Karabakh cannot appeal to Hague Court: Sabine Freizer

The recent ruling of UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the legality of the declaration of Kosovo's independence cannot be considered as precedent for other frozen conflicts, Director of Europe Program of the International Crisis Group, Sabine Freizer told RFE/RL Azerbaijani service.

The expert also said that the ICJ wanted by that ruling to simply make it clear that the declaration of Kosovo's independence does not run counter the international law.

Asked about the consequences should Karabakh, South Ossetia, Abkhazia or Transnistria appeal to ICJ for their recognition, Freizer said that unrecognized republics cannot file a lawsuit at the ICJ, adding that in case of Kosovo it was as Serbia who had brought the case to the court.

"To defend its claim in that international court Karabakh should be backed by the majority of UN General Assembly members. The same is necessary to do also in the [UN] Security Council. Karabakh is not a [UN] member, therefore it cannot do that," said she.