TAAL Condemns UN Inaction to Free Armenian Hostages

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Mr. Secretary-General,

The Truth And Accountability League (TAAL) writes to express its strongest condemnation of your failure to act decisively as Azerbaijan committed, and continues to commit, genocide against the Armenian people—a shameful dereliction of the responsibilities entrusted to your office. The Truth and Accountability League (TAAL) condemns the United Nations’ silence and inaction, which have enabled the ongoing extermination and erasure of Armenians from Artsakh.

The most immediate and unforgivable failure of your office is your refusal to enforce the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings ordering Azerbaijan to protect ethnic Armenians and release Armenian prisoners of war and civilian hostagesheld illegally in violation of international law. These ICJ decisions are binding under international law, yet Azerbaijan continues to defy them—and you, Mr. Secretary-General, have done nothing to uphold or implement them.

Under Article 94(2) of the UN Charter, you possess both the authority and the obligation to refer Azerbaijan’s non-compliance to the UN Security Council. Your refusal to exercise this authority has left Armenian hostages to endure torture, psychological abuse, and indefinite captivity—acts that constitute ongoing war crimes under the Geneva Conventions. By ignoring the ICJ’s rulings, you have failed not only the Armenian people but the very purpose of the United Nations itself.

Your inaction on the hostages is inseparable from your silence on the larger crime that has unfolded under your watch—the Artsakh Genocide. This is not speculation or rhetoric—it is genocide, as identified by the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, Genocide Watch, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and other international observers. Their assessments are clear: Azerbaijan’s systematic blockade, starvation, deportation, and imprisonment of Armenians meet the legal definition of genocide under the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, a treaty your organization was created to uphold.

The world witnessed the Artsakh Genocide unfold in real time:

• The Lachin Corridor blockade,      cutting off 120,000 civilians from food, medicine, and fuel;
• The forced starvation and mass      displacement of Armenians;
• The systematic destruction     of Armenian cultural and religious heritage;
• The torture, execution, and      continued detention of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians.
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All of these are violations not only of the Genocide Convention, but of the Geneva Conventions, ICJ rulings, and the most basic principles of humanity.

Your silence has signaled to authoritarian regimes that international law is optional and that the UN’s Charter is negotiable. This failure mirrors the institutional cowardice that allowed previous genocides—in Rwanda, Srebrenica, and Darfur—to unfold under the blue flag of the United Nations.

The Truth and Accountability League (TAAL), an organization dedicated to confronting hate, disinformation, and crimes against humanity, demands immediate action from your office:

1. Invoke Article 94(2) of the UN Charter and refer      Azerbaijan’s non-compliance with ICJ rulings to the Security Council;
2. Demand the immediate and      unconditional release of all Armenian prisoners of war and civilian      hostages held in Azerbaijan;
3. Publicly recognize the Artsakh      Genocide and condemn Azerbaijan’s campaign of ethnic cleansing;
4. Appoint a UN Special Envoy on      Armenian Genocide Prevention and Accountability, tasked with investigating      ongoing violations and reporting directly to the General Assembly;
5. Ensure international monitoring      and humanitarian access to displaced and at-risk Armenian populations.

Your office’s continued passivity is not neutrality—it is complicity. The Truth and Accountability League (TAAL) holds you and the United Nations accountable for enabling this ongoing genocide through silence and political caution. History will not remember bureaucracy; it will remember who stood by as Armenians were once again annihilated in plain sight.

The credibility of the United Nations—and your own legacy—will be defined by whether you act now to uphold justice or continue to abandon it.

With Urgency

Vic Gerami

Founder

Truth And Accountability League (TAAL)

About TAAL

Truth and Accountability League (TAAL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization with roots in defending Armenian identity and culture. Today, TAAL has grown into a broader platform dedicated to combating hate, discrimination, and disinformation affecting marginalized communities, including women, LGBTQ+ individuals, ethnic and cultural minorities, and other underrepresented groups.

TAAL monitors and challenges bias across media, academia, public policy, and cultural institutions. The organization provides educational programs, resources, and training to empower communities and individuals with the knowledge and tools to recognize, confront, and prevent prejudice, disinformation, and harmful narratives.

Our mission is to advance equity, promote accountability, and foster understanding, ensuring that all communities, including those of Armenian heritage, are represented, respected, and supported.