Red Flag Alerts for Genocide

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention condemns the state of Israel’s most recent attack on the Gaza Strip following the attack on Palestinian Muslim worshipers at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan by the Israeli police. We further condemn the dramatic uptick in attacks on Christians by Jewish civilians. The rise of Israel's far-right government has led to more frequent attacks on Chrisitan identity symbols, such as statues, churches, and clergy members, who report being frequently spit on, harassed, and even physically attacked by extremist Jews. These attacks have been perpetrated alongside the use of dangerous language, such as the chant, “Death to Arabs … Death to Christians.” All of this is happening in an atmosphere of impunity created by the Israeli state and a society that has ignored the violent injustices against Palestinians for far too long. In such a context, Israel is facing the very real possibility of mass atrocity, including the mass murder pattern of genocide. All the ideological building blocks for genocide already exist in both the state and in dominant society.

Since April 6th, when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government announced its intention to integrate all regional special armed forces into the federal forces, violence has increased, particularly in Ethiopia's second largest region, Amhara, where many Amhara people have been killed in violent clashes with federal forces. In light of these recent developments and the overall escalating violence in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, the Lemkin Institute is issuing a Red Flag Alert for Genocide for Ethiopia.

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention expresses deep concern regarding the state of Azerbaijan’s most recent attack on the Armenian border village of Tegh. Such smaller-scale violations of Armenia’s sovereignty have been a signal of larger-scale attacks against Armenia in the past. Azerbaijan seems to be convinced of its impunity with regards to Armenian territory and Armenian people, as it has faced no serious consequences from the international community for its flagrant and genocidal violations of international law since 2016. We call for the international community to take immediate steps to end Azerbaijan’s impunity and set the South Caucasus region on a real road to peace, one that recognizes the rights of Armenians to exist in security and without repeated genocidal threats from its neighbors Azerbaijan and Turkey.

At the mainstream Conservative Political Action Conference in the USA on March 4, American actor-turned-pundit Michael Knowles announced that “for the good of society… transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely” to loud applause and shouts of support. The Lemkin Institute is horrified by Knowles’ statement, which is part of a much more widespread pattern of genocidal language and policies being used by political actors in the USA against the transgender community.

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention is alarmed by the news coming out of the West Bank of Palestine in the past week, particularly news of the IDF raid on the city of Nablus on February 22nd, 2023 and the pogrom in a nearby town that followed four days later, on February 26th.

On the 53rd day of the criminal blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azeri pseudo-environmentalists, the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention is issuing a new Red Flag Alert for Genocide for Azerbaijan. The blockade of this corridor, the only land route connecting the Armenians of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) with Armenia proper, has caused a humanitarian crisis with the isolation of 120,000 people, including over 30,000 children, 20,000 elderly people, and 9,000 people with disabilities. Armenians in Artsakh are running low on food, essential medicines (such as insulin), baby formula, essential female hygiene products, and other necessities. The serious humanitarian crisis caused by the blockade worsens daily with constant gas, electricity, and internet cuts by Azerbaijan in the middle of the harsh Caucasian winter. The responsibility for this humanitarian crisis lies solely with the Azerbaijani state and particularly with the regime of President Ilham Aliyev.

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention is issuing a Red Flag Alert for Serbia for the potential of a renewed conflict in the Republic of Kosovo. Throughout December 2022, military tensions were steadily rising between the Republics of Serbia and Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but has yet to achieve full recognition by the United Nations and the international community.

On December 28th, 2022 Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted that “the Jewish people have an exclusive and unquestionable right to all areas of the Land of Israel. The government will promote and develop settlement in all parts of the Land of Israel — in the Galilee, the Negev, the Golan, Judea and Samaria,” making its new government priority an explicit and total Jewish supremacy over historical Palestine at the expense of any Palestinian land claims. In light of Netanyahu’s profoundly disturbing statement, as well as the recent provocations by Israeli political leaders in an increasingly extremist political context, the Lemkin Institute for the Prevention of Genocide is issuing a genocide red flag alert for Israel.

On December 12th, for the second time in nine days, a group of Azerbaijani military and civilian servants, claiming to be environmental “activists,” barricaded the only road connecting Artsakh and Armenia. The Center for Law and Justice “Tatoyan” Foundation has reported that 270 children have been stranded on the roads in winter weather conditions since December 12th, due to the blockade of the road. This number of children has been confirmed by the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh. Several of these children have been separated from their families.

On the morning of December 3, a group of Azerbaijanis in civilian clothes blocked the route Stepanakert-Goris, the only road that connects the Armenians of Artsakh with the Republic of Armenia. For more than two hours, approximately 120,000 Artsakh Armenians were isolated from Armenia proper and surrounded by Azerbaijanis. After several hours of negotiation with the Azerbaijani regime, the route was finally reopened and communications were re-established. In light of this new development, the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention is issuing another Red Flag Alert for Azerbaijan.