The International Court of Justice ruled that the cases of “racial discrimination” between Azerbaijan and Armenia can continue to be heard.

The International Court of Justice ruled that the mutual cases of “racial discrimination” filed by Azerbaijan and Armenia against each other concerning Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region can continue to be heard.

The principal judicial body of the United Nations, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), made decisions today on two separate rulings, evaluating the initial objections related to the cases of “Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination” filed mutually by Azerbaijan and Armenia against each other.

In September 2021, the international court assessed the cases filed by the two countries against each other approximately a week apart, rejecting Armenia’s claims that there was no jurisdiction concerning the case filed by Azerbaijan and that the case should not be considered on its merits.

The court also rejected Armenia’s jurisdictional objections regarding the investigation of allegations of landmines and booby traps placed by Azerbaijan against Armenia. Armenia’s jurisdictional objections were rejected by a vote of 16 to 1.

Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Memmedov, in a statement on social media regarding the ruling, said, “The International Court of Justice has ruled that the case filed by Azerbaijan against Armenia regarding ethnic cleansing and other acts of racial discrimination during the decades-long occupation of internationally recognized Azerbaijani territories will continue to be heard. The court also rejected Armenia’s attempt to exclude the practices of placing mines and booby traps from the court’s jurisdiction. Ensuring justice for the victims of Armenia’s mine-laying practices is vital as the number of victims continues to rise even today.”

Azerbaijan stated that during the occupation, the mines and booby traps placed by Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh region obstructed the right of the Azerbaijani people to return to their lands and were placed not for military purposes but in civilian settlements.

Armenia had claimed in the case it filed on September 16, 2021, that Azerbaijan violated the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and filed a lawsuit against Azerbaijan. On September 23, 2021, Azerbaijan filed a lawsuit against Armenia, accusing it of racial discrimination, ethnic cleansing, hate speech, and racist propaganda.