LOS ANGELES (Realist English). Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles City Council Chairman Paul Krekorian have appealed to US President Joseph Biden in connection with the “illegal blockade of Artsakh by Russia and Azerbaijan.”
“This unfolding humanitarian catastrophe is the result of a deliberate blockade instigated by Azerbaijani dictator Aliyev with the support of Russian troops, who, in fact, are holding the people of Artsakh hostage. Through this illegal blockade, these two dictatorships seek to punish Artsakh and Armenia for daring to promote democracy and stability in the region. Worse, in the absence of decisive action by the United States, the world may soon witness another Srebrenica or Sarajevo and, ultimately, the genocidal destruction of the entire Armenian presence in the region,” the letter says.
Bass and Krekorian reminded that “since December 12, Russian “peacekeeping” troops tasked with controlling the Lachin corridor — the only lifeline of Artsakh to Armenia and the rest of the world — have allowed Azerbaijan to block it, thereby blocking access to food, fuel, medicines and other humanitarian supplies.”
“Schools have been forced to close, store shelves are empty, and hospitals cannot receive medicines or perform vital procedures. There is no way to transport 350 seriously ill patients to Armenia for emergency care, which has already led to the death of one person and will lead to the death of many more if the blockade is not lifted,” the American politicians noted.
Bass and Krekorian called on the US president to “provide direct humanitarian aid to Artsakh, including food and medicine”, “make it clear to Putin and Aliyev that the US demands and will act to ensure the safe passage of aircraft to Artsakh to provide assistance”, “insist on replacing Russian troops in Artsakh with international peacekeepers”, “persistently promote negotiations between Baku and Stepanakert in order to guarantee the rights and security of the Armenian population of Artsakh”, and also “to take tangible measures against the regime in Azerbaijan in order to bring it to justice for its crimes in accordance with the Law on the Support of Freedom and the Magnitsky Act.”
