On April 13, the human rights defender of the Republic of Artsakh, Gegham Stepanyan, met with the acting chairman of the OSCE, Buyar Osmani, who is on a working visit to Armenia.This was reported by the Office of the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Artsakh.

Gegham Stepanyan spoke about the policy of ethnic cleansing carried out by the Baku authorities after the establishment of the ceasefire on November 9, 2020, pointing out specific facts and examples regarding the crimes of the Azerbaijani side. The defender presented the violations of the rights of the people of Artsakh during the illegal four-month blockade by the Baku authorities. He noted that ignoring the appeals of international actors and not complying with the decision of the UN International Court of Justice does not lead to any consequences for the Baku authorities, which further reinforces impunity and permissiveness. The Baku authorities respond to the statements and appeals of the international community with a tightening of the blockade and actions that cause further suffering to the civilian population. Gegham Stepanyan expressed his dissatisfaction with the inadequate and appropriate attitude of the international community to the humanitarian crisis created.

Stressing the involvement of the OSCE in the settlement of the Azerbaijani-Artsakh conflict, the Defender stressed the need to restore the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group, to send an investigation team to Artsakhet to have a permanent presence.

The personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Andrzej Kaspszyk, participated in the meeting.

The Government of the Republic of Western Armenia would like to recall that in 1992 the established Minsk Group, which has not yet taken an active part in the process of conflict resolution, because it did not know the scope of its mission and the mandate of its activity, and does not even have the right to investigate the circumstances of the renewal of the army operations during the conflict. 

On January 23, 2012, Aliyev announced that the negotiation process would not go on the path of inadmissibility of the war and will continue it. We believe that the government of Artsakh should first of all focus on the realization of the right to self-determination of peoples and recall that the people of Artsakh declared their right to self-determination on 10 December 1991.

We are ready in every way to help the authorities and people of Artsakh to implement the results of the legal referendum they have held.