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.
Expelling Azerbaijanis from nowadays Armenia is an
unprecedented injustice given its political, legal, and humanitarian
dimensions.
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 results 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 notorious leader
Joseph Stalin, who ensured the transfer of Zangezur and other Azerbaijani-majority
areas to Armenia in 1921 and signed the racist 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.
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
as a matter of state policy.
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.
The victorious self-defense operation, which
Azerbaijan conducted in 2020 against the armed attack and occupation of
Armenia, is a milestone event in restoring justice. Azerbaijan's victory has
increased prospects of the peace between the two countries.
On the other hand, 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 racial
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.
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.
Taking into account these, 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;
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
requests the former to further assist
these expellees 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;
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.