Every year on April 24 we mark the 1915 Armenian genocide, in which up to 1.5 million Armenians perished at the hands of the Ottomans. But this year, we should also reflect on the present day, for Armenians are again facing a new set of atrocities as the world watches on with indifference.
Over the past year, ethnic Armenians have endured decapitations, sexual mutilation, cultural destruction, dehumanizing statements by authorities, and a constant threat of attacks—all coming from Azerbaijan, with direct military and economic support from Turkey, the successor nation of the Ottoman Empire.
The situation has descended into a humanitarian crisis as Azerbaijan has thwarted the movement of families, food, and medical supplies along Armenia’s border, a move condemned by the International Court of Justice and, just yesterday, the U.S. State Department.
This threat to today’s Armenians resurfaced in September 2020, when Azerbaijan launched an attack on Nagorno-Karabakh—a disputed territory inhabited principally by ethnic Armenians but internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, based on territorial lines drawn by the Soviet Union, which once controlled the area. The attack marked the beginning of the 44-day war, which saw over 6,500 killed and tens of thousands displaced. When a ceasefire was signed in December of that year, Azerbaijan ended up taking over most of Nagorno-Karabakh.
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