Several dozen Armenians from Artsakh were among those permitted to cross the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor this week, for the first time since Azerbaijan tightened its blockade of the route in mid-June.
The first group, which traveled on August 21, consisted of 41 Russian citizens born in Artsakh and students enrolled in Armenian universities who are starting classes this fall. They were escorted to Azerbaijan’s checkpoint along the Berdzor Corridor, the sole route connecting Artsakh with Armenia, where they were subjected to inspections of their passports and luggage by Azerbaijani border guards. They then walked across the bridge to board cars on the other side of the checkpoint that drove them into Armenia. A second group traveled on August 22.
Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh started over eight months ago on December 12, 2022, when government-sponsored protesters posing as eco-activists closed the Berdzor Corridor. They ended their protest on April 23, 2023, when Azerbaijan set up an illegal military checkpoint along the corridor, placing all movement between Armenia and Artsakh under the control of Azerbaijani border guards.
For months, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Russian peacekeeping mission were the only entities allowed to travel between Armenia and Artsakh. They delivered essential supplies in response to dwindling resources of food and medicine. The ICRC also transported medical patients from Artsakh to Armenia for emergency operations and necessary treatment. In mid-June, however, Azerbaijan barred the ICRC and Russian peacekeepers from crossing the border checkpoint to deliver humanitarian aid, precipitating a humanitarian crisis in Artsakh.
Azerbaijan has also periodically obstructed the ICRC from transporting medical patients. On August 22, the ICRC evacuated seven patients from Artsakh, and escorted seven more patients back home from Armenia.
Artsakh authorities welcomed the movement of 41 people across the Berdzor Corridor this week, calling it a “positive development,” yet noted that there are many individuals stuck on either side of the border who are still waiting to cross. They include Artsakh residents who have been stranded in Armenia since the start of the blockade and 333 medical patients requiring urgent treatment awaiting transportation by the ICRC to Armenian medical facilities.
“These figures don’t even include the numerous others seeking to move for various humanitarian, employment and personal reasons,” said the NKR InfoCenter, Artsakh’s official news outlet. Artsakh authorities also criticized the “humiliating conditions” at the checkpoint and “illegal surveillance of and obstacles for the citizens of Artsakh.”
Helen Dadayan’s relatives are among those waiting to cross the Berdzor Corridor. Dadayan, an Artsakh resident from the town of Chartar, was stuck in Armenia since the start of the blockade, separated from her family. She died in a car accident on the Yerevan-Gyumri highway on August 13.
Her relatives gathered in front of the ICRC office in Stepanakert on August 19 to demand that her remains be repatriated to her home in Artsakh.
“Helen’s remains have been in the Goris morgue for about a week now. The ICRC has been delaying its response for a long time. We have come here to ask them to do their job and, at the very least, provide us with a reason for the delay,” Helen’s brother Nver Stepanyan told a local reporter. “If that doesn’t work out, then they should negotiate so that the parents can go and participate in the funeral.”
Artsakh authorities further accused Azerbaijani journalists of filming Armenians crossing the checkpoint for “propaganda purposes.” Armenians are met at the checkpoint with large numbers of Azerbaijani journalists from state-controlled media. The journalists closely follow them with cameras as they walk through the checkpoint, approach the border guards for passport checks and luggage inspection, and board their vehicles. Azerbaijani public media disseminates these videos as evidence that there is no blockade and the corridor is open.
Azerbaijani public television reported that “up to 60 Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh with Russian passports” traveled to Armenia.
“These people supported separatism in Azerbaijan,” an Azerbaijani reporter said from the checkpoint. “Yet, the Azerbaijani side provides them an opportunity to go to any destination of their choice without barriers, totally safely.”
Journalist Lindsey Snell called this a “repugnant practice.”
“Azerbaijani state-run media films each time Armenians are allowed to pass the Lachin corridor. They don’t give consent, and they’re too terrified to object,” Snell wrote on social media, sharing a video of an Armenian woman at the border checkpoint breaking down in tears.
“As a security sector reform specialist with experience in several countries in three continents, I can say that this is psychological abuse of Nagorno-Karabakh underage children by Azerbaijani security services, supported by female journalists,” foreign policy consultant Sossi Tatikyan wrote on social media.
As a security sector reform specialist with experience in several countries in 3 continents, I can say that this is psychological abuse of #NagornoKarabakh underage / children by #Azerbaijani security services supported by (female) journalists. https://t.co/USHApbbpdd
— Sossi Tatikyan (@STatikyan) August 22, 2023
Meanwhile, tensions along the borders of Artsakh and between Armenia and Azerbaijan have also been escalating. Artsakh authorities have regularly reported shootings of Armenian farmers working in their fields as well as agricultural equipment by Azerbaijani soldiers, forcing farmers to halt their work. Artsakh leadership calls this a tactic to aggravate the food shortage caused by the blockade. Meanwhile, Armenian soldier Vanik Ghazaryan was killed on August 21 after Azerbaijani soldiers opened fire on Armenian military positions near the border village Akhpradzor. Armenia and Azerbaijan regularly accuse each other of ceasefire violations along their shared border.
Last week, the United Nations Security Council convened an emergency meeting to discuss the humanitarian situation in Artsakh arising from the blockade, at Armenia’s request. Nearly all of the 15 member countries of the Security Council called for the reopening of the Berdzor Corridor and immediate resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, denied that Artsakh is under blockade. The Security Council did not release any resolutions or statements following the meeting.
Lillian Avedian
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Azerbaijan takes sadistic pleasure by toying with the lives of Armenians in Artsakh. By allowing a handful of Armenians to leave Artsakh, while it continues to deprive and starve Artsakh, Azerbaijan shamelessly portrays this as a “humanitarian gesture” and the gullible outside world is still fooled.
Having to deal with Azerbaijani soldiers at the check point, who raped, tortured and murdered Armenians and continue to murder Armenians, is an additional terrifiying and traumatic experience. By the way, where are the Russian “peacekeepers” who were supposed to control the Berdzor Corridor and the rest of Artsakh, and first of all, protect the Armenian population, until 2025? No excuses can be made for the supposed “ally” Russia, just like no excuses can be made for Pashinyan.
Adding another unbearable dilemma for Artsakhis, when they are allowed to leave Artsakh, they are not allowed back, thus accelarating the ethnic cleansing of Armenians by the fascist Azerbaijani regime, just as it planned. How much more misery do Armenians have to endure? How worse does it need to get?
To Steve M
Your prime minister takes even more sadistic pleasure in destroying Artsakh
He bragged about how he would in his 2008 memoirs
Everyone with half a brain knew this. Thats why he wasthe AGBUs man. Thats why paşinyan was the CIA and turkey and israels man
Armenia’s existence serves no purpose to the aforementioned countries. As such, you got paşinyan, in return for you getting to virtue signal ” maaaaa democracy” like nancy pelosi, and artsakh
Well done!!!
Stockholm syndrome again
It was Putin who in his mad quest to restore the Soviet Union wanted Azerbaijan to control N-K to curry favour with Baku by ending Armenia control and sacrificing Arktash and returning to the good old days of the Soviet Union and by this hoped to encourage Baku to become closer to Moscow and more distant from Ankara. This retrograde action has failed as Baku was too willy to fall for such a ploy. Also knowing that the situation in Ukraine was leading to war he sacrificed Armenia in 2020 to appease Turkey and Azerbaijan as he knew that their neutrality and not joining the sanctions allowing use of their airspace now Europe is blocked off was essential to Russia and Armenia in this equation is expendable yet seems surprised that Armenia has distanced itself from Russia after all you can forgive your enemies but not your friends betrayal . In an inverse way Azerbaijan is helping Armenia to see the truth about Russia
Charlie,
Not only are you not well versed in matters pertaining to warfare, you also seem to lack knowledge about the region’s history and geopolitics. By the way, Nagorno Karabakh was first given to Caucasian Tatars (Azerbaijanis) by your government in London. Afterwards, the newly formed Soviet government was in no mood to do anti-Bolshevik Armenians in Yerevan any favors because Armenians were expecting salvation from Paris, London and Washington. By giving Bolshevik Moscow at the time lip service, Turks proved much smarter than Armenians. Sound familiar? It should because history is repeating.
Russia did not give anything back to Azerbaijan. Russia simply pulled it hand away from Nagorno Karabakh, and Armenians lost it because that is what a certain, influential segment in Armenian political circles, of course financed by Western governments, wanted since the 1990s. Russia pulled it hand away also because Armenians were refusing to join the Russian union, and were instead seeking Western integration. Russia also pulled its hand away because Armenians enthusiastically embraced a Western financed Color Revolution.
Seeing that a major regional war was in the making, by pulling its hand away Moscow pacified Baku and Ankara. It worked very well for Russian interests. Baku and Ankara have not directly opposed Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Moreover, they are are in fact helping Russia’s war effort by helping Moscow circumvent Western sanctions.
All in all, the West’s role in the south Caucasus has been very detrimental to not only to Russia and Iran but also Armenia.
Charles, you disinformation efforts are getting ridiculous. Artsakh exists today because of Russia. The war in 2020 was intentionally lost by the Pashinyan regime. Russia had no legal obligations, nor geopolitical interests after 2018, to extend military protection Artsakh. Even so, Russia is the ONLY factor stopping Artsakh’s and Armenia’s total annihilation today. So, please stop with your “Chatham House” nonsense. It’s getting old…
@ Concerned as you stated in a previous posting Russia sensing an impending clash with western interests over Ukraine wanted a resolution to the situation of Armenian control of parts of Azerbaijan just as was stated by Kremlin shill Andrew Korybko thus by concurring with Azerbaijan in 2020 Russia effectively betrayed it’s ally Armenia and dismissed it’s kith and kin argument over Arktash ( Russia previously made clear that it wouldn’t support Armenia proclaiming Arktash to be independent nor part of Armenia, in the name of internationally recognised boundaries and the principle of territorial integrity). Little over a year later Russia would invade Ukraine in what is an attempted conquest by declaring annexations knowing that this would lead to obstruction of Russian commerce and airline passage across Europe Russia needed the ambivalence of Turkey and Azerbaijan who haven’t imposed sanctions against Russia, hence if Russia had defended Armenian interests in Arktash like the Americans choose to over Kosovo Albanian cause this would have destroyed it’s relationship with Azerbaijan and Turkey which would be a severe impedement to its national interests especially in the event of a confrontation with the west over Ukraine. Hence Arktash would be expendable and Armenia sidelined for issues more important to Russia namely the need not destroy it’s relationship with Turkey and Azerbaijan for Armenias sake besides confident that Armenia being wedged between the two would remain just as loyal because it had no choice given its animosity with Turkey and Azerbaijan, just as Armenia had to suck it up about the fact that Russia was Azerbaijan biggest supplier of military equipment in the good old days pre Pashinyan in his predecessor made a duck or grouse comment when asked about the fact that Russia their legal ally was at the time the main supplier of weapons to enemy Azerbaijan, financed by the Baku- Ceyhan pipeline whilst Russia prevented Armenia from having a transnational pipeline from Iran which would have strengthened Armenia locally although the proposal would have had issues with Iran’s differences with the west anyhow. Also when in 1996 ? Armenia put it’s trust in Russia when it agreed an alliance, Russia excluded Arktash from the provisions. As for Chatham House, my views on the establishment the monarchy and NATO etc would be considered heterodox , hence resist ad homiem statements as they make a fool of you. As for Arktash today because of Russia, currently the situation there is doomed Russia is too weak from its war in Ukraine to safeguard hence Azerbaijan breach of the tripartite agreement. What seems likely is the population will be driven to surrender and either leave to Armenia or accept Azeri authority and nationality and perhaps some limited right to use Armenian in private for personal names openly and religious freedom under a church not in communication with your holy see. Upon this grim fate combined with Russian frustration in Ukraine. Only the most fanatical and deluded will have faith in Russia anymore. Alternatively Russia defeats NATO and Armenia becomes a Russian republic and Arktash is given an independence acknowledged by Azerbaijan, which would be amazing and just as improbable as matters stand.
Charles, you disinformation efforts are getting ridiculous. Armenia, a tiny, impoverished, remote and landlocked country totally dependent on Russia for survival – was the first to betray Russia. We put into power professional Russophobes financed by the NED, Open Society, USAID, British Council, European Council, etc. Russia had no obligations toward Karabakh. Moscow allowed Armenians to play the victor because it did not want to change the status quo. When Washington, London and Brussels began fomenting unrest on Russia’s doorstep, geopolitical formulation that had previously preserved Armenian ownership over all of Karabakh began to change. With a major war with NATO approaching, and Armenians desperately trying to Westernize, Moscow decided to down-grade it ties with Yerevan, but did so only slightly because it still needs an Armenia in the south Caucasus. ALL of Armenia’s current problems are tied to the Armenian desire to embrace the Western world, even when Armenia is desperately dependent on Russia for survival. In a nutshell: Armenians want Russians to protect Armenia and Karabakh unconditionally, while Armenians go shopping in Paris, London and New York. Needless to say, it does not work that way. That’s the Armenian-style cognitive dissonance and self-destructive behavior I constantly speak of. The rest of what you are attempting to argue is total nonsense. Superpowers such as Russia, USA, Europe, China, etc., can afford to do things tiny, poor and weak nations can’t. Yet, had the tiny and weak nation of Armenia been on board with Russia, we’d also be able to hold on to it.
Besides, it was Russia that enabled us to liberate Karabakh in the 1990s and hold on to it until 2020. When in the 1990s Armenians began collectively thinking that it was us alone that liberated Karabakh because we were, simply put, better than Turks and we therefore didn’t need Russians – losing Karabakh became only inevitable.
You are exhibiting typical Western double talk, disinformation and distraction. The work your kind does only works with ignorant people, and it also has a relatively short expiration time. People are slowly waking up to see that a destructive Beast hides behind the sparking lights of the Western world. Despite what you want us to believe about yourself – your talking points, as well as your Russophobia – are ultimately derived from Western think tanks such as Chatham House. Don’t worry about us Armenians. We’ll manage.