An international human rights group has called on the Armenian authorities to stop the country's involvement in the fighting for the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.


In a letter Friday to Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosian, the Human Rights Watch/Helsinki cited numerous examples of Armenian volunteers and even army draftees backing ethnic Armenians in the independence-minded enclave.


The group also asked President Clinton to urge Ter-Petrosian, who is due to visit the United States next week, to cease Armenia's participation in the six-year war between the enclave's separatists and the forces of Azerbaijan, where Nagorno-Karabakh is located.


"The involvement of all outside forces, whether Russian mercenaries, Afghan mujaheddin, or troops from the Republic of Armenia, only escalates the conflict and leads to further human rights violations," the organization's executive director Jeri Laber said in a statement.


The Armenian government has repeatedly denied any military involvement in the conflict, blaming Azerbaijan for enlisting Russian and Afghan mercenaries.