The UN mission found no oppression of ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh

The United Nations mission, which visited Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan for the first time in the last 30 years, did not see any oppression of the ethnic population.

This was stated by the representative of the UN Secretary General Stephane Dujarric.

Also, the mission did not record damage to civilian infrastructure: hospitals, schools, housing, cultural and religious facilities.

On October 1, the group visited the city of Stepanakert, which was the capital of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The visit took place a few weeks after Azerbaijani forces took control of the area.

"Our colleagues were shocked by the suddenness with which the local population left their homes and the suffering they must have gone through," Dujarric told reporters, as quoted by "Reuters".

"However, they have not received any reports of violence against civilians since the last ceasefire. Members of the UN team did not see the destruction of agricultural infrastructure or dead animals," the representative of the UN Secretary General emphasized.

Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of ethnic cleansing, but Baku denies this, saying Armenians can remain in Karabakh.

The UN mission aimed to assess the situation on the ground and identify the humanitarian needs of both those who remained and those who had moved, Dujarric said. Representatives of the community informed the UN representatives that "from 50 to 1 000 ethnic Armenians currently remain in Karabash." Dujarric also said that no shops are open in the city, but Azerbaijan is preparing to restore medical care and some basic public services in the city.

Over the past few days, according to Yerevan, more than 100 000 Armenians have left Nagorno-Karabakh, which is more than three-quarters of the population of the unrecognized republic. Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of intending to carry out ethnic cleansing in the region.

• On September 19, Azerbaijan informed about the start of an "anti-terrorist operation" in Nagorno-Karabakh (NKR) to "restore constitutional order." After a day of fighting and shelling, the unrecognized NKR capitulated, and the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev announced the restoration of the countryʼs sovereignty. On September 20, Azerbaijan put forward demands — the dissolution of the government of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the disarmament of all its formations. After that, NKR forces began to hand over equipment and weapons, and Armenians began to leave Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan begins the reintegration of the region.
• The unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) will officially cease to exist on January 1, 2024.