At a rally in front of the United Nations building in Geneva on February 27, politicians, Armenian associations and human rights organizations demanded the lifting of the blockade of the road connecting Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia. On the same day, in the Swiss capital, Bern, a group of eight parliamentarians demonstrated outside the parliament building.
For months Azerbaijan has blocked the only road connecting Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. As a consequence, 120,000 Karabakh Armenians can no longer move freely. The Azerbaijani army penetrated deep into the territory of the sovereign, democratic state of Armenia on September 13, 2022, occupying an area of 140 km2.
The rally in Geneva was organized by the Gesellschaft Schweiz-Armenien (Swiss-Armenian Society), the human rights organization Christian Solidarity International (CSI), and other NGOs. It was attended by around 80 people.
The mayor of Geneva, Marie Barbey-Chappuis, was among the speakers to sharply criticize the regime of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. She accused Aliyev of pursuing a policy of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh. In doing so, he was picking up where the genocide of Armenia left off after the First World War, she said.
Miganouche Baghramian, president of the Union Arménienne de la Suisse (Swiss Armenian union), called the silence of Switzerland, its media and the cooperation of Migrolino with Azerbaijan’s oil company Socar “a massacre of Swiss values.” As late as the beginning of the 20th century, Switzerland had resolutely supported Armenia and saved thousands of Armenians, she said.
“The blockade is aimed at driving the Christian Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh out of their homeland, at annihilating them,” said CSI’s Joel Veldkamp. Regarding the blockade of the access road by Azerbaijani forces, Aliyev had said on January 10: “Whoever does not want to become our citizen, the road is not closed; it is open. They can leave whenever they want.”
For now, Aliyev’s regime is content to “use the weapons of hunger, cold, darkness and deprivation,” Veldkamp said. But if the international community continues to look the other way, the historian and head of CSI’s international communications fears that he may resort to “bombs, drones and beheadings.”
In the evening, eight members of Switzerland’s federal parliament gathered outside the Federal Palace in Bern. On a large banner they conveyed their statement: “No more genocide against Armenians! Stop blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh!”
Parliamentarian Nik Gugger called for Switzerland to commit to a humanitarian airlift between Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Another member of parliament, Stefan Müller-Altermatt, stated: “What is currently happening in the South Caucasus comes close to genocide.”
On February 22, 2023, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ordered the Aliyev government to ensure the unhindered movement of people, vehicles and goods along the Latchin corridor in both directions.
Parliamentarian Marc Jost was unequivocal: “This blockade must be stopped immediately!”
Video of Joel Veldkamp's address (French)
