Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

Through the initiative and support of the Open Society Foundations-Armenia a group of human rights activists from Armenia and Artsakh take part in the ongoing 107^th Session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva. Inter alia, the Azerbaijani government shall present a report on the implementation of its commitments to protect persons from racial discrimination.

In parallel, human rights activists from Armenia and Artsakh shall present an alternative report describing Armenophobic and racist policy implemented by Azerbaijan against ethnic Armenians.

Ms. Margarita Karamyan, President of “Return to Dizak” NGO, representing the victims of war crimes committed by Azeri armed forces during and after the 2020 war in Nagorno Karabakh and Ms. Anna Melikyan, a representative of the “Protection of Rights without Borders” NGO,  spoke at the meeting with NGO members of the Committee on August 8, 2022.

During the meeting they raised concerns about the assaults of Azeri armed forces against peaceful population of Nagorno Karabakh, continuing violations of the ceasefire on the line of contact, ethnic cleansings by Azerbaijan, crimes against Armenians caused by hatred and impunity, cases of damaging and destroying the Armenian cultural heritage. The speakers also offered several proposals included in the reports the NGOs had sent to the Committee in advance.

In the coming days the group, which traveled to Geneva with support of the Open Society Foundation – Armenia, will also meet several UN bodies to present and discuss war crimes committed by Azerbaijan against the population of Nagorno Karabakh and inadequate reaction of the international community thereof, the necessity of immediate and unconditional return of prisoners of war and other issues.

Note that earlier the Open Society Foundation – Armenia, “Transparency International Anticorruption Center” NGO, “Protection of Rights without Borders” NGO, “”Law Development and Protection” Foundation and “Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor” Office have submitted  to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination a report on violations of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by Azerbaijan. The organizations urged the UN Committee to call on Azerbaijani government to stop anti-Armenian rhetoric, condemn and investigate the statements by politicians, including high ranked officials, instigating hatred against Armenians and subject the perpetrators to liability, end           the hate crimes against Armenians, including those committed against the individuals captured by Azerbaijan in the context of the armed conflict and subject the perpetrators to liability.

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