France has taken note of the International Court of Justice's order dated November 17, 2023 concerning the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Referring to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Court requested November 17 that pending a final decision, Azerbaijan ensure that any person who left Nagorno-Karabakh after September 19, 2023 and wishes to return is able to do so safely, freely and promptly.
It also requested that Azerbaijan ensure that any person in Nagorno-Karabakh is not subjected to the use of force or intimidation likely to induce him or her to flee.
This order confirms the position consistently held by France, which takes this opportunity to reiterate its unwavering support for the International Court of Justice and the binding nature of its decisions, including in the case of provisional measures.
In a statement issued following the ICJ's order, Armenian Foreign Ministry said in its Order, the ICJ stated that “according to United Nations reports, more than 100,000 persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin have found themselves compelled to leave their place of residence and reach the Armenian border since the operation commenced by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh on 19 September 2023.”
According to the Order, the mentioned operation “took place in the context of the long-standing exposure of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh to a situation of vulnerability and social precariousness.”
As stated by “the residents of this region have been severely impacted by the long-lasting disruption of the connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia via the Lachin Corridor, which has impeded the transfer of persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin hospitalized in Nagorno-Karabakh to medical facilities in Armenia for urgent medical care.
There have also been hindrances to the importation into Nagorno-Karabakh of essential goods, causing shortages of food, medicine and other life-saving medical supplies.”
Thus, in its November 17 Order, the Court found that there is an imminent risk of irreparable harm to the rights of the Armenians under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
