In Geneva, at the UN office, the high-level meeting of the 52nd session of the organization's Human Rights Council is underway, in which delegations from dozens of countries are participating.
On the opening day of the session, a number of Swiss non-governmental organizations, politicians, members of the National Council held a protest in front of the UN Geneva office, calling to stop the Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia, to open the Lachin Corridor.
The participants of the demonstration also protested against the presence of the Azerbaijani delegation at the session, stressing that “representatives of the authorities who committed crimes against humanity should not be at the UN, one of the centers for the protection of human rights.”
Joel Fissey (Member of Liberals Party) - The humanitarian crisis caused by the blockade of the Lachin Corridor must be put to an immediate end. Azerbaijan must guarantee that the people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) will have access to vital goods and services. This should be the main message that should be repeated constantly in the session of the Human Rights Council.
The member of the National Council of Switzerland, Laurence Fehlmann Rielle, also expressed her solidarity with the Armenian people, who suffered for years from the attacks of authoritarian Azerbaijan.
“It is important for the international community to condemn violations of international law in the region. The decision of the International Court of Justice, by which Azerbaijan was obliged to open the Lachin Corridor, is a bright ray of hope,” Rielle said.
The participants of the protest also claimed that Baku cannot deceive the international community. Everyone understands that corridor blockers are not eco-activists. They called on Baku to fulfill the obligations assumed by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan in the trilateral statement of November 9.
The protesters also appealed to the authorities of Switzerland, urging them to use the country's position in the Security Council to put an end to the persecution and ethnic cleansing of the Armenian people.
A member of the Swiss National Council, Michel Matter, stated. “The territorial integrity of Armenia should be respected. Armenia is a democratic country where freedom of speech is a reality. Protecting Armenia means protecting democratic values.”
The participants of the protest are holding banners: ‘120,000 residents of Nagorno-Karabakh are under siege. Is this another attempt of genocide?’, ‘Ethnic cleansing today, genocide tomorrow,’ ‘END caviar diplomacy,’ ‘END gas cooperation’.
In their speeches in support of the people of Armenia and Artsakh, politicians paid special attention to the fact that Baku uses its natural resources, especially against the background of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, to force the international community to turn a blind eye to Azerbaijan's crimes.
Sargis Shahinyan, general secretary of the Switzerland-Armenia parliamentary friendship group, who was actively involved in the organization of the action, appealed to Switzerland to stop cooperation with the national oil company of Azerbaijan, SOCAR. According to him, it is important that the Swiss authorities abandon the policy of neutrality in this matter.
Sargis Shahinyan (Secretary General of the Switzerland-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group) - Their main message was that Switzerland should do everything to stop the funding.
The main concern of the participants of the protest held in front of the Geneva office of the United Nations is that SOCAR's headquarters are located in Geneva, which means that the financial flows between Switzerland and Azerbaijan can contribute to the financing of Azerbaijani aggression against Armenians.
According to Sargis Shahinyan, the Armenian side should effectively use any opportunity, including the opportunity provided by the international community, to force Baku to open the Lachin Corridor and overcome the crisis as quickly as possible.
