The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) proposed a resolution on Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), which was passed on September 2, 2024. The resolution condemns Azerbaijan\u2019s violations of human rights, war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity perpetrated against the Armenian population of Artsakh and affirms their right to return with international guarantees of security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The full text of the IAGS resolution follows: (Download PDF<\/a> version)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognizing\u00a0<\/em>the\u00a0killing and other violence, including torture, against Armenian civilians<\/a>;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognizing\u00a0<\/em>the\u00a0detention of political leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh<\/a>;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acknowledging\u00a0<\/em>the\u00a0expulsion under threat of mass violence<\/a>\u00a0of the remaining 100,000 ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acknowledging\u00a0<\/em>the\u00a0history of anti-Armenian hate speech and expressions of genocidal intent<\/a>\u00a0from Azerbaijani media, political and military leadership<\/a>, religious leaders and other sources;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognizing\u00a0<\/em>that Azerbaijan\u00a0has taken<\/a>\u00a0ethnic Armenian soldiers and civilians<\/a>\u00a0prisoner, some of whose whereabouts remain unknown;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognizing\u00a0<\/em>the\u00a0destruction<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0Armenian cultural heritage<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan<\/a>;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acknowledging\u00a0<\/em>the\u00a0multiple representative and referendum votes\u00a0from 1988 to 1992 to join the <\/a>Armenian Republic or become an independent state,\u00a0which have never been respected<\/a>\u00a0internationally<\/a>;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognizing\u00a0<\/em>that the closure by Azerbaijan of the Lachin Corridor from December 2022 to September 2023 prevented essential goods including food, fuel and medicine from reaching the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, and prevented residents from accessing external medical treatment and separated families including children from parents, creating a\u00a0humanitarian crisis<\/a>\u00a0resulting in\u00a0malnutrition<\/a>,\u00a0death from starvation<\/a>, illness and psychological harm;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acknowledging\u00a0<\/em>the\u00a0International Court of Justice<\/a>\u2019s preliminary measures order of February 2023 that declared Azerbaijan\u2019s blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh including the closure of the Lachin Corridor \u2018may have a serious deterrent impact on the health and lives of individuals\u2019 and ordered Azerbaijan to \u2018take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions\u2019;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acknowledging <\/em>the International Court of Justice\u2019s preliminary measures order of February 2023 that ordered Azerbaijan to cease incitement and promotion of racial hatred and discrimination targeted at national or ethnic Armenians, and to prevent and punish destruction of Armenian cultural heritage;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acknowledging\u00a0<\/em>the International Court of Justice\u2019s preliminary measures order of\u00a0November<\/a>\u00a02023<\/a>\u00a0that ordered Azerbaijan,\u00a0inter alia<\/em>, to ensure the safe, unimpeded and expeditious return of those who wish to return to Nagorno-Karabakh, and the protection of persons in Nagorno- Karabakh;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acknowledging\u00a0<\/em>Azerbaijan\u2019s lack of compliance with the International Court of Justice\u2019s preliminary measures orders of February (supported by a\u00a0follow-up statement of 6 July 2023<\/a>) and November 2023;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognizing\u00a0<\/em>that\u00a0Azerbaijan bombed Nagorno-Karabakh including civilian areas on 19-20<\/a>\u00a0September 2023<\/a>, resulting in the deaths of over 200 people and over 400 injured including civilians, and the above-referenced forced displacement of over 100,000 people\u00a0from Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia<\/a>;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognizing\u00a0<\/em>international concern over\u00a0a possible Azerbaijan invasion of Armenia<\/a>\u00a0and that\u00a0Azerbaijan\u2019s leadership\u00a0continues to threaten<\/a>\u00a0Armenia with possible future military attacks;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognizing\u00a0<\/em>the statements of\u00a0legal experts<\/a>,\u00a0current U.N. officials<\/a>,\u00a0former U.N. officials<\/a>, non-governmental organizations and\u00a0scholars<\/a>\u00a0of the risk of genocide and the declaration of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh\u00a0as genocide<\/a>;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognizing <\/em>that Azerbaijan is a state party to the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognizing <\/em>that Azerbaijan is a state party to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property, and the 2006 Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognizing <\/em>that Azerbaijan is a state party to the 1984 Convention Against Torture, the 1965 Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination, and a number of other international human rights law treaties;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognizing\u00a0<\/em>that in November 2023\u00a0Armenia deposited its ratification<\/a>\u00a0of the 2002 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which came into effect 1 February 2024, including\u00a0a declaration<\/a>\u00a0on the acceptance of retroactive application of the ICC\u2019s jurisdiction\u00a0to 10 May 2021<\/a>;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, the International Association of Genocide Scholars:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n