At COP29 President Aliyev will be handed a powerful platform to surge  his geopolitical ambitions to occupy entire Armenia - Luis Moreno  Ocampo

ArmInfo. Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former  Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), has addressed a second open letter to Armenians across the world.  The letter reads as follows: 

Three problems are interrelated: Armenia remains at risk, as a peace  treaty with Azerbaijan is being negotiated; there is no clarity on  how the Nagorno-Karabakh people, the victims of the 2023 genocide,  could safely return to their ancestral land; and 23 Armenian hostages  are still in Baku prisons.

Azerbaijan is hosting COP29, the UN Climate Change Conference, in  Baku in November 2024, under the guise of a "COP for peace." If  Armenians are not released and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is  ignored by the delegates attending COP29, President Aliyev will be  handed a powerful platform to surge his geopolitical ambitions to  occupy the entire Armenia.

Such a scenario will not only deny the Nagorno-Karabakh genocide and  condemn the hostages to remain in jail for many years, but it will  also relegate the entire community to a forgotten relic of the past,  and it would escalate the risk to Armenia itself.

Armenia's legitimate authorities are conducting very complex  negotiations. The Armenians, in Armenia and the diaspora, and people  like me, concerned about genocides and wars, should respect those  efforts while raising awareness of the problem and uniting all the  Armenians to protect the people and the land. 

It is happening, Armenians from all over the world are campaigning.  On August 23, Berge?Setrakian, AGBU President, appealed to the US  Secretary of State to ensure the release of all Armenian detainees  from Azerbaijan. He recognized the US efforts, but he was concerned  that Mr. Blinken's words "have gone unheeded and will continue to be  ignored."

During the past month thousands of people from more than 30  countries, many with Armenian ancestors, came together in digital  forums and on social media. They were united by the same hashtags  #COP29, # StopGreenwashGenocide, #FreeArmenianHostages, and  #FreePoliticalPrisoners. Artists like Serj Tankian, and organizations  like the Armenian National Committee of America, Christian Solidarity  International, and the Armenian Assembly of America, LIBERTAS, etc.  promoted the same idea.  #StopGreenwashGenocide and  #FreeArmenianHostages became the two top hashtags related to COP29 on  Twitter. In addition to the online campaign, protests were held from  Yerevan to Toronto demanding the return of the Armenian hostages  incarcerated in Baku. 

Now is the time to broaden the movement and connect it with the  decision-makers worldwide. Armenians are not the only Aliyev victims.  He is affecting the environment, Azeris citizens and even European  parliamentarians. Azerbaijan, a country enriched by fossil fuels,  postures as a leader in climate change- diverting global efforts. The  regime has no mercy, it represses journalists, academics, and any  dissenters within its borders. Just a few days ago, it banned entry  to Azerbaijan for 76 European parliamentarians from 26 countries for  exposing its corruption.During my recent visit to high schools in  Buenos Aires, I met teenagers who understood that such activities  undermine their future and are eager to start TikTok campaigns to  reach their peers around the world.  

The next step will be to demand the delegates to COP29 raise their  voices about these issues, including Aliyev greenwashing his fossil  energy incomes, Nagorno-Karabakh genocide, corrupting the political  system in Europe and the US, and the political prisoners and Armenian  hostages in Baku.?I was delighted to receive an invitation from His  Holiness Karekin II, and the Center for Truth and Justice to visit  Armenia on September 9. This will be a unique opportunity to meet the  representatives of the Armenian civil society and to refine a common  strategy. 

Armenians let's protect Armenia and lead the world to a truly  peaceful COP29.

Luis Moreno Ocampo

The First Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) 

Buenos Aires, September 4th, 2024