The shameful role of Volker Turk The same double standards

The demand by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, that "all those arbitrarily detained in Azerbaijan, including ethnic Armenians, must be released immediately, and fair trial rights must be respected fully," made on March 3 at the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, has sparked outrage within Azerbaijani society. 

Over the nearly three decades of Armenia's occupation of the Azerbaijani territories, it has repeatedly encountered manifestations of "double standards" and attempts to justify the occupying country. However, even against this backdrop, Volker Turk's words seem outrageous. It is clear that Azerbaijan was able to restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity through its own efforts, despite the UN Security Council resolutions that demanded the immediate withdrawal of all illegal Armenian armed groups from the occupied territories. Yet, in his speech, Volker Turk did not even mention these resolutions.

Firstly, he failed to point out that no sanctions were ever imposed on Armenia for ignoring these resolutions.

Secondly, he neglected to mention that Armenia had provided political, financial, and military support to the occupation regime in Karabakh for decades.

Thirdly, he "forgot" that former Armenian Presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan began their political careers as leaders of the separatist regime in Karabakh. Kocharyan, the author of the racist statement about the "genetic incompatibility of Armenians and Azerbaijanis," made this declaration not at a table in the "Poplavok" restaurant, but from the podium of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Yet, there were no consequences for him. Similarly, there were no repercussions for Serzh Sargsyan for admitting in an interview with Tom de Waal that the Khojaly genocide was planned by Armenian militants so that Azerbaijanis would have no doubt about the occupiers' readiness to kill the elderly, women, and children. The lack of accountability for such crimes only encouraged Armenia to continue ignoring international legal norms. However, Volker Turk chose not to mention any of this.

He also ignored the very fact of the Khojaly genocide and the ethnic cleansing carried out by Armenians against Azerbaijanis both in Armenia and in the occupied territories. Today, there are no Azerbaijanis left in Armenia – their forced deportation took place in several stages, starting from the Soviet period. These people have every right to return to their homeland, but the UN High Commissioner preferred not to address this issue.

He also failed to mention that the process of returning Azerbaijanis to their lands, liberated as a result of the 44-day war and the one-day anti-terrorist operation in the Karabakh region, is currently underway. Essentially, Azerbaijan, overcoming the resistance of all three co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group, has succeeded in implementing four UN resolutions. This triumph of international law came at a very high price. Volker Turk showed disrespect for the memory of the martyrs who fell in the battles for the homeland, for the victims of the Khojaly genocide, and for the peaceful Azerbaijanis who died as a result of Armenia's aggression. He also ignored the criminal missile strikes on peaceful Azerbaijani cities during the 44-day war. Moreover, he remained silent about the military equipment destroyed during the anti-terrorist operation in Karabakh, which had been illegally brought into the occupied territories at that time. By the way, at the request of those now standing trial in Baku.

Volker Turk's attempt to exert pressure on the court is both illegal and futile. His demand for the "immediate release" of those accused of war crimes demonstrates the true attitude of the UN towards human rights. His statement is absurd – it is akin to demanding the release of criminals convicted by the Nuremberg Trials or the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. If the UN High Commissioner truly fails to recognize the obvious, it raises questions about his professionalism. If he is aware but consciously plays this role, it is a disgrace.