In its “Nations in Transit 2024” report, the internationally renowned “Freedom House” human rights organization referred to the forced displacement of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan’s military operations, and its constant threats to Armenia.
“Armenian democratization efforts in the South Caucasus have been adversely affected by the brutal attack by the Azeri regime in Nagorno-Karabakh, which has prompted more than 120,000 ethnic Armenians living there to flee to the West. Currently, they have settled mostly in Armenia, where the government is trying to meet their humanitarian needs while protecting their territory, consolidating power amid domestic criticism, and responding to demands for improved governance that sparked a revolution in the country in 2018,” Freedom House said. Nations in Transit 2024″ report.
“Azerbaijan’s armed forces continued to threaten Armenia’s existence, occupying a part of that country’s territory after numerous clashes in recent years,” the report states.
“Aliyev’s political and military victories may have simply fueled his appetite. His inauguration speech made new demands for Armenia to provide him with additional territories. In the absence of any reliable deterrents imposed by the US or the EU, there is a clear potential for increased authoritarian aggression in the Caucasus. “Moscow has practically abandoned the role of guarantor of security in the region, forcing Armenia to move in the direction of looking for new alliances in the democratic world,” the report concludes.
