Azerbaijan is not preparing for peace, but for war with Armenia. Artak Beglaryan's interview with "National Journal".

The National Journal newspaper, one of the most cited newspapers in the US Congress, published an extensive interview with Artak Beglaryan, within the framework of his and the Acting Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia Gegham Stepanyan's recent visit to the US, "News.am" reports.

"Artak Beglaryan used to be the state minister and human rights defender of Nagorno Karabakh (Republic of Artsakh - ed.), a disputed territory of the Caucasus region. The international community recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, but throughout history, the population of the region has always been ethnic Armenians. In September last year, Azerbaijani forces drove some 150,000 ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh out of the region, turning them into refugees. From December 2022 to September 2023, Azerbaijan blocked the entry and exit of all goods and people into Nagorno-Karabakh, triggering a humanitarian crisis that raised alarm bells in Congress.

Beglaryan, who lost his sight in a landmine explosion as a child, spoke with Christina Maza about his recent visit to Congress and how the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are defending their right to return home. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You say that the USA is complicit in what happened in your region. Why?

First, the USA is a member of the UN Security Council. Second, it is a superpower that acts as a pioneer of human rights, democracy, and prevention of genocides. Thirdly, the USA has ratified the Genocide Convention and has obligations in this matter as well. And fourthly, the USA is one of the co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group, which was the internationally recognized mediation format in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Azerbaijan used the so-called "peace talks" to commit genocide. The US did nothing to prevent this genocide. Nothing was done to suppress Azerbaijan during the blockade, the September aggression and the deportation, and this is the case even now. Azerbaijan wants to turn the page on Nagorno Karabakh, our return and our collective rights.

We also consider the US complicit in this. During the siege of Nagorno-Karabakh, three emergency sessions of the UN Security Council were held, but no resolution was presented and adopted. Also, the USA even blocked some resolution efforts, considering them non-constructive, because they expected Azerbaijan to have constructive negotiations.

Why do you say that Azerbaijan committed genocide against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh?

Many international experts have argued that it was genocide, including former UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Juan Mendez and former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo.

The Genocide Convention says that if someone wants to partially or completely destroy an ethnic or religious group, it is genocide. It is clear that Azerbaijan wanted to destroy us. But there is denial in the international community because they don't want to take responsibility for this genocide. In addition, they believe that it will hinder the peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

What do US lawmakers and representatives of congressional offices tell you when you meet them? What conversations do you have?

Everyone says that we have the right to return. We are also talking about sanctions. They admit that US military aid to Azerbaijan should be stopped. This is another form of US complicity, because even after the 2020 aggression, the US continued to provide military aid to Azerbaijan. Section 907 of the USAF Act prohibits direct US aid to the government of Azerbaijan, but US administrations have used their authority to circumvent the restriction on providing military equipment and other aid to Azerbaijan.

We hope that military aid will be terminated by Senate resolution S. 3000 [Armenia Defense Act of 2023] and an equivalent resolution in the House of Representatives. We also hope that the USA will apply economic sanctions, including against specific persons from Azerbaijan. From that point of view, we would also like to see the Magnitsky Act applied against Azerbaijan.

The State Department recently put Azerbaijan on its special religious freedom watch list because our churches and cemeteries are being destroyed. We cannot exercise our religious freedom. We tell everyone that it is not possible to have lasting peace if you do not address our collective rights and we do not return to our homeland. Azerbaijan is not preparing for peace, but for war with Armenia.

What is the life of Nagorno Karabakh Armenians like since September? We saw columns of Armenians leave after being driven from their homes, but many do not know what happened next.

I lived in Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, with my family, including my 2- and 5-year-old children. We were there during the siege. Finally, I left, crossing the checkpoint at night. Luckily they didn't notice me. Now I live with my family in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

Like all refugees, we have housing and stable income problems. My eldest daughter had some fears. sometimes he remembers what happened: the aggression, the bombings, the shootings. Since he is 5 years old, he understands reality. She visited a psychologist to overcome these fears. All children faced similar problems.

They knew that the Azerbaijanis would kill or torture us. From September 19 until the end of the evacuation, there were many war crimes. That's why our people decided to run away, so that they wouldn't kill us, arrest us, or torture us.

Who supports all the refugees from Nagorno Karabakh?

We are mainly supported by the Armenian government and Armenian diaspora organizations. The Armenian government allocates some money for us to rent an apartment for six months, but that funding will run out soon.

The United Nations has provided some limited financial support, but it is not enough. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has announced $97 million in rapid response to the emergency. USAID has pledged $11 million in funding. The indicated amounts are too little for the needs of 150 thousand refugees, but even the announced amounts were partially allocated. That is why we hope that the US government, the United Nations and others will increase international support for our people.

On the other hand, we want to return home. We want to live there because it is our right. We want to have international security guarantees and a decent life there.

Is the Nagorno-Karabakh government operating in Armenia under conditions of exile?

The government operates in Armenia, but there are no financial resources for its activities. Armenia is also under great pressure from Azerbaijan to destroy our government and close this page. But Parliament and Government are the legal and legitimate representatives of our people and we seek to preserve our system of government to represent our interests and rights.

To what extent is the government of Nagorno Karabakh involved in the discussions between the government of Armenia and Azerbaijan?

One of the key problems is that our government and representatives of our civil society are not involved in decision-making processes for our people, both in Armenia and internationally. There is no inclusion. nobody asks our opinion.

International organizations and foreign governments, including the State Department, publicly state that we have a right of return. But no one discusses the terms of that return with us. The ultimate goal should be our return and a safe and dignified life in Nagorno-Karabakh, including with UN security guarantees.

What is the primary purpose of your visit to Washington?

The overall goal is to expose the genocide, impose sanctions on Azerbaijan and ensure the long-term protection of our people and our cultural heritage and property.

We also want to release all hostages and prisoners of war who are in Azerbaijani prisons. Azerbaijan has confirmed that there are 23 people imprisoned, but we have evidence of about 100 people being held captive since 2020. Eight of those people are among our political leaders.

That is why we also want the State Department to impose sanctions and put pressure on the Azerbaijani authorities to release our hostages."