Western Azerbaijan Community accuses Armenia of undermining peace efforts at UN Human Rights Council

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan’s speech at the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council has drawn sharp criticism, with the Western Azerbaijan Community accusing him of undermining efforts to achieve peace in the region.

Mirzoyan attempted to justify individuals on trial in Baku for war crimes, an action the Community says contradicts basic human rights principles, per Caliber.Az.

In a statement, the Community condemned Mirzoyan's attempt to “put into question the legitimacy of actions against those accused in the Khojaly genocide.” They emphasized that this was particularly egregious ahead of the anniversary of the tragedy, claiming it showed “disrespect for the memory of the genocide’s victims.”

Mirzoyan’s remarks about the Armenians who left Azerbaijan were also called out as hypocritical. “Armenia has yet to fulfil its key human rights commitment, namely, not creating the conditions for the peaceful, safe, and dignified return of displaced Western Azerbaijanis,” the statement read.

The Community reminded the Armenian government of its actions after the signing of the 1991 Almaty Declaration. “After signing this declaration, Armenia only intensified its military actions, occupying 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory and subjecting around 800,000 Azerbaijanis to ethnic cleansing.”

The Western Azerbaijan Community further stressed that “peace is achieved through concrete actions, not references to documents,” adding that Armenia’s “rapid militarization” and failure to meet its obligations were not conducive to peace. “These facts further prove that the Armenian government is not interested in peace and does not respect human rights,” the statement concluded.

By Tamilla Hasanova