Prior Years — Karnig Kerkonian

The conversation will explore the legal and humanitarian challenges facing displaced Armenians from Artsakh, drawing on the speakers’ firsthand experiences in governance, advocacy, and international law. 

Nagorno-Karabakh's call for self-determination in the late 1980s was one of the earliest events of democratic fervor signaling the fall of the Soviet Union. It resulted in a backlash of pogroms against Armenians in the streets of Baku, Sumgait and other cities in Azerbaijan. More than thirty years later, the conflict between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan remains unresolved and, after a 2020 war that left thousands dead, it is no longer "frozen" but in active eruption.

In this public forum, Dr. Yeghishe Kirakosyan will discuss the implications of this case and the court’s ruling and share insights into the procedures of the International Court of Justice. Introductory remarks will be offered by Karnig Kerkonian, an international lawyer and professor of international law, who also serves on the Armenian delegation to the International Court of Justice in the case.