The US Secretary of State’s spokesman, Matthew Miller, stated that they take the accusations of ethnic cleansing, genocide, or other atrocities seriously.
“We will not shy away from taking appropriate action in response to allegations of atrocities, and when we see them taking place, we will help bring those responsible to justice,” he said, adding, “But, as always, the definition of genocide or ethnic cleansing is based on a deliberative process that is evidence-based. That’s not something I can speak about from this pulpit with any degree of finality.”
When asked whether Nagorno-Karabakh was “cleansed” of its civilian population, Miller recalled the steps taken by others to bring Armenia’s news to the radar and responded: “Of course, it is true that one hundred thousand, or, I would say, one hundred thousand ethnic Armenians left Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia. I don’t think we can tell if they plan to stay in Armenia forever, what percentage of them might want to return if conditions permit, and whether they will feel enough guarantees about their treatment if they return. That is why we repeat our call for an independent international observation mission that will ensure transparency and assure the people of Nagorno-Karabakh that the rights and immunity of ethnic Armenians will be protected; Azerbaijan has given these guarantees. We believe that there should be an international monitoring mission that will follow them and guarantee their implementation.”
According to Miller, if they want to return to NK, their rights should be respected, and it should be an international observation mission to ensure this.
