Armenia Accused of Ethnic Cleansing Against Azerbaijani Turks in Azerbaijan
The ongoing hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the jurisdiction in the case filed by Azerbaijan against Armenia have brought to light allegations of ethnic cleansing and racial discrimination against Azerbaijani Turks.
During the hearings held at the Peace Palace in the Hague, Netherlands, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov accused Armenia of carrying out a systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing and cultural destruction against Azerbaijani Turks in the lands it illegally occupied in 1991. Mammadov stated that Armenia defied UN Security Council decisions and prevented Azerbaijani Turks from returning to their ancestral lands.
Armenia is accused of placing landmines and booby traps in Karabakh to hinder the return of Azerbaijani Turks and spread hate speech and disinformation against them. Azerbaijani lawyers argued that the ICJ has the jurisdiction to examine the case and requested that the claims against Armenia be heard on their merits.
Armenian lawyers, on the other hand, denied the accusations and challenged the court’s jurisdiction in the case. The hearings are set to conclude after the second round of presentations by both parties on April 26.
This case is part of a series of mutual litigations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia previously filed a lawsuit against Azerbaijan, alleging violations of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination related to the 2nd Karabakh War. Azerbaijan responded with its own lawsuit, challenging the jurisdiction of the court.
As the hearings continue, tensions between the two countries are high, with both sides presenting their arguments before the ICJ to seek justice and accountability for the alleged violations of international laws.
