Thread by @NasimiAghayev

On Nov. 25, #Armenia handed the #Kalbajar district back to #Azerbaijan, in line with the Nov. 10 agreement, which also ended the 44-day-war in #Karabakh. Here is a THREAD link.medium.com/U1xKXQJiHbb

Thus a 27-year-long illegal occupation of #Kalbajar came to an end. Tens of thousands of forcibly displaced #Azerbaijani residents of Kalbajar will finally be able to return home.

The invasion and total ethnic cleansing of #Kalbajar by #Armenia in early April 1993 was one of the most crucial moments and darkest chapters in the #Armenia-#Azerbaijan conflict.

After #Lachin’s invasion in 1992, #Kalbajar was the second district outside of #NagornoKarabakh to be invaded, thus de facto annexing Nagorno-Karabakh to #Armenia.

@hrw report from 1994: “…The only outlet from #Kalbajar to #Azerbaijan proper was over the #Murov mountains to the north through the Omar pass, a treacherous journey in winter…60,000 people were forced to flee their homes...” hrw.org/sites/default/…

“... Today all are displaced, and #Kalbajar stands empty and looted. The swift & short nature of Kalbajar offensive, the mountainous terrain with few good roads over which it was fought, and the late winter timing of the #attack left #civilian population extremely vulnerable...”

“...many [#Azerbaijanis in #Kalbajar] were taken hostage or killed by indiscriminate fire.” hrw.org/sites/default/…

These facts are confirmed by a striking video of the #California-born #Armenian terrorist #MonteMelkonian & his accomplices in #Kalbajar in 1993, who giggle & perform celebratory gunfire, as they give besieged #Azerbaijani #civilians 10 hours to leave. It’s painful to watch...

https://twitter.com/nasimiaghayev/status/1326723647701135360

Immediately after #Kalbajar’s invasion, the @UN #SecurityCouncil (UNSC) passed a statement on April 6, 1993, condemning the invasion and demanding the withdrawal of the occupying forces from the district.

https://twitter.com/NasimiAghayev/status/1327305209094160384

Recently, the @WJCLibrary has published declassified @StateDept cables concerning the #Armenia-#Azerbaijan conflict. It becomes clear that at the behest of #French U.N. Amb. Mérimée, #UNSC Statement on #Kalbajar’s invasion was substantially watered down. clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/100…

Opposing the language presented by U.S. Amb. @Madeleine Albright & other members of the #UNSC and in an apparent attempt to exculpate #Armenia for invasion, Amb. Mérimée insisted on the inclusion of the wording “local #Armenian forces” as invaders of #Kalbajar.

Mérimée also insisted on treating the invasion of #Kalbajar not under Chapter VII of #UN Charter as an “act of #aggression,” but under weaker Chapter VI as a dispute that should be settled peacefully. #French insistence worked and UNSC passed the suggested, watered-down text.

On April 30, 1993 #UNSC passed a resolution on #Kalbajar (res. 822)— the first on the conflict — using the same language. Due to Amb. Mérimée’s efforts, the Resolution 822 became the weakest of all four UNSC resolutions passed on the #Armenia-#Azerbaijan conflict.

3 subsequent resolutions (853, 874, 884) did not use wording “local #Armenian forces,” included language “Nagorny-#Karabakh region of the #Azerbaijani Republic,” expressed a clear support for #Azerbaijan’s terr. integrity & demanded the immediate withdrawal of occupying forces.

The fact that #Kalbajar was invaded by armed forces of #Armenia was backed up by a vast body of evidence on the ground, easily available to #Western #intelligence agencies. The @hrw investigation also presented substantial evidence in this regard. hrw.org/sites/default/…

As Amb. Mérimée was watering down #UNSC documents in favor of Armenia, an ethnic #Armenian — #BenonSevan — was @UN Assist. Sec. General with particular responsibility for #SecurityCouncil. Sevan was later accused together with Amb. Mérimée for taking bribes from Saddam’s regime.

It is not clear how much Amb. Mérimée’s advocacy for #Armenia’s interests was influenced by his relationship with Sevan and #Armenian lobby groups in #France. Maybe one day he can bring some clarity to it.