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More than 470 NGOs and associations from Europe have sent a letter to the European Union leaders, urging them to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan and break its months-long illegal blockade of Artsakh. The full letter is provided below.

"Honorable Presidents of the European Council, European Commission, European Parliament, and EU High Representative/VP,

Distinguished Heads of Member States, Heads of Government and Parliaments of the Member States of the European Union and Council of Europe,

We, the civil society organizations and associations from Europe, are addressing to you our deepest concerns regarding the native Armenian population of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh):

Since 12 December 2022 the native Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh/Artsakh - 120.000 people, including 30.000 children, have been facing existential threat by Azerbaijan, in total violation of international law, Geneva Convention and despite the ongoing negotiations. The November 2020 ceasefire statement, also signed by Azerbaijan after its devastating attack on Artsakh that left 6.000 dead, is being regularly violated by Azerbaijan. The latter continuously carries acts of aggressions against the native Armenian population of Artsakh and violates the sovereign borders of the Republic of Armenia.

On 22 February, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of the United Nations ordered Azerbaijan to immediately lift the blockade of the Lachin corridor. The goal of the blockade is obvious – the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh. In its resolution adopted in March 2023 the European Parliament calls on the EU Council to impose sanctions against Azerbaijani government officials, if the ICJ’s order of 22 February is not immediately implemented.  Despite this, and the numerous voices being raised across Europe and around the world, we regretfully observe that the European Commission continues to congratulate itself on its gas partnership with a dictatorship ranked among the worst on the planet – Azerbaijan. A government that is notorious for its deep-rooted corruption at the highest level, and which hires jihadist mercenaries as a support to its army.

In the name of respect for human rights, the values that European democracies claim to stand for, in the name of the sovereign right of peoples to self-determination and as citizens contributing to the prosperity and influence of the European Union who are concerned about its future, we solemnly ask you to act without delay and

• demand once again that Azerbaijan immediately stops violating the November 9 ceasefire statement and remove the checkpoint on the Hakari-bridge installed in blatant violation of the binding order of the ICJ and international commitments, unblock the Lachin Corridor, secure the free and safe movement of people and goods to and from Artsakh;

• impose economic and political sanctions on Azerbaijan and its leaders for non-compliance with international provisions, for the occupation of part of the territory of the Republic of Armenia, for Azerbaijan’s war crimes and for the blockade vis-à-vis Artsakh;

• use all your leverage to prevent any control of Baku over Artsakh since this inevitably means the ethnic cleansing of the native Armenian population of Artsakh;

• recognize the right to self-determination of the native Armenian population of Artsakh as indispensable and use the leverage at your disposal to ensure that the status of Artsakh reflects the democratic expression of will of its native Armenian population and enables sustainable peace as well as security;

• set up an air corridor in order to provide emergency economic and humanitarian aid to Artsakh and to guarantee the safety of air links from Stepanakert airport;

• put pressure on Azerbaijan to immediately and unconditionally withdraw all its troops from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and stop its aggressive stance towards Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia as a prerequisite for peace talks.

The native Armenian people of Artsakh demand nothing less and nothing more than the protection of their fundamental and inalienable right to live as a free people in safety and with dignity in their own homeland. We sincerely hope that their voices as well as ours will be heard!"