Some of the claims that Luis Moreno Ocampo is making in voicing his strong support of Armenian interests are at least ambiguous if not outright misleading, German researcher Dr. Michael Reinhard Hess said in his open letter to lawyer Luis Moreno Ocampo, Report informs.
In his letter, the researcher explained to the lawyer the origin of the term "Artsakh", which is used by Armenians and has nothing to do with the Armenian language, and added that the report's description of the Garabagh region as a region predominantly inhabited by ethnic Armenians is speculative.
“As to the factual substance, it is doubtful whether the designation “Artsakh” (which does not have any Armenian etymology whatsoever) can really be attested within the chronological horizon that you delineate. Armenian claims that the toponym “Orchistena” mentioned by Strabo could be identified with “Artsakh” are only speculative. According to my information, the toponym “Artsakh”, which has no connection to the Armenian language, did not become widespread before the 5th century A.D. Of course, we do not have precise demographical statistics, nor for the time around the beginning of the Common Era nor for later premodern periods including the time from the 5th century onward. This means that the one interpretation of your statement according to which the region in question had been “predominantly inhabited” by Armenians is also merely speculative,” the researcher said.
According to Michael Reinhard Hess, the term “Artsakh” was not universally used even by the Armenians themselves until at least 1921. This is proved by a declaration of the Armenian SSR´s Soviet of People´s Commissioners (in Russian, Sovet narodnych komissarov) issued in the Armenian SSR´s capital on June 12, 1921: “Meanwhile, the region´s traditional name “Garabagh” had been used for centuries in various administrative and political documents and continues to be used to this day.”
“By obliterating the distinction between the antique designation “Artsakh” and its modern re-introduction by Armenian nationalists in the 20th century, your contribution actually propagates a nationalistic Armenian discourse which wants to suggest an Armenian toponymical, demographic, political, and historical continuity from the beginnings of our era. However, such a continuity does not exist. After reading your expert opinion, my impression is that it is based on a one-sidedly pro-Armenian interpretation of both the historical background and the actual situation,” Dr. Hess said.
The German researcher does not consider the lawyer’s arguments that a “Genocide by starvation” is allegedly taking place in Garabagh to be fully convincing: “Do you really believe that a community of allegedly merely 120 000 people (this is the number claimed by Armenia) in a fertile region such as the vast mountainous parts of Garabagh, where subsistence economy and animal husbandry are possible and have a long and highly developed tradition, can be starved to death in mid-summertime? As your article lets us know, measures have been taken for the evacuation of seriously ill people from the separatist territories. This should also imply that people who suffer from dangerous malnutrition could be brought out. Your article lacks any positive proof or indication that starvation is really taking place or likely to threaten the Armenians of Garabagh as a group.”
Dr. Michael Reinhard Hess said he is not convinced by Ocampo’s claim that the establishment of the Azerbaijani border checkpoint at the Lachin Corridor could be interpreted as a means to prepare a genocide: “Many countries, including the USA and EU countries with outside borders, have similar checkpoints to prevent the smuggling of humans and goods but are not accused of preparing a genocide as a consequence.”