Baku, June 20, AZERTAC

The Western Azerbaijan Community has issued a statement on the World Refugee Day.

AZERTAC presents the statement.

“On this World Refugee Day, we, the Western Azerbaijan Community, stand in solidarity with all displaced people around the world. With heavy hearts, we note the unfortunate rise in the number of refugees worldwide, many of whom have been forced to flee their homes due to armed conflicts.

A significant portion of the refugee and displaced population has been uprooted as a by-product of armed conflicts. But it is also crucial to recognize that in some instances, malicious actors initiate armed conflicts with the sole purpose of ethnic cleansing. One such example is the conflict instigated by Armenia against Azerbaijan.

Armenia's actions guided by a racist ideology resulted in the ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijanis from their ancestral lands in Armenia. Exploiting impunity, Armenia thereafter used force against Azerbaijan to occupy latter’s territories and expel all its Azerbaijani inhabitants.

The expulsion of Azerbaijanis from Armenia, where they had a significant presence, was a long and painful process, characterized by systematic efforts by state authorities to employ violence, perpetrate massacres, and commit other crimes against humanity and human rights violations. This violent and cruel process has recurred throughout history, notably during the periods of 1905-06, 1918-21, 1948-53, and 1987-91. As a result, today there is no single Azerbaijani left in Armenia.

Armenia systematically destroyed our graveyards, cultural and religious sites. The ethnic cleansing has also had a profound negative impact on our intangible cultural heritage. Our traditions, customs, and way of life and social ties have been disrupted.

It is disheartening that Armenia continues to prevent us from visiting our homes, graveyards, and sacred places. This denial of access not only violates our basic rights but also adds to the deep pain and longing we feel for our ancestral lands.

Armenia's policy of creating a mono-ethnic space by expelling Azerbaijanis and other ethnicities from its territory stands in stark contrast to the rich history of ethnic and religious diversity in our region. This denial of basic rights prolongs our suffering and hinders prospects of lasting peace and reconciliation.

We mention these painful historical facts not to perpetuate discord but to underscore the starting point of our arduous journey towards peace, reconciliation, and return—an objective we strive to achieve.

We extend our utmost appreciation to the Government of Azerbaijan for their unwavering political, social and humanitarian support, to our rightful cause. Azerbaijan’s solidarity with and assistance to the refugees have not been limited to ethnic Azerbaijanis alone - Azerbaijan has also assisted refugees from various ethnic backgrounds, who found refuge in the country in the tens of thousands. It exemplifies the ethnic and religious tolerance deeply rooted in Azerbaijani society.

We also express our gratitude to the international community for their support to Azerbaijani refugees from Armenia during the 1990s. This assistance has been instrumental in alleviating the hardships faced by our community during that challenging period, as recognized by the United Nations General Assembly resolution No 48/114 titled “Emergency international assistance to refugees and displaced persons in Azerbaijan” adopted on 20 December 1993.

We remain resolute in our pursuit of a peaceful goal—the return to our homeland—through dialogue. The Community stands for the respect of the norms and principles of international law, including territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, as well as values of peace, reconciliation, reintegration and coexistence.

We are the Community driven by a steadfast dedication to a humanitarian and human rights-centered agenda. Our demands for the peaceful return to our homes should not be misinterpreted or mispresented as being detrimental to the territorial integrity or sovereignty of Armenia. As the Government of Azerbaijan pledged and took actionable measures to reintegrate and ensure the rights of Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan within its territorial integrity and sovereignty, the Government of Armenia must reciprocate by taking tangible steps to guarantee our rights and to ensure our reintegration.

Whereas we are always ready for a direct dialogue with the Government of Armenia on issues of mutual concern, the return process and subsequent ensuring our collective and individual rights shall be addressed within an appropriate international mechanism.

Despite our repeated calls dialogue, Armenia has yet to respond to our calls for reconciliation. This refusal on part of Armenia to engage in meaningful dialogue hinders the progress towards a just and lasting solution.

The increased emphasis by the international community on human rights and the unwavering willingness of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia to return to their homes further encourage the Community to step up its efforts in the direction of the right to return.

However, the realization of this human rights cause is heavily reliant on political and practical support from the international community. We appreciate the backing we have received from states and organizations to our right to return.

In particular, we value our ongoing dialogue with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to whom we have envisage a central role in our Concept of Return, relating to the planning and execution of repatriation, reintegration, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts.

Today, on the World Refugee Day, we reiterate our call to the international community to support our just cause, upholding the principles of human rights and justice, to enable our inherent right to return to our homes in safety and with dignity, and to ensure our rights and security upon return.”