Azerbaijan must release the only access route between Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh region. That has the International Court of Justice determined on Wednesday. Nagorno-Karabakh is located in Azerbaijan, but it is inhabited and ruled by ethnic Armenians. In December, the route, called the Lachin Pass, was blocked by so-called environmentalists. Although indications indicated that this blockade was directed by Azerbaijan, this country denied any involvement.
Armenia subsequently took Azerbaijan to the International Court of Justice on grounds of discrimination against Armenians. According to the country, the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh would no longer be able to get food and medicine due to the blockade. The highest court of the United Nations ruled in favor of Armenia. Azerbaijan, in turn, has also sued Armenia for discrimination. The court also ruled on this today: that indictment became rejected.
The Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh has been a source of conflict between the two countries for 35 years. Although the area is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, it is in the hands of separatists. At the end of 2020, the conflict flared up again, resulting in a six-week war that killed thousands of people. Azerbaijan then gained control of some parts of the self-proclaimed republic; the rest would be left alone. Earlier this month, Armenia sent a peace proposal to Azerbaijan.
Read also: The war over Karabakh was inevitable