Armenia under attack by Azerbaijan

The attacks have not been limited to military posts. Rather, the civilian population and civilian infrastructure have also been ruthlessly targeted, breaking principles of international humanitarian law. The deaths of at least 135 Armenian soldiers have now been confirmed. Peaceful civilians have been targeted, homes have been damaged and destroyed, cars shelled, and forests burned down. These unprovoked and deliberate attacks amount to war crimes by Azerbaijan, driven by continued genocidal policy. This is the largest-scale attack on Armenian territory since the 44-day war led by Azerbaijan and Turkey in 2020 against Artsakh and Armenia, which resulted in the deaths of over 5,000 Armenians. Despite an apparent ceasefire being reached on the evening of September 14, reports have since emerged of continued shelling by Azerbaijan of Armenian villages.

 

These heinous acts are the result of international impunity for Azerbaijani war crimes, and the consequence of their genocidal policy. It is clear that Azerbaijan has no intention for peace. Not only has the Azerbaijani state never stopped sponsoring enmity and hatred towards the Armenian people, but it has, on the contrary, deepened it even further over the last years.

 

Azerbaijan’s attack on Armenia is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Armenia and a gross violation under international law. Furthermore, the attack also constitutes a threat to regional and global stability and international peace. The timing of this aggression is of convenience for Azerbaijan given that the world’s eyes are on the war in Ukraine and the death of Her Majesty the Queen.

 

We urge His Majesty’s Government to condemn Azerbaijan’s illegal invasion in clear and unequivocal terms and impose sanctions against the aggressor nation, Azerbaijan. Failing to do so will appease Azerbaijan’s expansionist policy and state-sponsored xenophobia against Armenia.

 

As we have done so in respect of the illegal war in Ukraine, we expect the United Kingdom to champion human rights and democracy and act accordingly. There must be no impunity for the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan.

What has the ANC UK done since the war broke out?

 

1. Prepared a briefing for the Members of Parliament (MPs), the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Foreign Secretary, and the Shadow Minister;
2. Circulated updates to the above group on the war initiated by Azerbaijan, asking them to act immediately;
3. Written to the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly;  
4. Launched the “write to your MP” campaign; and
5. Provided regular updates about Azerbaijan’s aggression and developments on the war through social media posts.

Statement by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Armenia

Azerbaijani Offensives Against Armenia

 

Tim Loughton MP, on behalf of the All Parliamentary Group for Armenia, issued the following powerful statement on Tuesday 13 September on Azerbaijan’s Offensive against Armenia:

 

“In the last 24 hours Azerbaijan has unleashed new brutal attacks on the sovereign territory of Armenia, stretching across the Syunik, Gegharkunik and Vayotc Dzor provinces. It is not only attacking military bases but civilian communities and infrastructure. These attacks are not targeted on the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region but on internationally recognised sovereign boundaries of Armenia itself and were entirely unprovoked and without justification.

 

Armenia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that at 00:05 on September 13, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces began intensive shelling of Armenian positions from artillery and large-calibre guns, also utilizing UAVs. The APPG expresses its strongest condemnation of the Azerbaijan regime for this latest act of violence and extends our deep concern for the victims and their families.

 

These acts of aggression have clearly been timed to take advantage of the world’s attention being diverted to events in Ukraine and most recently the widespread mourning for the death of Queen Elizabeth, and such aggressive opportunism needs to be condemned in the strongest terms and met with a robust response.

 

There is a very urgent need for the international community, including the UK to condemn Azerbaijan and to call it to account for these latest war crimes. We urgently request the UK Government to join other nations in demanding an immediate end to the Azerbaijan aggression and bring forward sanctions for as long as it continues its unjustified actions. We also ask the UK Government to support the request to the United Nations to consider the matter in emergency session and put its weight behind an ending of this hostile action.

 

The Azerbaijan regime still needs to be held properly accountable for its war crimes committed against Armenia and the people of Nagorno-Karabakh a couple of years ago and it is clear that it continues to have only a passing acquaintance with the international rule of law and standards expected to qualify as a decent and responsible nation.

 

Tim Loughton MP

 

Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Armenia in the UK Parliament.”

 

ANC’s letter to the Foreign Secretary regarding Azerbaijan’s invasion of Armenia

 On 15 September 2022, the Armenian National Committee of the United Kingdom wrote a formal letter to James Cleverly, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs, regarding Azerbaijan’s invasion of Armenia.

 

The letter urges His Majesty’s government to condemn Azerbaijan’s illegal invasion in clear and unequivocal terms and impose sanctions against the aggressor nation. Failing to do so will appease Azerbaijan’s expansionist policy and state-sponsored xenophobia against Armenia. As we have done so in respect of the war in Ukraine, we expect the United Kingdom to champion human rights democracy now as well.

Baroness Cox and the HART Group (Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust) have also issued a statement on the recent invasion of Armenia by Azerbaijan. In the statement, they outline the conflict and condemn Azerbaijani aggression. We thank Baroness Cox and the HART Group for their constant support. The full statement can be read below:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Azerbaijani counterpart on the violence on Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan on 13 September 2022.

 

“I continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Armenia, as I have done so throughout the recent years of conflict.”

 

 

Shadow Minister for International Development Stephen Doughty MP has tweeted on Azerbaijani aggression towards Armenia. 

 

 

Please write to your MP to help! 

 

Writing to your MP is a powerful tool to inform your representative about your concerns. Hundreds of people have already written to their MPs since the launch of our campaign, with many having also received replies.

 

As mentioned, we have drafted a tool for you so that it is easier than ever to write to your MP to alert them of Azerbaijan’s military invasion of the Republic of Artsakh. The whole process should take no more than 30 seconds.

 

Please click on https://ancuk.org.uk/take-action/write-to-your-mp/ to write to your MP now!