Forcible displacement of Artsakh Armenians: A clear case of Intent: Ara Ghazaryan. VIDEO

The legal definition of forced displacement depends on the clear intention of the actors involved, noted Ara Ghazaryan, an international law specialist. He emphasized that understanding the intentions behind the mass displacement is crucial in legal proceedings, particularly in the case of Armenians being displaced from their ancestral homeland.

During the conference, titled “The Impact of Azerbaijan’s Aggression on Human Rights and Environmental Protection”, Ghazaryan pointed to recent international criminal court proceedings where efforts were made to present the forced displacement of Artsakh Armenians as an unfortunate consequence of war. “Why is Azerbaijan so afraid of going to court? Because in court proceedings, the truth is revealed and clearly identified.” International courts are not places for political debate, but rather for the presentation of facts and evidence. The goal of the courts is to uncover the truth, and when examined closely, it becomes clear that the deportations were not a mere side effect of war, but were driven by a specific, orchestrated intent to forcibly displace the population. 

Ghazaryan also referenced Armenia’s successful legal actions in international courts, where compelling evidence has been presented to prove the intentional nature of the violence against both military personnel and civilians in Artsakh.

Speaking about the article titled “Where Are the Artsakh Armenians?”,  Ghazaryan said, “For 2,000 years, Artsakh Armenians lived there, and now they are no longer present. How could you explain that? Did people in Artsakh just decide to change their location? No, this was a forced exile, carried out through military actions.” He emphasized that the intent to remove Armenians from Artsakh was deliberate, and the evidence supporting this claim is undeniable.

Armenia has gathered a substantial body of evidence that underscores the nature of the displacements, leaving no room for doubt among the international community that this was an act of forced displacement. As a result, Ghazaryan concluded, the right of the displaced Armenians to return home should be upheld and exercised.

“The Impact of Azerbaijan’s Aggression on Human Rights and Environmental Protection” conference is being held in Yerevan, organized independently as a side event to COP29. The special guest is Ms. Greta Thunberg, an environmental activist, who has chosen to boycott COP29 in Baku and arrived in Armenia following recent protests outside Azerbaijan’s embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia.