"Those who blame Azerbaijan with reference to Ocampo's conclusion are damaging their reputation." Comment from Baku
Erkina Gadirli on the conclusion of Ocampo
“Ocampo is well aware that all this is unrealizable. He just gave another empty hope to the Armenians, who cannot tear themselves away from hopes that are unlikely to come true.” Erkin Gadirli, a member of the Azerbaijani parliament from the Republican Alternative opposition party, commented on the conclusion of the former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, on the closure of the Lachin road, in which he stated that “genocide is being committed in Nagorno-Karabakh.”
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“I read the “expert opinion” of Luis Ocampo, former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. Although it was written by order of the Armenians, he had a good time with the Armenians.”
He points out that Ocampo is an experienced prosecutor who gained fame for investigating and prosecuting the crimes of the military junta in Argentina. Later he was the first prosecutor of the International Criminal Court between 2003-2012.
“I believe that he is well aware that what is happening in Karabakh is not a genocide, and he could have told the Armenians about this in advance. However, he accepted the order and wrote a conclusion for the sake of appearances. As a lawyer, I see this clearly.”
In a response, the deputy also listed signs that indicate that the conclusion was written “for the sake of appearances”:
- “Emotional blackmail was allowed, comparing what is happening now in Karabakh with the events of 1915, the blockade of Leningrad during World War II, the massacres committed by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, the genocide in Srebrenica.
- The decisions of the International Court of Justice regarding interim measures were misinterpreted.
- It is claimed that the Armenians in Karabakh will die in a few weeks if the Lachin road is not opened soon.
- The US and EU can solve this problem soon if they want to.
- Azerbaijan is not a member of the International Criminal Court and does not recognize its jurisdiction. There is only one way left – the UN Security Council itself must refer this case to the International Criminal Court.
Gadirli says that with his “show off conclusion, Ocampo gave the Armenians an empty hope”:
“Ocampo wrote all this in his conclusion. He understands perfectly well that this is unrealizable. He simply gave another empty hope to the Armenians, who cannot tear themselves away from hopes that are unlikely to come true. As for the Armenians, they are all led by the nose, because they still do not want to take the right path. That’s what happened this time.”
According to the deputy, the text of the conclusion was written so carelessly that it testifies not only to the negligence of the author, but also to his bias.
“For example, he writes that after the 1917 revolution in Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan gained independence. Then he added that Azerbaijan became independent for the first time in its history. And by this he substantiates the historical claims of Armenia, as if hinting at the fact that the Armenians used to have an independent state here. He also writes that there were wars between Armenia and Azerbaijan after the collapse of the Russian Empire and the USSR, but does not write who started these wars. No matter how much he does not touch upon the issue of Armenia’s responsibility.”
He further notes that the author “not only invented the crime of genocide against the Armenians of Karabakh, but also wrote the names of specific persons whom he considers guilty of this crime”, and calls this part “the most despicable part of the imprisonment”:
“It is a shame for a professional prosecutor to accuse specific individuals of criminal responsibility without going through the procedure for collecting and evaluating evidence.”
“To substantiate that Azerbaijan committed genocide against Armenians in Karabakh, he writes that the Armenians there were targeted as an ethnic group. But he does not even wonder why there are no ethnic groups left in Karabakh, except for the Armenians? Did Azerbaijan do it?
However, even if the Azerbaijanis expelled from Karabakh returned there, Azerbaijan’s behavior regarding the Lachin road would not change. The movement of persons, goods or vehicles from Armenia and other countries through our territory is not allowed without the control of Azerbaijan. This shows that Azerbaijan’s approach is not based on ethnic discrimination, but on the right to territorial sovereignty,” Gadirli writes.
He concludes:
“Therefore, my conclusion is that Ocampo sent the Armenians away. “Expert opinion” of such low quality, in fact, is “manna from heaven” for us. Anyone who blames Azerbaijan will cause serious damage to his reputation.”
