Supporting the solidarity of the Armenian diaspora..
Since mid-December, a hitherto little-noticed humanitarian catastrophe has been brewing in the Caucasus between the powers of Russia, Turkey and the EU.
For nearly three months, Azerbaijan has blocked the Lachin Corridor between Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, known as "Arzakh" in Armenia's self-designation, preventing food, fuel, and medical supplies from reaching over 120,000 people.
Initially, the Azerbaijani government claimed that environmental activists were blocking the corridor to protest mining in the region - a claim that most observers believe is pretextual due to the lack of freedom of expression and assembly in Azerbaijan, where the government has severely curtailed the right to peaceful protest for decades. Meanwhile, it is obvious that it is Azerbaijani military that is cutting off access to the corridor.
As early as 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a war over Nagorno-Karabakh, as a result of which Azerbaijan cut off the autonomous republic from Armenia by capturing the corridor. Since then, Russian so-called peacekeepers have been stationed in the Lachin Corridor to ensure the supply of food and other goods essential for survival. However, they reportedly perform their duties poorly, which has allowed the blockade by Azerbaijani military to occur. On February 22, 2023, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled that Azerbaijan must lift the blockade of the corridor. However, this has not happened since.
Even if Nagorno-Karabakh seems far away and hardly plays a role in current political reporting in Germany, European and German politics also bear some responsibility. For example, the German government has been cooperating with the regime in Azerbaijan for years - and even increasingly so in recent months. Attempts to become less dependent on Russian oil and gas have driven German and European policy into the arms of other autocratic regimes, including Azerbaijan. Just last summer, for example, the European Union struck an energy deal with Azerbaijan to become less dependent on Russian gas.
