No:381/23, Press Release on the decision of the International Court of Justice of July 6, 2023, on unanimous rejection of Armenia’s request
On July 6, 2023, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) unanimously rejected Armenia’s request of 12 May, 2023, for modification of the Court’s 22 February 2023 Order in the Armenia v. Azerbaijan case concerning the Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
We welcome the Court’s ruling that has reconfirmed Azerbaijan’s right to control its borders, and that Armenia’s request on removal of the Checkpoint was unfounded. Thus, misinterpretation by the Armenian side of the latest decision is nothing than a desperate attempt.
Azerbaijan’s decision to establish its border checkpoint at the entrance of the Lachin road was in keeping with its sovereign rights to secure its border. In this instance, this was due to the urgent necessity to stop the illegal flow of weapons, military equipment, and soldiers into the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, which threatens Azerbaijan’s security and the prospects for peace.
Moreover, since the establishment of the Border Checkpoint, local residents of ethnic Armenian origin have been passing through the Border Checkpoint, where border controls on entry and exit are being implemented in a non-discriminatory manner as required by Azerbaijan’s domestic and international obligations.
Azerbaijan continues to comply with the ICJ’s Order and to uphold its international legal obligations, and will continue to hold Armenia to account for its ongoing and historic grave violations of international law.