UN office of justice rejects sending representative to Nagorno-Karabakh

By AzerNews

The United Nations Office of Administration of Justice (OAJ) has rejected having any connection with Geoffrey Roberston, a person who visited Nagorno-Karabakh, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.

Roberston, who claimed to be a representative of the United Nations, told a conference in occupied Azerbaijani town of Khankendi that it is time to recognize the "independence" of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Responding to an inquiry by Azerbaijan's permanent mission to the UN, the Executive Director of OAJ, Linda Taylor, said that the UN has absolutely no connection with Roberston and his visit to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

Unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia are deemed illegal and individuals paying such visits are included in the "black list" of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

Earlier, the Foreign Ministry released a list of 335 people declared persona non grata over illegal visits to the Armenian-occupied territories.

Azerbaijan has repeatedly warned foreign officials and diplomats over visits to its territories occupied by Armenia, saying this contradicts international law. The Foreign Ministry has stated that such visits, paid without prior notification of the relevant authorities of Azerbaijan, are illegal and damage the settlement process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. Armenia continues the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal.

Peace talks brokered by mediators from Russia, France and the U.S. have produced no results so far.