridor should be restored as a matter of urgency to prevent a deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh".
• United Nations – The blockade of the Lachin corridor was discussed by the UN Security Council. All members of the Security Council who spoke called on Baku to ensure free and safe movement along the Lachin corridor. No resolution was adopted following the meeting, however.
• UNICEF appealed to ensure freedom and security of movement, stating that: "Children are being impacted by the virtual closure of access to Nagorno-Karabakh via the Lachin corridor. The longer the situation persists, the more children will experience the lack of basic food items, while access to many of the essential services they need for their survival, healthy growth and well-being will become more challenging. Many children have also been deprived of parental care as they have been separated from their parents or legal guardians."
• Collective Security Treaty Organization – Secretary General Stanislav Zas stated that the problem at the Lachin corridor is outside of its responsibility.
• The U.S. Helsinki Commission issued a statement: "The blocking of trade and transit on the Lanchin corridor is contributing to a humanitarian catastrophe in Karabakh, and should be lifted immediately. Azerbaijan has a moral responsibility for ensuring the welfare of Karabakh Armenians."
• The Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy issued a statement: "In the most unequivocal terms we condemn the unacceptable blockade of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh for over a month now, under false pretenses by organizations and the authorities of Azerbaijan, endangering the lives of 120,000 Armenian who remain in their ancestral homes. We call the international community to immediately intervene towards a solution of this peculiar siege of the Armenian population, which aims at their extermination or displacement."

Non-governmental organizations

• The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention – issued two "Red Flag Alerts" on Azerbaijan, describing the blockade as "a criminal act which intends to create terror and unbearable conditions of life for the population of Artsakh. These events are not isolated events; they are, instead, being committed within a larger genocidal pattern against Armenia and Armenians by the Azerbaijani regime." The group also wrote "The genocidal intent of Baku has never been clearer and the actions carried out up to the moment highly predict this outcome."
• Christian Solidarity International – President John Eibner condemned the blockade by Azerbaijan, stating: "The process of the Armenian Genocide has been ongoing since the Ottoman massacres of the late nineteenth century. Now, by placing Nagorno-Karabakh under blockade, the dictatorship of Azerbaijan is clearly telegraphing its intent to carry out another phase of the Genocide". CSI also released a statement: "CSI stands in solidarity with the Armenian Christians of Nagorno-Karabakh. We support their right to govern themselves in their homeland, and we call on the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, and the Russian Federation to compel Azerbaijan to end the siege of Nagorno Karabakh."
• Aurora Humanitarian Initiative – Members of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative condemned Azerbaijan's government for blocking the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia, drawing parallels between the humanitarian crisis it created and the 1948 Berlin blockade by Soviet Union.
• World Medical Association – Dr. Frank Ulrich Montgomery, Chair of the WMA Council, urged the Azerbaijan Government to ensure safe access through the Lachine corridor, a critical route for the delivery of vital food and medical supplies, to avoid this humanitarian crisis getting worse.
• Freedom House – wrote "We call on the international community to reiterate its support for negotiations without coercion. Azerbaijan must cease its blockage of the Lachin corridor"
• Genocide Watch – issued an alert in September 2022 over conditions in the area. The report stated, "Due to its unprovoked attacks and genocidal rhetoric against ethnic Armenians, Genocide Watch considers Azerbaijan's assault on Armenia and Artsakh to be at Stage 4: Dehumanization, Stage 7: Preparation, Stage 8: Persecution, and Stage 10: Denial."
• Human Rights Watch – stated "whether the protesters have genuine environmental concerns or other grievances, Azerbaijan should...ensure the road remains open and [that] the protest does not deny Nagorno-Karabakh residents their rights of access to essential services and goods, and to freedom of movement."
• Amnesty International – stated "Azerbaijan must end the blockade of the Lachin corridor, which has left residents of Nagorno Karabakh without access to essential goods and services. Freedom of movement and protection of economic and social rights for those affected must be ensured".
• Socialist International – said in a statement that "We urge the Azerbaijan authorities to ensure freedom and security of movement along the corridor, in line with the trilateral statement of 9 November 2020. The humanitarian situation is critical and hence the SI strongly calls on the parties to dialogue and negotiation and prevent the humanitarian crisis the blocking may cause in the civil population."
• International Disability Alliance – issued a joint statement with the European Disability Forum (EDF), expressing concern about the blockade of the "lifeline road", which "has led to a series of human rights violations as well as denial of humanitarian access that has a disproportionately negative impact on persons with disabilities. As a result of the blockade, around 120,000 people, including more than 9,000 persons with disabilities face grave human rights violations." The joint statement called on the Azerbaijan government and the Russian peacekeeping contingent to end the blockade.

References

Works cited

Reports

• Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (January 1993). Human rights and democratization in the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union, Volume 4; Volume 85. Implementation of the Helsinki Accords. Washington, D.C.: United States Congress. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.

External links

• Media related to 2022–2023 blockade of the Republic of Artsakh at Wikimedia Commons