“From 1987 to 1991, Armenia forcefully expelled more than 300,000 Azerbaijanis from their ancestral homeland in blatant violation of international law. All Azerbaijani settlements and toponyms in Armenia were renamed, and our historical and cultural heritage were deliberately targeted, vandalized, and destroyed,” said Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov as he addressed the 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting AzerTac.
“Despite repeated calls by the expelled Azerbaijanis to launch a genuine dialogue and ensure a safe and dignified return to the homeland, the Government of Armenia persistently denies them exercising the fundamental right of return enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and other important international acts,” the FM noted.
“We expect the High Commissioner and other UN specialized instruments, including the relevant Special Procedure Mandate Holders to address the rights of Azerbaijanis once expelled from their homes in Armenia.
It is of utmost importance to hold Armenia accountable on the international stage for its grave breaches of international human rights law against Azerbaijanis. This will represent a significant stride towards achieving justice for the victims of such offenses and will be crucial for genuine reconciliation,” FM Bayramov added.
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