JOINT LETTER FROM ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING SUPPORT TO REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PEOPLE FROM ARTSAKH
To Her Excellency Ambassador of the European Union to Armenia
May 2021
Dear Ms. Wiktorin,
The undersigned organizations providing humanitarian, legal, and cultural support to refugees and displaced people from the Republic of Artsakh write to raise serious concerns regarding the humanitarian crisis in the Artsakh Republic.
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The ongoing rhetoric of warmongering and ethnic hatred by the Azerbaijani Republic as well as invasion of the territory of the Republic of Armenia proper is threatening not only the peace efforts in the region but also the security and existence of the people of Artsakh and Armenia. The Government of Azerbaijan is preventing the return of Armenian refugees and displaced people to the places of their residence under the control of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in accordance with Article 7 of the trilateral statement signed on November 9, 2020. The return of the Azerbaijani refugees to the Artsakh Republic is only possible after ensuring the legal and social conditions for the return of the Armenian refugees displaced from Azerbaijan and the territories that came under its control in 1987-1992 and 2020, otherwise, it would be considered ethnic discrimination against the Armenians. The Government of Azerbaijan also violates the 1949 Geneva Conventions and Article 8 of the November 9 statement by rejecting the release of Armenian prisoners of war both civilian and military. The undersigned organizations asking the United Nations to implement all efforts for international pressure on the Government of Azerbaijan to free all the Armenian prisoners of war. Not only Armenians but also the Armenian culture is endangered in the territories under Azerbaijani control. The Government of Azerbaijan continues the destruction of Armenian religious and cultural heritage in the territories under its control. The organizations also write to request the development of the joint protection mechanisms by OSCE Minsk Group and the UN for the protection of Armenian heritage in the territories under Azerbaijani control.
As the peace talks between the parties of the Karabakh conflict were permitted within the frameworks of OSCE Minsk Group, the undersigned organizations request the United Nations to put efforts to return the negotiations between the parties under the auspices of the three OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs − United States, France, Russia. To make the negotiations more productive the Republic of Artsakh should be a full party to the negotiations as it was in 1994. The negotiations must be restarted with the restoration of the status quo as of September 26, 2020. Also, taking into account the fact Turkey was and is involved in the conflict it must be expelled from the Minsk Group. The involvement of the Turkish military in the monitoring center near the Artsakhian border is unacceptable and the undersigned organizations request the United Nations to make every effort to ensure the withdrawal of the Turkish military from the borders of the Artsakh Republic.
We write to request that you raise the concerns outlined in this letter with the Governments of the EU member states.
Sincerely,
The Forum of refugees from Azerbaijan SSR
Board of Trustees “FREEDOM FOR ARTSAKH FOUNDATION”
Board of Directors “NGO MER TUN ARTSAKH”
Return to Karvachar NGO
“The Union of Armenian’s from Azerbaijan SSR” NGO
