Former ICC prosecutor: release of Armenian hostages from Azerbaijan will contribute to recognition of ethnic cleansing in Artsakh

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YEREVAN, 13 September. /ARKA/. The release of Armenian hostages will contribute to the recognition of the genocide committed by Azerbaijan against Armenians in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and thus to the protection of Artsakh, and to protect Artsakh means to protect Armenia, former International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo said at a press conference in Yerevan today./pp

It is important that during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku the issue of the release of the Armenian hostages is not forgotten,’ Ocampo emphasised./pp

He emphasised that the Artsakh leaders held by Baku are not prisoners, but hostages, as they did not take part in the war./pp

All this reminds of 1915, when the genocide of Armenians was carried out in the Ottoman Empire. There too, leaders were first detained to behead the people,’ Ocampo recalled./pp

He once again voiced the main idea around which Armenians around the world should unite: to release Armenian hostages, to stop the genocide of the Armenian people. Besides, the former ICC prosecutor stressed that genocide does not necessarily mean murder, deportation is also a crime against humanity./pp

I came to Armenia to understand what is happening, to meet with the leaders of Artsakh and the Catholicos (head of the Armenian Church), and to discuss actions to return the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to their homeland,’ Ocampo said./pp

Ocampo previously led a public opinion campaign on the illegally held 23 Armenian prisoners from Nagorno-Karabakh, including former Artsakh presidents Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan and Araik Harutyunyan, as well as former Artsakh Prime Minister Ruben Vardanyan./pp 'Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev knows that if he attacks Armenia, he will be indicted,' said Luis Moreno Ocampo, commenting on Armenia's accession to the ICC./pp 'Azerbaijan must respect international law. Now the international law is on the side of Armenians. Those who committed genocide should be imprisoned. And the fact that genocide and deportation were carried out in Nagorno-Karabakh is beyond doubt. Therefore, all states, not only Armenia, must demand a response from Azerbaijan,’ Ocampo emphasised./pp

According to him, the fact that Armenia joined the ICC allowed it to become part of the security system./pp

Today, some villages in Armenia are also under the threat of destruction. The genocide that was carried out in 2023 in Artsakh may spread to Armenia,’ Ocampo noted./pp

Armenia's lawsuit demanding the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination by Azerbaijan due to years of hate speech and Armenianophobia at the state level is pending before the UN International Criminal Court (ICC)./pp

In addition, 4 inter-state complaints against Azerbaijan are pending on behalf of Armenia at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) - in relation to crimes during the 44-day war in Artsakh (September-November 2020); illegal trials of Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan; armed attacks and occupation of sovereign Armenian territory by Azerbaijani armed forces (May 2021. - November 2022); blockade of the Lachin corridor (December 2022-September 2023) and violation of the rights of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. -0-/pp nbsp;/pp nbsp;/p