The Artsakh Union Condemns U.S. State Department’s Decision to Send U.S. Ambassador to Ethnically-Cleansed Shushi

YEREVAN, ARMENIA, May 8, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Artsakh Union Condemns U.S. State Department’s Decision to Send U.S. Ambassador to Ethnically-Cleansed Shushi

The Artsakh Union, a grassroots voice for the citizens of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), condemns the visit of U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mark Libby to the city of Shushi in Artsakh, which has been ethnically cleansed of its indigenous Armenians and is currently under occupation by Azerbaijan.

The Libby visit, a photo opportunity staged for the benefit of the Aliyev regime, represents yet another instance of the U.S. government aiding and abetting Azerbaijan’s commission and consolidation of its genocide of the indigenous Armenian people of Artsakh.

As noted by many, including James C. O’Brien, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on November 15, 2023, this ongoing crisis has resulted in the uprooting of an entire population. And yet, Ambassador Libby made no mention of the fact that Armenians inhabited these lands for millennia and were forced from their ancient homeland via a genocidal blockade and unprovoked aggression.

Ambassador Libby’s visit raises seven troubling questions:

1. Did Ambassador Libby, by visiting Shushi without acknowledging the truth about the city's recent history, including Azerbaijan’s aggressions between 2020 and 2023 and its crimes under occupation, effectively legitimize Azerbaijani these crimes on behalf of the U.S. government and its people, or was he acting independently?

2. Why did Ambassador Libby ignore Azerbaijan’s systematic destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in Shushi, including its recent destruction of St. John the Baptist church earlier this year?

3. Was this visit a response to the recent call by the United States Commission on Religious Freedom to designate Azerbaijan as a "Country of Particular Concern" and to recommend the allocation of funds for the protection of holy sites in Nagorno-Karabakh?

4. Was the visit intended to encourage the Aliyev regime, either implicitly or explicitly, to continue the complete demolition of Armenian ancient villages like it with Karintak village, despite the UN International Court of Justice's order on November 17, 2023?

5. Was Ambassador Libby “extremely impressed” with the Shushi’s “development” or the Armenian blood that was spilled for Azerbaijan to destroy yet more of the Armenian homeland?

6. How is this visit consistent with the just and dignified peace that the U.S. claims to advocate for in the South Caucasus?

7. Will the U.S. State Department apologize for Ambassador Libby's visit and statements, which so evidently violate the values and principles declared by the American people and their government?

Artak Beglaryan
Unblock Humanity
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