BAKU, Azerbaijan.
The Western Azerbaijan Community has sent appeals to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International with a request to take part in the restoration of the violated rights of Azerbaijanis as a result of ethnic cleansing by Armenia and as a result of its prevention of the return of exiled Azerbaijanis to their native lands, Trend reports.
"The forcible expulsion of the Azerbaijani population from Armenia, the damage caused to the principles of human dignity and equality, contrary to international conventions and treaties, led to numerous and gross violations of human rights. Armenia carried out ethnic cleansing against the Azerbaijanis living there, committing murders, terror, intimidating them, illegally seizing their property, conducting a systematic propaganda and dehumanization campaign, limiting their freedom of movement and access to resources," said the appeal.
The community reminded that Armenians also destroyed cemeteries, religious, cultural and historical monuments of Azerbaijanis, erased their traces as an ethnos from these lands. As a result of the ethnic cleansing carried out by Armenia against Azerbaijanis in 1987-1991, today there is not a single Azerbaijani left in this country.
The community noted that Armenia's refusal to return hundreds of thousands of exiled Azerbaijanis aggravates their suffering even more. Armenia, despite repeated appeals, categorically refuses to even start a dialogue with them on the issues of their rights, and continues to demonstrate a destructive approach, despite the statement that the demand for the right to return should not be considered as a violation of the territorial integrity of Armenia.
"Forcible expulsion of the Azerbaijani population from Armenia is a gross violation of numerous fundamental principles of human rights and international conventions. Mass killings, intimidation, ethnic cleansing with hate propaganda and denial of the right to return have led to endless human suffering and deep injustice. Armenia's actions completely contradict the principles of equality, non-discrimination, the principles of human dignity enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and other international documents," said the community.
The appeal also noted that urgent and decisive international intervention is necessary to eliminate these deep violations, restoration of the rights of the affected population and confirmation of commitment to human rights, justice and equality.
"Taking into account the seriousness and scale of these violations, as well as the upcoming tasks, in accordance with the mission of your organizations and established practice, we ask you to urgently take the following measures:
- we ask you to provide professional assistance in collecting and documenting evidence of human rights violations related to the forced eviction of Azerbaijanis from Armenia, including witness statements, photographs, video materials and other documents;
- we ask your organization to send a research mission to Armenia to ensure constant monitoring of the general situation, as well as the situation related to the safe and dignified return of exiled Azerbaijanis, to collect evidence of ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis, including the destruction and desecration of monuments in relevant regions of Armenia.
- we ask you to raise awareness about the ethnic cleansing committed against Azerbaijanis in Armenia by means of your own reports, publications and cooperation with mass media. This would help to inform the international public about the atrocities committed by Armenia, as well as about the violations of human rights and international humanitarian law," the statement said.
