Azerbaijan files case alleging ‘ethnic cleansing’ by Armenia

By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Azerbaijan has filed a case at the United Nations’ top court accusing Armenia of a “policy of ethnic cleansing” targeting Azerbaijanis. The case was lodged Thursday at the International Court of Justice. It comes a week after Armenia filed suit against Azerbaijan at the same Hague-based world court, accusing Baku of a “state-sponsored policy of Armenian hatred.” Both cases focus on the two countries’  decades long territorial dispute that erupted into armed conflict again last year, leaving hundreds dead. Referring to that eruption of hostilities, Azerbaijan alleged in its written filing that “Armenia once again targeted Azerbaijanis for brutal treatment motivated by ethnic hatred,” the court said in a statement.