KARABAKH IS UNDER ATTACK

The Armenian Genocide is Not Over. It Must Be Stopped.

On September 27, the military forces of Azerbaijan launched an assault on Nagorno-Karabakh (also known as Artsakh), the historic homeland of the Armenian Christian people. The attack is being supported by Turkey and jihadists who have traveled from Syria to fight.

Christian Solidarity International (CSI) stands in solidarity with the besieged Christians of Artsakh. The U.S. government and the international community must bring this war to an end NOW.

Help for threatened Armenian Christians is urgently needed!

A brutal war of religious and ethnic cleansing has been waged against the Armenian Christians of Nagorno-Karabakh. The residents of the region are being attacked by the Azerbaijani army, with the support of Turkey and jihad fighters from Syria. The number of victims is constantly increasing. Women, children and the elderly are being forced to flee their homes, while the men try desperately to defend their country.

These traumatized displaced brothers and sisters have to endure in cold, dark cellars. The fear of being hit by a missile accompanies them constantly. The refugees suffer from a lack of food and medicine. Now the icy winter is just around the corner. Without heating oil, the people affected run the risk of freezing to death.

Thank you for your help in providing war victims with urgently needed food, warm winter clothing, heating oil and emergency accommodation. Thank you for your solidarity with the displaced Armenian Christians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Together we will ensure that they survive this renewed attack on their lives, their human dignity and their religious freedom.

  • Support families under siege

What is Nagorno-Karabakh?

Nagorno-Karabakh (often referred to as “Artsakh” by Armenians) is a small region in the Caucasus mountains about the size of Rhode Island, lying in between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with Russia to the north and Turkey to the south. In Turkish, it is called “Nagorno Karabakh,” or “Mountainous Garden.” Its 150,000 inhabitants are mainly Armenian Christians. It is a de facto independent republic, but its independence is not recognized by most countries in the world.

Who is attacking Nagorno-Karabakh?

Azerbaijan, an oil-rich dictatorship that killed or drove out its own Armenian Christian population from 1988-1990. They are supported by Turkey, which is providing air support and bringing thousands of jihadists from the battlefield in Syria to fight in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Who is defending Nagorno-Karabakh?

The Republic of Armenia, which has 1/3 of the population of Azerbaijan, and spends six times less on its military. Turkey’s population is 27 times greater than Armenia’s, and it spends 49 times more on its military.

What are the roots of this conflict?

In the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923, Turkish and Azerbaijani forces tried to wipe out the Armenian population. When the Soviet Union invaded the Caucasus in 1920, it conquered Armenia and Azerbaijan and put a stop to the killing. Under Soviet rule, Nagorno-Karabakh was made part of the Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan. When the Soviet Union began to break apart in the late 1980s, the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh asked for their independence, while the Azerbaijani government began to attack the Armenian population, to wipe them out once and for all. Armenia went to war to protect Nagorno-Karabakh, and war raged for six years. CSI played a crucial role in bringing humanitarian aid to Nagorno-Karabakh during the Azerbaijani blockade. In the end, Russia forced an end to the fighting, and a ceasefire was agreed to. Nagorno-Karabakh became an autonomous region.

How did this new war start?

Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire on September 27, launching a massive attack on Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan has bombed civilian areas, including Nagorno-Karabakh’s capital city. It appears Azerbaijan is trying to use the distractions of the pandemic and the American presidential election to conquer Nagorno-Karabakh once and for all.

What will happen if Nagorno-Karabakh falls?

From 1915-1923, nearly the entire Armenian population of Turkey was liquidated in the Armenian genocide. From 1988-1990, Armenians living in Azerbaijan were killed and driven out of the country in huge pogroms. In the Azerbaijani-controlled region of Nakhichevan, the authorities have systematically destroyed Armenian churches and monuments. When Azerbaijan briefly conquered a village in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2016, they tortured and executed the Armenians living there. When Turkish-backed jihadists fought in Aleppo during Syria’s civil war, they kidnapped and attacked Armenian Christians, descendants of genocide survivors.

The signals are clear: if Azerbaijan and Turkey conquer Nagorno-Karabakh, the Christians of Nagorno-Karabakh will be wiped out. Another phase in the Armenian genocide is in the making.

What can the U.S. do?

Turkey is a member of the NATO alliance, which the United States leads. Azerbaijan receives military aid from the United States. The U.S. must demand an immediate end to the attack on Nagorno-Karabakh, suspend all military aid to Turkey and Azerbaijan, and work with Russia and other powers in the region to guarantee the security of Nagorno-Karabakh.

CONTACT YOUR LEADERS. TELL THEM THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUST FINALLY END.