(OTTAWA – March 10, 2023) – Today, the Armenian National Committee of Canada issued the following statement, following the most recent developments in the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).
“The Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) condemns – in the strongest possible terms – Azerbaijan’s latest acts of aggression in the Republic of Artsakh, which have caused the death of three Armenian policemen.
On March 5, 2023, Azerbaijani saboteurs attacked and killed three Armenian policemen who were engaging in regular patrolling duties, marking one of the worst escalations in the region in months.
This deliberate and planned attack came only a few days after talks resumed between representatives of the Republic of Artsakh and Azerbaijan to negotiate an end to Azerbaijan’s 86-day blockade of Artsakh.
The ongoing blockade, compounded with the most recent act of terrorism against Artsakh is proof positive of Azerbaijan’s malicious intentions in the negotiation process and its unwillingness to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Artsakh.
Instead of engaging in peacebuilding and contributing to the diffusion of tensions, Azerbaijani state representatives are threatening the Republic of Artsakh to either integrate into Azerbaijan or face grave consequences. Such toxic and belligerent rhetoric – only akin to the Aliyev regime – will further destabilize the South Caucasus and bring more bloodshed and loss of life.
Azerbaijan’s intentions are very clear. They want to ethnically cleanse the Armenian people from their ancestral land, by subjecting them to genocidal aggression and terror.
All diplomatic tools must be used to put an end to Azerbaijan’s unchecked aggression and hold the Aliyev regime accountable. On behalf of the Armenian-Canadian community, we call on the Government of Canada to strongly condemn Azerbaijan and increase the pressure on Baku by imposing crippling economic sanctions on Aliyev and his cronies.
The Azeri regime must realize that threatening innocent lives and uprooting peaceful populations from their ancestral lands comes at a cost and will not be tolerated by the international community.”
-30-
The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Armenian-Canadian grassroots human rights organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-Canadian community on a broad range of issues and works to eliminate abuses of human rights throughout Canada and the world.
Contact: Sevag Belian (613) 235-2622 | [email protected]
