Amsterdam, 17 November 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Azerbaijan must allow refugees who fled the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region to return home, the International Court of Justice, the UN's highest court, ruled on Friday.

The country must guarantee people's freedom of movement, the court said in The Hague on Friday.

The judgement - which is binding - upheld a complaint by Armenia, which has asked the court to rule on two previous cases related to the conflict with Azerbaijan.

"Azerbaijan shall ... ensure that persons who have left Nagorno-Karabakh after 19 September 2023 and who wish to return to Nagorno-Karabakh are able to do so in a safe, unimpeded and expeditious manner," the ruling said.

The judgement also said that Azerbaijan must ensure that ethnic Armenians can leave Nagorno-Karabakh of their own free will.

The UN judges obliged Azerbaijan to submit a report within the next eight weeks detailing the measures the country has taken to protect the people.

Armenia had demanded immediate action after the Azerbaijani army forced the surrender of Armenian forces in the disputed region on September 19. Around 100,000 people then fled the region.

Armenia has described it as forced resettlement and ethnic cleansing.

Photo: MIA archive