ECtHR Indicates Interim Measures in Arm v. Azer re: Lachin Corridor [1]
On December 21, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights indicated interim measures in the case Armenia v. Azerbaijan (no. 4). The request for interim measures brought by the Government of Armenia alleged that Azerbaijan was blocking Armenians’ access to the Lachin Corridor which, according to a press release [3] from the Court, is used by Armenian residents in Nagoro Karbakh to access vita services, including medical care. In its decision to indicate provisional measures, the Court noted that Azerbaijan was obligated under Article 6 of the Trilateral Statement signed November 9, 2020, to “guarantee the security of persons, vehicles and cargo moving along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.” The Court also reiterated Azerbaijan’s obligations under the European Convention of Human Rights, in particular Articles 2 (right to life), 3 (prohibition of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment), 6 (right to a fair trial), and 8 (right to respect for family life). The Court ordered Azerbaijan to take measures to ensure that seriously ill persons in need of medical treatment were granted safe passage through the Corridor. At the time of writing, the decision itself was unavailable for viewing.