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Fatima Latifova

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Armenia’s provocative policies towards Azerbaijan and the claims it has made at international tribunals are some of the biggest obstacles to resolving the conflict between the two countries today. This situation causes serious concern both regionally and internationally. Armenia’s appeals to international courts and its unfair claims against Azerbaijan reflect its intent to delay peace and create tension in the region.

Especially after the 2020 Patriotic War, Azerbaijan has exposed Armenia's aggressive policies on numerous platforms. However, many international organizations, particularly the UN, OSCE, and others, have ignored the war crimes committed by Armenia and, in many cases, unjustly criticized Azerbaijan, demonstrating that international law and justice are not being properly applied.

This time, the International Court of Justice, which Armenia has appealed to again, already has an archive of groundless complaints from Armenia. For example, in previous years, Armenia brought Azerbaijan before the international court, claiming that Azerbaijan had discriminated against and violated the rights of its Armenian population. In this complaint, Armenia alleged that the rights of the Armenian population were violated during the Garabagh conflict, that they were forcibly displaced from their homes, and that Azerbaijanis had damaged the cultural heritage in the occupied territories.

Interestingly, despite the fact that Azerbaijan has a significant number of Armenian churches and villages, there has not been a single recorded Armenian village or mosque in Armenia. Armenians living in Azerbaijan, like citizens of other different nationalities, live freely, practising their religious rituals and customs. Even during the 2020 Patriotic War, Armenians in Baku, as a community, appealed to Catholicos II Garegin, the world Armenians, and the Armenians living in Garabagh, urging them to call for an end to the occupation of Azerbaijani lands.

The International Court of Justice rejected Armenia's baseless claims in 2021. In 2023, Armenia again appealed to the International Court of Justice, complaining about the "illegal" activities at the Lachin border crossing point. The International Court of Justice unanimously rejected this demand as well. This situation shows that the International Court of Justice carefully investigates the claims and makes appropriate decisions by comparing the positions of both countries. It is clear that Armenia’s appeals and actions at the Court are, in fact, intended to spread false information to the international community regarding the conflict in the South Caucasus and Armenian provocations. Armenia tries to use such courts to strengthen its position in international law, but such positions are harder to be validated and accepted by the world. This is because numerous international documents and information about war crimes have already exposed Armenia’s illegal actions in Azerbaijan’s territories.

The International Court of Justice, through its decisions regarding the conflict, calls on both parties to comply with certain obligations and to act under international law. However, the impact of these decisions is not sufficiently effective in bringing long-term and comprehensive peace, as some international bodies still ignore Armenia’s crimes. This continues to create a significant injustice for Azerbaijan.

On November 12, the International Court of Justice will publish its next response to Armenia’s claims. The day before, the COP29 event will begin in Azerbaijan. It is regrettable that on such a significant day, Armenian hypocrisy will again take the spotlight.

International events like COP29 provide important opportunities to maintain the stability of Azerbaijan and the entire region. On such platforms, more effort should be made to represent the truth and justice. It is crucial for international organizations, especially on human rights issues, to adopt a more objective and just approach, because the atrocities committed by Armenians in Azerbaijan have, in fact, turned into a massive humanitarian tragedy, and this issue must be brought to the attention of the international community for a long time.

The Armenian side, which accuses Azerbaijan and cannot digest the victory of the Azerbaijani army in Garabagh, must not forget that, along with its moral debts, it will have to pay trillions of dollars in compensation to Azerbaijan.