Baroness Cox: A symbol of hypocrisy or apartheid? Dirty money for a holy mission

Baroness Caroline Cox, a member of the British House of Lords and a chairperson of a British-Armenian friendship group in the British Parliament, has always drawn attention with constant criticism of Azerbaijan. In her usual narrative, Baroness Cox implies that Armenia’s unprovoked occupation of the territories surrounding Karabakh was not aggressive land grabbing but essential for survival, as they were used as bases for the constant shelling of towns and villages inside the war-torn region.

According to the Baroness, the primary reason for the endless hostilities and standoff in Karabakh was Azerbaijan’s so-called “militarist approach,” without any clue that the territorial conflict in Karabakh was the result of the illegal occupation of Azerbaijan’s sovereign territories.

Considering Baroness Cox's earlier activities and her close linkages to the Armenian political establishment with its anti-Azerbaijani and racist sentiments, it is fair to note that the Baroness found it quite comfortable to maintain business ties with these groups.

Nevertheless, for many years Baroness Cox desperately refuted all allegations regarding her financial links to the Armenian diaspora and the illegal funds she received within these years. In fact, the flow of illicit funds throughout these years significantly contributed to the Baroness's biased rhetoric toward Azerbaijan while ignoring the grievances of ethnic Azerbaijanis that fled Karabakh due to the ethnic cleansing.

However, Baroness Cox's "triumph" over Azerbaijan and her illegal funds from the Armenia diaspora did not change anything, as justice prevailed when Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity in 2020 and ensured full control over border areas after three decades. Nevertheless, the post-war realities and shifted geopolitical balance did not stop Baroness Cox from making ungrounded claims toward Azerbaijan within the context of "rights and safety of ethnic minorities."

Being a master of fact falsification and skilful presentation of fictitious events, Baroness's "merits" before the Armenians are "dully acknowledged". Symbol of the acknowledgement was the conferment of Baroness Cox with the "Mikhitar Gosh Medal" by then President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan in 2006.

On the contrary, Baroness's noble façade was severely damaged when in February 2023, the leaked documents highlighted the scale of concealed funds from the non-profit organisation Equal and Free Limited. This happened despite the existing long-term rules of the British Parliament requiring members of the House of Lords to disclose information about the support received from outside organisations. Reportedly, Equal and Free Limited received funds from an American organisation headquartered in Los Angeles, run by evangelical "philanthropists" Howard and Roberta Ahmanson.

Of greater concern, Madam Cox's engagement with illegal funds is not limited to the Armenian diaspora and anti-Azerbaijani sentiments but also covers anti-Islamic groups. According to the report, Baroness Cox received money from an American organisation run by evangelical philanthropists linked to orthodox Christian groups and campaigns against same-sex marriage.

Among the documents are reports of meetings held by Cox at the Houses of Parliament with prominent critics of Islam. Notably, the received amount and donations obliged Baroness Cox to influence ministers, the parliament itself and the entire legislative system to push forward the interests of organisations above and lobbyist groups.

As a result, the House of the Lords initiated an internal investigation following the leaked documents and allegations mostly tied to the Armenian diaspora. Unsurprisingly, the probe into Baroness Cox has found that she breached the code of conduct over her failure to register support from a company abroad.

Consequently, in contrast to universal values acknowledged by many leading Western countries aiming at boosting tolerance among people from different ethnicities and religious communities, Baroness Cox remembered to Azerbaijani society only with statements of concern regarding the "Christian Armenian heritage" in Karabakh, while neglecting the fate of wholly ruined Muslim heritage of Karabakh.

Undoubtedly, Baroness Cox became a darling of the Armenian authorities and the Armenian lobbies worldwide for her pro-Armenian and anti-Azerbaijani views. Although, one can't help but wonder if she realises a human rights activist's moral and ethical obligations before mankind while devising lies and advocating criminals.