Western Azerbaijan Community

The Western Azerbaijan Community, representing the Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia, vehemently condemns the recent Resolution No 2508 (2023) adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). This resolution, once again, showcases the PACE's biased and ignorant approach, which is a direct affront to the very essence of human rights.

The PACE's attempt to preach humanity while baselessly claiming an imaginary scenario of emigration of ethnic Armenians from the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan is both slanderous and outrageous. Unlike forcibly expelled ethnic Azerbaijanis from Goycha, Zangezur, Daralayaz, and other regions of Armenia, ethnic Armenians in Karabakh have been blessed to live in Azerbaijan. It is deeply concerning that the PACE, an institution entrusted with defending human rights, has conveniently been acquiescing Armenia's expulsion of all Azerbaijanis from its territory, effectively creating a mono-ethnic country.

The PACE, which has turned a blind eye to countless appeals by Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia seeking support for their right to return, now finds itself taking a stance allegedly to defend the rights of ethnic Armenians from non-existent threats. In reality, by this resolution the PACE is defending Armenia's territorial claims against Azerbaijan. If the PACE were truly sincere about human rights, it would have supported our right to return, and consistently condemned Armenia's notorious ethnic cleansing of over a million Azerbaijanis and its refusal to allow Azerbaijanis to return to their homeland.

The PACE's reference to alleged hate speech in Azerbaijan is ludicrous when one considers the systematic hatred preached by Armenia against Azerbaijanis. A recent example of this is the erection of a monument called "Nemesis” in Yerevan glorifying anti-Azerbaijani and anti-Turkish violent terrorism. Furthermore, at an international sports event held two months ago in Yerevan, the flag of Azerbaijan was burned in an act of hatred, and what is more concerning is that this incident took place in the presence of the Prime Minister himself.

The PACE's disregard for the systematic destruction of cultural heritage belonging to Azerbaijanis is especially troubling. By ignoring this issue, the authors of the resolution have demonstrated their lack of concern for the preservation of cultural diversity and human rights regardless of ethnic origin.

This resolution not only displays the PACE's anti-Azerbaijani bias but also suggests that once a population group is expelled, the international community ceases to care for their fate. Such an approach is dangerous and undermines the principles of justice and human rights.

Moreover, instead of talking about sending a mission with questionable purposes into Azerbaijan, the PACE's should facilitate sending international missions to Armenia to ensure the safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis, and protecting their rights, property and cultural heritage. The PACE should also prioritize monitoring Armenia's compliance with its obligations under relevant conventions pertaining to the rights of Azerbaijanis it has expelled. The letter we sent to the PACE Monitoring Committee on this subject remains unanswered to this day.

Lastly, we are greatly disappointed by the PACE's generous offer to provide tools and programs to the benefit of the separatists. The Western Azerbaijan Community, unlike violent secessionists, upholds the principles of international law, including respect for territorial integrity. It appears that the PACE rewards those who engage in violence while punishing those who adhere to the rule of law.

This resolution is nothing more than a shameful attempt to exploit the noble idea of human rights to support Armenia's military aggression and crimes against humanity. It will forever remain a stain in the history of the Council of Europe.

It is the duty of the PACE to rectify its misguided approach and uphold the principles of justice, fairness, and human rights for all regardless of their ethnicity and religion. We call upon the Assembly to denounce its Azerbaijanophobic stance, which undermines human rights, and to respond to our calls for the safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia.