Western Azerbaijan Community condemns Freedom House report as biased

The West Azerbaijan Community has issued a strong rebuke of a recent report published by Freedom House, characterizing it as biased and harmful to peace efforts in the region.

The report, released on July 1, 2024, presents the movement of Armenians from the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan to Armenia as a violation of rights, a perspective the West Azerbaijan Community staunchly opposes, Caliber.Az reports.

In a statement, the community accused Freedom House of being "the hired mouthpiece of the radical Armenian diaspora," asserting that the organization consistently overlooks the forced expulsion of nearly a million Azerbaijanis from Armenia and formerly occupied Azerbaijani territories.

"The publication of this slanderous report by the Freedom House organization, which turns a blind eye to the forced expulsion of about a million Azerbaijanis from Armenia and previously occupied Azerbaijani lands, is proof of the obvious bias and destructiveness of this organization," the statement declared.

The West Azerbaijan Community further criticized Freedom House for being influenced by radical elements within the Armenian diaspora. "Once again we remind the general public that Freedom House, which is home to numerous radical Armenian functionaries, including Vice President Annie Boyajian, has nothing to do with the protection of human rights, and this organization has completely fallen under the influence of circles with racist thinking," the statement read.

The community emphasized that the report is detrimental to regional peace efforts and serves to incite hostility. "This report is aimed at impeding peace in the region and inciting hostility," they stated.