International Court of Justice: Azerbaijan must allow return to Nagorno-Karabakh

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International Court of Justice
Azerbaijan must allow return to Nagorno-Karabakh

Ethnic Armenian men board a bus to Goris, Armenia in October. photo

© Aziz Karimov/AP/dpa

Armenia had sued, the UN judges ruled: People who fled the enclave must be able to return to their homeland unmolested if they wish. Around 100,000 people had fled the region.

According to a ruling by the International Court of Justice, Azerbaijan must enable refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh to return to their homeland. The country must guarantee people’s freedom of movement, the United Nations’ highest court ruled in The Hague. It corresponded to a complaint by Armenia. Judgments of the court are binding.

The judges ruled that people who had fled the enclave would have to return to their homeland unmolested if they wished. Conversely, after the ruling, Azerbaijan must ensure that ethnic Armenians can also leave Nagorno-Karabakh of their own free will. The UN judges also ordered Azerbaijan to submit a report within the next eight weeks on measures the country has taken to protect people.

Armenia had demanded immediate action after the Azerbaijani army forced the surrender of Armenian forces in the region on September 19. Around 100,000 people then fled the region. Armenia speaks of forced displacement and ethnic cleansing.

It was the third time that Armenia had appealed to the UN’s top judges in the long-running conflict.

dpa

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