#FreedomHouse: Azerbaijan may carry out a large-scale invasion of Armenia

Freedom House has published a report "Freedom in the world for 2024", which notes that in 2023 the index of freedom in the world decreased, declining for the 18th year in a row.

In the report, Azerbaijan's military actions against Nagorno-Karabakh, the blockade of the Lachin corridor and the deportation of local Armenians were presented as one of the reasons for the decline in the world peace index.

According to the report, armed conflicts over disputed territories have led to a decrease in political rights and freedoms, and in this sense, Nagorno-Karabakh has experienced the biggest decline in a year, losing 40 points.

The report emphasizes that the recent events in Nagorno-Karabakh took place against the background of deepening authoritarianism in Azerbaijan, and since the 1990s, the Azerbaijani government has pursued a discriminatory policy against ethnic Armenians, restricting their entry into the country.

It was also noted that the capture of Nagorno-Karabakh increased the level of Ilham Aliyev's dictatorship inside the country and raised fears that the Azerbaijani leadership could carry out a large-scale invasion of Armenia, whose borders have already been violated.

The report also notes that after the massive influx of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian government continued to sever relations with Russia, whose peacekeeping mission did little to prevent an attack by Azerbaijan last September. It was added that Yerevan is working to reduce its dependence on the Kremlin, diversifying its military and foreign policy and remaining committed to democratic reforms.