LOS ANGELES — The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA Law, in partnership with the Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA, presents “Atrocities, Genocide and the Duty to Prevent and to Punish Under International Law: The Situation of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh.” This panel discussion will take place on Tuesday, October 10, at 7 p.m. (Pacific Time) at the UCLA Mong Learning Center (Engineering VI Building) and via the Zoom Webinar platform.
On Tuesday, September 19, Azerbaijan launched a military operation against the already-suffering people of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh, who had been under a blockade for nearly 300 days, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries. This tragic situation became an overt initiation of wholesale, violent ethnic cleansing, and while a ceasefire agreement may be in place, threats to the safety and security of the ethnic Armenians in this region continue as the population evacuates their ancestral homeland.
Looking at the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh with respect to the Lachin Corridor blockade as well as the recent active military attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh and the threats to Armenia generally, this panel will explore the following key questions drawing from action taken thus far by states and international actors (or not):
What conditions trigger the duty to prevent atrocities, including genocide?
Once triggered, what is the scope of that duty, and what tools, both national and international, can help to identify these obligations as well as lawful steps for addressing a genocidal situation?
How can accountability for atrocities be achieved in this situation?
