The Armenian government accuses the Azerbaijani authorities of ethnically motivated displacement in Nagorno-Karabakh. 100,514 forcibly relocated residents have now arrived in Armenia.
According to Armenian information, after the reconquest of the South Caucasus region of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan, the last refugee bus has left the area for the time being. This means that 100,514 forcibly relocated residents have now arrived in Armenia, said government spokeswoman Naseli Bagdassarjan.
Some people also left Nagorno-Karabakh in private vehicles. Many displaced people have health problems or are bedridden. Anyone still in Nagorno-Karabakh should contact the International Committee of the Red Cross, they said.
The Azerbaijani leadership, on the other hand, once again emphasized that there was no reason to flee and that people would be integrated into life according to the country’s laws. Unlike Armenia, the South Caucasus Republic of Azerbaijan is an authoritarian country without media freedom or democratically elected leadership and is internationally criticized for human rights violations.
Aliyev: “Live like a family”
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at an event that the country has long been characterized by a multi-ethnic and religious society. “We live like a family,” he said, according to Azerbaijani media. “Now is the time to build peace in the Caucasus. Our agenda is peace in the region, cooperation and mutual benefit,” he said in the capital Baku. Aliyev had previously announced the settlement of tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Accusation of expulsion
In contrast, the Armenian government accuses the Azerbaijani authorities of ethnically motivated expulsion in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenians who remained there feared persecution and violence.
Azerbaijan reconquered the region, which had been fought over for decades, with a military offensive the week before last. The leadership of the internationally unrecognized Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) then capitulated and sealed its self-dissolution on January 1, 2024.
The United Nations announced that a UN expedition had assessed the situation in the region on Sunday. The team found no damage to civilian public infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and housing as well as cultural and religious buildings. However, shops were apparently closed without exception.
Source: Stern
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