Community of Western Azerbaijan asks Azerbaijani Government for help

BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 12. The Community of Western Azerbaijan (historical lands of Azerbaijan, currently - modern-day Armenia) has asked Azerbaijani Government for help, Trend reports. "Our organization, which was established as the Society of Azerbaijani Refugees in 1989 and was renamed to the Community of Western Azerbaijan in 2022, deals with the protection of the rights of the Azerbaijanis, who were expelled from the area, which was their homeland for centuries, and which is now called Armenia," said the Community in the statement. The Community stated that expelling Azerbaijanis from nowadays Armenia is an unprecedented injustice given its political, legal, and humanitarian dimensions. According to the Community of Western Azerbaijan, the ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis was carried out in most cases with systematic efforts of state authorities by using violence, massacres, and other crimes against humanity and human rights violations. "This process was especially violent and cruel in 1905-06, 1918-21, 1948-53, and 1988-91. The consequences of these acts, especially the deeds of the entities called "The Republic of Armenia" and "The Mountainous Republic of Armenia", the Soviet Union, in particular its leader Joseph Stalin, who ensured the transfer of Zangezur and other Azerbaijani-majority areas to Armenia in 1921 and signed the order on the deportation of one hundred thousand of ethnic Azerbaijanis from Armenia, as well as the malfeasance of the leadership of the Armenian SSR in 1988-91 remain unredressed. As a result of the ethnic cleansing, this territory has been inhabited exclusively by ethnic Armenians since 1991," the Community noted. The Community also mentioned the facts that Azerbaijani cultural and historical heritage, including mosques and graveyards in nowadays Armenia, were destroyed, toponyms were changed, and systematic racial discrimination against Azerbaijanis was carried out in this country. The persons involved in ethnic cleansing and other crimes against ethnic Azerbaijanis, and their misdeeds are glorified in Armenia on the level of state policy. According to the Community, this unprecedented injustice created a sense of impunity among the ruling circles of Armenia and encouraged them to territorial claims, use of force and military occupation against the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan, further massive ethnic cleansing, and other crimes against humanity. According to the appeal, the victory of Azerbaijan in 2020 second Karabakh war has increased prospects of the peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Community of Western Azerbaijan also noted that the inability of Azerbaijanis, who were expelled from nowadays Armenia, to return to their homes, the continuation of the policy of mono-ethnic statehood, ethnic cleansing, and discrimination in Armenia represent an immense injustice. This poses a grave threat to the maintenance of lasting peace. "As the decades-old credible representative of the millions of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia, our organization is determined to carry out its activity with increased vigor to restore the rights of the affected people. Based on the right to 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 Community aspires toward ensuring the return of Azerbaijanis expelled from nowadays Armenia to their homes in safety and dignity, and realization of their individual and collective rights after the return," said the appeal. 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 this direction. Considering the above, the Community of Western Azerbaijan demands from the Government of Armenia to enable, within an international process, the safe and dignified return of ethnic Azerbaijanis, who were expelled from the geographic area considered now as the territory of Armenia to their homes, and enable the realization of their collective and individual rights after their return. The Community also expresses gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan for providing shelter to, caring for, and enabling peaceful development of ethnic Azerbaijanis expelled from nowadays Armenia, and asks to further assist these people in their endeavor to return in safety and dignity, and within an international process, to their homes, and enabling the realization of their collective and individual rights after their return. In addition, the Community requests the Member States of the United Nations, the Organization of the United Nations, and all other pertinent international organizations, to assist the safe and dignified return of ethnic Azerbaijanis expelled from nowadays Armenia to their homes within an international process, and the realization of their individual and collective rights after their return.