Azerbaijan bans humanitarian traffic through Lachin corridor

(Armradio) – Azerbaijan has banned all humanitarian traffic through the Lachin corridor, Artsakh’s InfoCenter reports. The ban follows Azerbaijani provocation near the Hakari bridge this morning.

As a result, the International Committee of the Red Cross was unable to proceed with the transportation of 25 medical patients and their relatives from Artsakh to Armenia. They were forced to return to Stepanakert after being halted at an illegal Azerbaijani check point in the Lachin corridor.

Additionally, the planned passenger transportation for dozens of individuals due to urgent humanitarian needs, which was meant to be facilitated by Russian peacekeepers on the Stepanakert-Goris-Stepanakert route, was canceled.

The movement of Russian peacekeepers’ trucks heading to Goris for humanitarian cargo transportation was also halted.

The authorities of the Republic of Artsakh emphasize once again that the presence of the illegal Azerbaijani checkpoint in the Lachin corridor poses significant dangers and obstacles to the free movement between Artsakh and Armenia. Today’s incident further highlights these risks and obstacles, which not only jeopardize the acute humanitarian needs of the people of Artsakh but also impede the limited movement of people and goods facilitated by the Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers.

The authorities of Artsakh reassert their position that the provisions outlined in the Tripartite Declaration of November 9, 2020 regarding the Lachin Corridor should be immediately and unconditionally upheld, without any interference from Azerbaijan. They also call for the implementation of the decision made by the International Court of Justice of the United Nations on February 22, 2023.