The Azerbaijani Blockade of the Lachin Corridor and the ICJ Decision: Can the Destruction of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the NKR Armenian People Be Prevented?

Abstract

This special issue, dedicated to the Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin Corridor, takes up Hirsch’s plea by highlighting the gross violations of the human rights of Armenians of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic2 (NKR), casting a critical eye on the current responses (or lack thereof) from the international community and offering practical steps toward the worthy goal of doing no harm. The independent area of the NKR, home to 120,000 Armenians, is surrounded by the territory of Azerbaijan. There is only one route that connects the Armenian Republic with the NKR—that connects families and friends, that carries everything from basic supplies to lifesaving medications—the Lachin Corridor. For over six months (at the time of this writing), the government of Azerbaijan and its proxies have blockaded the Lachin Corridor, effectively strangling the Armenian community in the NKR. This has resulted in preventable deaths due to dramatic shortages of food, medicine, and energy, and denial of medical care. The situation unfolding in the NKR is outlined in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) order issued in response to Armenia’s case against Azerbaijan for imposition of the blockade and other human rights violations.3 The ICJ order issued in February 2023 is a positive step forward, though a more careful reading suggests that it does not go far enough. It includes a legally binding requirement that Azerbaijan actively work to ensure free movement in both directions along the Lachin Corridor, refuting the false assertions made by the Azerbaijani government that there