September 6, “Canada – Artsakh” parliamentary friendship group co-chairs Rachel Tams and Leo Housakos sent a letter to Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.

The Canadian office of Ontario reported that the letter refers to the crisis unfolding around Artsakh in the South Caucasus. It is noted that the Azerbaijani government is exerting humanitarian and economic pressure on the 120 thousand Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The letter emphasizes that the Genocide Watch organization has entered the stage of "Persecution" in the situation in Nagorno Karabakh, especially since June 14, 2023, when the International Committee of the Red Cross was blocked from entering Artsakh to transport food and basic medical aid.

Russian peacekeeping forces, which are entrusted with the protection of the Lachin corridor, unfortunately, cannot control the corridor, violating their obligations under the Tripartite ceasefire agreement.

The blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan is a violation of human rights towards the indigenous Armenians. Among the violations are the use of mercenaries during hostilities, the attack and confiscation of sovereign Armenian territories, the use of force against the civilian population.

This is a crucial moment for Canada. It is critical that Canada impose sanctions against officials of Azerbaijan's dictatorial government who have undermined peace and security while committing gross and systematic human rights violations.

In accordance with the UN “Responsibility to Protect” commitment (R2P) Canada has a responsibility to protect the people of Artsakh from atrocities such as persecution and ethnic cleansing. In order to stop this process of Azerbaijan all appropriate interventions are necessary: from diplomatic and economic sanctions to international criminal prosecutions and military action as an extreme measure.

At the end of the letter, the co-chairs of the Canada-Artsakh parliamentary friendship faction ask the Canadian authorities to strengthen efforts aimed at ending the ongoing persecution of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, once again emphasizing that they demand sanctions against the Azerbaijani authorities and force the Baku government to unblock the Lachin corridor.