World-renowned singer Cher and prominent Armenian-American physician, producer of the Hollywood film “The Promise” about the Armenian Genocide, and philanthropist Eric Esrailian have published an article in the American periodical Newsweek, drawing the world’s attention to the humanitarian crisis that has matured in Artsakh as a result of Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor.
In the article titled “You Cannot Erase Us,” the authors noted that as a result of Azerbaijani actions, the lives of 120,000 people in Artsakh are currently under threat, and the world is obliged to pay attention to the situation created and save lives. “The barbaric blockade of the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia has deprived it of the possibility of supplying food and means vital for life. This policy of ethnic cleansing, as well as the insidious attempts to erase the culture, are simply barbaric,” they wrote.
Cher and Eric Esrailian spoke about Azerbaijan’s attack on Artsakh in 2020, during the height of the Corona pandemic, which was openly supported by Turkey, bringing foreign mercenaries to the battlefield.
“Prisoners of war have been subjected to violence or killed. Religious sites have been desecrated and destroyed, and Azerbaijan’s kleptocratic leadership has encouraged and welcomed these acts of violence. Hatred toward Armenians is spread through state-sponsored media outlets and social networks, and is even officially taught to children in Azerbaijan,” the authors noted, recording that amid the international community’s complacency, Azerbaijan continues such actions and is already encroaching deeper into Armenia’s sovereign territory.
They drew attention to the violations of human rights and freedoms in Azerbaijan. “Artsakh and Armenia, the region’s exceptional democracies, cannot be sacrificed for anyone’s political expediency,” Cher and Esrailian noted. They are convinced that as individuals with authority and influence in the world, they themselves must apply their potential and capabilities to tell this story at the highest levels.
“Think long before closing your eyes to the facts, with the aim of supporting materially attractive dictators while ignoring others. We will continue to share our stories to help our brothers and sisters in our homeland and provide support to protect the sanctuaries. For our part, we ask our political leaders in the United States and all those people in the world for whom justice and dignity matter, to boycott and impose sanctions against these murderous regimes, to stop the unending flow of money to them, and to apply more consistent standards when it comes to human rights,” Cher and Eric Esrailian concluded.
