Armenia fears “genocide” in Karabakh, wants to apply to the UN

“The military and political leaders of Azerbaijan are planning ethnic cleansing and genocide of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh,” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told a government meeting yesterday, referring to the disputed enclave of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Yerevan claims that Baku has been blocking the only road linking Nagorno-Karabakh with the rest of Armenia for weeks, causing a humanitarian crisis, while its neighbor denies the accusations. “Russian peacekeepers are the guarantors of the security of the people of Karabakh, and if they cannot ensure it, then they themselves must turn to the UN Security Council to prevent genocide,” the Armenian Prime Minister said. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan was instructed to “start negotiations with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees on the return of Armenians to the territories of Karabakh occupied by Azerbaijan and neighboring regions,” he said, he continued. Russia defended itself later that day, saying its “blue helmets… are doing everything in their power to prevent escalation and stabilize the situation.”