Mel Gibson Condemns Azerbaijan’s Genocide of Armenians

Mel Gibson recently condemned Azerbaijan’s genocide of the Armenians in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), calling out media silence and demanding swift international action to protect and save Armenians.

“History tragically repeats itself as we witness a modern genocide unfolding,” Gibson said in a video message.

“The Armenian people who have endured centuries of persecution due to their faith, find themselves once again subjected to a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing,” the American actor, film director, and producer added.

To the Armenian people who still suffer, he said: “Don’t lose heart, God is with you.”

Mel Gibson condemns Azerbaijan's genocide of #Artsakh Christian Armenians, calling out media silence and demanding swift international action to protect and save Armenians

To the Armenian people who still suffer, I say: "Don't lose heart, God is with you"#120000Reasons pic.twitter.com/Qo7qOZdNW9

— ANCA (@ANCA_DC) September 27, 2023

Gibson’s appeal too late for Armenians who fled Azerbaijan’s offensive

A mass exodus of ethnic Armenians from the region began drawing to a close following an Azerbaijani military offensive last month.

The process of moving those wishing to relocate from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to neighboring Armenia is coming to an end, Russia’s RIA news agency quoted the Armenian government as saying late on Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, the World Health Organization said well over a hundred thousand ethnic Armenians from Artsakh have made the journey in less than a week.

“We’ve activated our emergency systems and will be sending experts to the country across a range of disciplines including mental health, burns management, essential health services, and emergency coordination following a full assessment of the needs,” Dr Hans Henri P Kluge, regional director of the WHO Regional Office for Europe, said in a statement.

“The challenges are truly enormous, and we’re there to do all we can,” he assured the public.

The end of Artsakh’s separatist bid dealt a heavy blow to a centuries-old dream by Armenians of reuniting what they say are their ancestral lands, divided among regional powers since the Middle Ages.

Armenia, a country of 2.8 million, faces a major challenge housing the sudden influx of refugees.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on Friday announced an emergency appeal for twenty million Swiss francs (twenty-two million dollars) to help those fleeing.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan is holding “reintegration” talks with separatist leaders while also detaining senior figures from its former government and military command.

Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev said criminal investigations had been initiated into war crimes committed by three hundred separatist officials.

“I urge on those persons to surrender voluntarily,” he told journalists on Sunday.

Leading US Senators called on the US administration to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan after its assault against Artsakh.

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemning Azerbaijan’s assault and urging the cut off of U.S. assistance to the Aliyev regime.

Related: Armenia’s Contribution to Hellenism and Orthodoxy