Letter to the Federal Council and the Swiss Federal Assembly from the public of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)
December, 17
2024 We address you as people who were forced to leave their homes and thousand-year-old homeland. On behalf of thousands of Karabakh Armenians, we request the creation of an international platform to discuss and protect the political, property, and social rights of the displaced residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, whose rights have been violated in contradiction to all norms of international law.
Since 1992, the international community has considered the Nagorno-Karabakh issue as disputed and has entrusted the Minsk Group (Russia, USA, France) with the mandate to find solutions. However, the Minsk Conference has never taken place.
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The war of 2020-2023, initiated by Azerbaijan, which led to occupation and the forced deportation of the entire population, altered the demographic and territorial structure. But this war did not resolve the political and property issues, and these matters still require discussion and resolution. Azerbaijani President Aliyev openly declares that he resolved the conflict “by force” and claims to have had the right to do so.
Turkish President Erdogan also states that “Turkey has returned Karabakh.” Meanwhile, Russian President Putin, as early as November 2020, when Russian troops were illegally deployed in Karabakh, stated that he was the “author” of the document that allowed Azerbaijan to occupy most of the territories controlled by Karabakh. The use of force to “resolve” the conflict is a gross violation of international law, specifically the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.
The impunity for the use of force and genocide in Karabakh creates a precedent for resolving other conflicts by force, whether in Ukraine or the Middle East, where matters are decided by arms, not negotiations and humanitarian values. The return of the Karabakh issue to international platforms can contribute to the negotiation phase of resolving global conflicts peacefully, without the use of weapons and barbaric force. In October, the Swiss Parliament called on the Swiss government to organize an international peace conference on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
On October 15, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Swiss Parliament adopted the relevant resolution. The purpose of the resolution is to “promote dialogue between Azerbaijan and the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh for the safe and collective return under the observation or presence of international bodies.” It is noted that “to avoid a new genocide similar to the one carried out against Armenians in 1915, the population of Nagorno-Karabakh was forced to leave their homeland within a few days. Documented cases of ethnic cleansing have occurred in the region. Armenian cultural heritage, such as churches, monasteries, and cemeteries, is being systematically destroyed or distorted under the guise of ‘renovation.'” The resolution emphasizes that the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh wish to return to their homeland under the security guarantees of the international community, determine their political future, and implement democratic self-government.
Karabakh Armenians indeed wish to return, but to their homeland, not to the region that was barbarically conquered. Meanwhile, the international community has “recognized” the “resolution by force” and is now trying to convince Karabakh Armenians to return to a foreign and hostile country. “Switzerland has a unique opportunity to use its well-established role as a neutral mediator to initiate constructive dialogue between the conflicting parties.
This commitment will not only strengthen Switzerland’s humanitarian tradition but also enhance its position as a trusted partner in international diplomacy,” the justification of the Swiss Parliament’s resolution states.
We appeal to the Swiss Parliament and Government to use all their influence to organize a platform for negotiations aimed at protecting the political, property, social, and cultural rights of Karabakh Armenians.
The return could be the result of solving these issues, not an end in itself. We urge the Swiss executive bodies to use the resolution of the Committee of the House of Representatives as the basis and start the diplomatic process, despite Baku’s statements that “the Karabakh issue is resolved.”
We call on Switzerland, as a defender of democratic and humanitarian values, to steadfastly defend these values, regardless of geopolitical considerations and commercial interests.
