Western Azerbaijan Community

We strongly condemn the distortion of statements by the Azerbaijani side regarding the right of Western Azerbaijanis expelled from their homes to return to their historical lands and the racist views expressed by the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alen Simonyan.

The return that the Azerbaijani side emphasizes is an integral part of international law and fundamental human rights, and Simonyan's interpretation of this right as a territorial claim is fueled by Armenia's habit of pursuing an aggressive policy using the "human rights" argument.

Simonyan's statement about sending Azerbaijanis to the Altai Mountains in "search for their historical homeland" once again testifies to the fact that the ideology of racism and national exclusivity prevails in the ruling circles of Armenia. It would be appropriate to recall that on September 27, 2020, when the Armenian side started the war against Azerbaijan, the Chief of Staff of the Army of this country made a similar racist statement, saying that the purpose of Armenia's attack was to send Azerbaijanis to the Altai Mountains. Everyone knows what this has meant for Armenia.

Simonian's speech is an attempt to disrupt the peace process and undermine the right of return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia. As the Western Azerbaijan Community, we demand that Armenia refrain from such racist rhetoric and respect the right of return of Western Azerbaijanis.