The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh issued a statement regarding Azerbaijan’s obstruction of the return of Artsakh citizens: “On April 4, another blatant violation of the rights of Artsakh citizens took place, which demonstrates the real goals of the Baku government, which has kept the Republic of Artsakh under a complete blockade for more than 110 days.” : The Azerbaijani side did not allow the vehicles of Russian peacekeeping troops, which were transporting Artsakh citizens who remained in Armenia due to the blockade and deprived of the possibility to reunite with their families, to pass through the Berdzor road.

  In the blocked section of the Berdzor road, the Azerbaijani side stopped the cars and subjected the people in them to psychological intimidation for 5 hours, mainly women, children and elderly people. 

This outrageous incident clearly shows that the Baku authorities have taken the next step in their criminal plan of ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and expulsion of its people from the historical homeland. 

The chairman of the Baku government announced these intentions publicly in 2023, on January 10, in an interview with Azerbaijani media. Later, the political leadership of the Baku government repeatedly made the threat that the inhabitants of Artsakh should either submit to the Armenian authorities of Azerbaijan or leave their homeland. Under conditions of absolute impunity, the criminal actions of the Baku government against the people of Artsakh take on a more threatening nature and magnitude. The inaction of the international community in the face of such grave human rights violations is tantamount to tacit approval, if not complicity, in Baku’s official anti-human actions. 

Urgent and decisive action by the UN Security Council, which has the appropriate mandate and tools, is an absolute necessity for the immediate end of the illegal blockade and prevention of the ongoing crimes of the Baku government against the people of Artsakh in the eyes of the international community.