EU statement justifies Armenia's war crimes Statement by Western Azerbaijan Community

The Western Azerbaijan Community has said that the European Union (EU) on October 18, 2023, at the meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe justifies the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Armenia.

In its statement published on October 19 the community stressed that the EU’s disregard for expelled Azerbaijanis’ right to return to Armenia and its call for amnesty for war crimes aggravate tensions in the region, Caliber.Az reports.

"We, the Western Azerbaijan Community representing Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia, strongly condemn the anti-Azerbaijani statement made by the European Union (EU) on October 18, 2023, at the meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

First and foremost, we would like to emphasize that by issuing this infamous statement on October 18, on the very Day of the Restoration of Azerbaijan's State Independence, the EU symbolically expressed its prejudice and disrespect against our country and its people.

Regarding the content of the statement, it is essential to note that the document is biased, discriminatory, obstructs peace efforts, and justifies the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Armenia.

We wish to highlight that the EU has exhibited ethnic discrimination against Azerbaijanis by granting the right of return exclusively to ethnic Armenians while denying this right to Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia.

Furthermore, we are deeply concerned about the EU's call for amnesty for “all Karabakh Armenians”, despite the numerous war crimes committed during the conflict. Granting amnesty for war crimes not only violates the principles of justice and accountability but also creates an environment of impunity, making lasting peace and reconciliation in the region impossible. The EU's demand for amnesty for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Armenia indicates the spread of a racist mentality and the erosion of humanist values within the institution, while showing a lack of its interest in establishing peace and justice in the region.

Additionally, although the statement urges Azerbaijan to protect the human rights and cultural heritage of the local population, it fails to call on Armenia regarding its responsibility for the rights and cultural heritage of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia and the formerly occupied territories of Azerbaijan. This further demonstrates the EU's biased and anti-Azerbaijani approach.

Finally, while the statement calls on Azerbaijan to confirm its commitment to Armenia's territorial integrity, there is no reciprocal call on Armenia to do the same. Given that Armenia occupied Azerbaijani territories for decades and the EU turned a blind eye to it, this call effectively emboldens Armenia for a new military aggression against Azerbaijan.

This statement and the position demonstrated by the EU recently have severely undermined its credibility and its role as a partner for peace. We call on the EU to abandon its anti-Azerbaijani approach, to respect the principles of equality for all human beings in their rights and dignity, as well as the sovereign equality of states, and to support the right of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia to return to their homes in safety and with dignity," the statement reads.