Several civic NGOs in Armenia have written to Alice Nderitu, the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide to United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, warning about the threat of ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan against the Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh.

A section of the letter reads:

“The current state of affairs and the fact that Azerbaijan does not shy away from using violence is highly concerning and increases the probability of the regime in Baku using coercion and force for establishing full control over Nagorno-Karabakh. The Azerbaijani side simply wants the land without its Armenian population. The regime in Baku takes deliberate measures to erase any physical and cultural presence of Armenians in their native communities in Nagorno-Karabakh and beyond.”

The NGOs also charge the UN, specifically Secretary General António Guterres, of adopting a “neutral stance, regarding Azerbaijan’s attacks against Armenia in September of this year.

The NGOs say such responses only embolden Azerbaijan.

The letter was sent by the Open Society Foundations-Armenia, Rights Without Borders NGO, Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center, Helsinki Civil Assembly Vanadzor Office, the Law Development and Defense Fund and the For Equal Rights NGO.

Photo: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters