UN Committee reviews Armenia's report on racial discrimination

Armenia’s periodic report was reviewed on December 3 during the 114th session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The rapporteur on Armenia expressed concern over the lack of legislation in Armenia that criminalises racist organisations and participation in them. He also addressed recent hate crimes that have occurred in the country, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

He noted that Armenian identity is often used to justify intolerance towards minorities and pointed out that hate speech based on ethnicity and nationality is prevalent, with such statements also being directed at Azerbaijanis and Turks.

He further raised the issue of a recent incident involving a Georgian citizen of Azerbaijani descent, who was not allowed to disembark from a plane that made an emergency landing in Armenia, and requested clarification from the Armenian delegation on the issue. 

In response, Head of the Armenian delegation, Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan attempted to explain the challenges faced by the Armenian government in addressing these issues.

On December 2, the first day of the review, Committee member Chinsung Chung expressed surprise at the significant number of claims against Azerbaijan contained in Armenia's report. She pointed out that, despite there being no Azerbaijanis living in Armenia, the report focuses heavily on Azerbaijan and requested clarification on this issue. 

Head of the Armenian delegation, Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan, struggled to respond to the question but confirmed that no Azerbaijanis reside in Armenia. He attempted to link the references to Azerbaijan in the document to the issues of security and the political situation, which he argued were not directly related to the essence of the report.

By Naila Huseynova