The Center for Truth and Justice (CTFJ), an Armenian human rights organization, recently published a report alleging acts of genocide in the Nagorno-Karabakh region since 2021. The region, presently under Azerbaijani control, was earlier governed by Armenian forces and harbours the now-dissolved state of Artsakh.
In the reported communication, the CTFJ appeals to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to commence a preliminary examination into the situation in Armenia since May 12, 2021, hoping to both prevent and punish the individuals involved in the genocide against ethnic Armenians.
The CTFJ alleges that Azerbaijani armed forces fulfilled both the actus reus and mens rea elements for genocide, as proscribed under Article II(c) of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. As defined by the convention, genocide incorporates “deliberately inflicting upon the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its destruction in whole or in part.”
Azerbaijani security forces have reportedly intimidated and strategically removed ethnic Armenians from their native lands in a policy executed during the military aggressions in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2021 and in $ subsequent attacks. The documentation alleges instances of torture, random incarcerations, and extrajudicial assassinations. One reported occurrence involves an “ethnic cleansing” in the region, which happened in September 2023, when Azerbaijan led a military operation, ending Armenian control and causing the dissolution of the State of Artsakh.
The CTFJ argues that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s speeches and official state policy show an intention to commit genocide against ethnic Armenians. These conflicts are also being observed in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in related disputes about Nagorno-Karabakh
Azerbaijan is also subject to certain obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) as outlined by the ICJ, such as ensuring ethnic Armenians’ safe and unhampered return who left the region and ensuring equal and fair treatment for those who remained.
For further details, please refer to the original report on JURIST – News.