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The current and former human rights defenders of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Gegham Stepanyan, Artk Beglaryan, Ruben Melikyan and Yura Hayrapetyan, and a group of other people on Thursday staged a protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan to demand sanctions against Azerbaijan as the Azerbaijani blockade of the sole road connecting Artsakh to Armenia and the outside world entered the fourth day.

Azerbaijan also cut off the gas supply to Artsakh amid freezing temperatures on Tuesday.

"All these actions amount to crimes. For two years now, we have been appealing to various countries, including the U.S., saying that Azerbaijan is pursuing a policy of ethnic cleansing, a genocidal policy. However, the international community is trying to believe in the so-called promises of Azerbaijan to provide for the rights and security of the Artsakh Armenians, which is absolutely false. Azerbaijan’s current conduct is a clear manifestation of this lie," Stepanyan said outside the embassy.

The protesters urged the U.S., which promotes human rights and is a member of the OSCE Minsk Group and the UN Security Council, to stand up for the principle of universal human rights.

"Can you imagine, the human rights defender can't get to his people to defend their rights? I have found myself in such a situation now. I can't use my mandate just because I can't reach my people," Stepanyan said.

The Artsakh ombudsman stressed the need to bring Azerbaijan to account for its crimes against Artsakh.

“This has to stop. A real genocide is being perpetrated against the Armenians in the 21st century," he stressed.

The protesters later marched towards the Chinese Embassy in Yerevan.