Western Azerbaijani Community slams US decades-long inaction on massive violations of Azerbaijanis' rights

The Western Azerbaijan Community has strongly condemned a statement made by US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Dafna Rand, regarding human rights violations in "Nagorno-Karabakh," during her speech at the OSCE Human Dimension Conference.

"Firstly, there is no region called 'Nagorno-Karabakh' in Azerbaijan. The use of this term by a US official, which is associated with occupation and separatism, disrespects Azerbaijan's territorial integrity," the community said, Caliber.Az reports.

The community’s statement further asserted that "no human rights or humanitarian law violations occurred during Azerbaijan's restoration of its territorial integrity and sovereignty in the Karabakh region. It is completely unacceptable to present the refusal of ethnic Armenians to integrate into Azerbaijani society as a violation of rights."

The statement also highlighted the long-standing issue of ethnic cleansing.

"While the US has turned a blind eye to the mass violations of Azerbaijani rights resulting from ethnic cleansing and military aggression by Armenia for decades, this statement serves as clear evidence of the discrimination against Azerbaijanis based on their ethnic and religious identity."

The community noted that over 300,000 Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia during the last deportation still cannot return to their homes, and more than 700,000 Azerbaijanis displaced from previously occupied territories have been unable to return for thirty years.

"Although these territories are liberated from occupation, the return of former displaced persons is delayed due to Armenia's placement of millions of mines there," they added.

The statement concluded with a call to the US government, urging it "to cease discrimination against Azerbaijanis, refrain from attempts to ignite conflict in the region, and support the return of deported Azerbaijanis to Armenia."

By Khagan Isayev