Artsakh Ombudsman: Azerbaijan`s permissiveness and impunity must come  to an end

ArmInfo. In order to prevent new aggression and large-scale human rights violations in the region, it  is necessary to put an end to Azerbaijan's permissiveness and impunity.  Artsakh Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan stated this in his speech at a parallel event organized by the human rights organization  "International Christian Solidarity" as part of the UN Human Rights Council.

According to him, this country must be held accountable for its  aggressive and criminal actions. Stepanyan added that the Armenian  side expects support from the UN Human Rights Council in these  matters as well.  In his speech, the Artsakh Ombudsman touched upon  the issues related to the protection of the rights of the Artsakh  people forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of  Azerbaijani aggression. In this regard, he recalled that after more  than 9 months of total blockade, Azerbaijan attacked the civilian  population of Artsakh in September 2023, resulting in the death of  hundreds of people, and the expulsion of 120 thousand indigenous  people of Nagorno-Karabakh from their homeland. In view of this,  Stepanyan identified four main topics that continue to be the most  serious challenge in protecting the rights of the people of  Nagorno-Karabakh.

 First of all, as the NKR Ombudsman notes, the people of Artsakh face  many social and everyday problems.  "Despite Armenia providing  humanitarian aid to the IDPs, it should be noted that the country  with limited resources is unable to adequately meet the needs of the  IDPs. As a result, thousands of refugees who have found refuge in  Armenia live in poverty, facing numerous social and everyday  challenges. In this regard, we are expecting  effective support from  the international community," Stepanyan explained.

The next significant issue, according to the Ombudsman, is the  preservation of the Armenian historical and cultural heritage in  Nagorno-Karabakh. He pointed out that after ethnic cleansing in  Artsakh and the forced displacement of the indigenous Armenian  population, Azerbaijan to this day continues to erase the Armenian  trace by destroying monasteries, churches, shrines and graves in  Artsakh. "Moreover, we witness daily how the Azerbaijani authorities  seize property belonging to Armenians, illegally provide it to their  citizens and settle Azerbaijanis in the houses of Artsakh residents,"  the Artsakh Ombudsman added in this regard.

Stepanyan further noted that another pressing issue in this context  is the safe and dignified return of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.  He expressed his conviction that every single resident of Artsakh  would want to return to their homeland. "The right to return is  inalienable and is enshrined in the decision of the International  Court of Justice. In this sense, we expect that the issue of return  must become part of the agenda of negotiations and discussions on  establishing peace in the region," the human rights activist said.

Stepanyan also addresse the issue of Armenian prisoners of war and  hostages being held in Baku, highlighting it as a key topic of the  event. According to the Ombudsman, after the 2020 war, Azerbaijan has  turned the matter of prisoners into a "political bargaining" chip.  The chief defender of the rights of the people of Artsakh drew  attention to the fact that Azerbaijan is using this issue as a tool  of pressure to secure new concessions from Armenia, blatantly   disregarding the principles of international humanitarian law and  international human rights law.  In this regard, he recalled the  story of Vagif Khachatryan, the elderly resident of Artsakh, who was  captured in Azerbaijan, abducted by Azerbaijani authorities from the  hands of the International Committee of the Red Cross, along with  other Armenians.

"Today, they are suffering under the tyranny of the dictatorial  authorities of Azerbaijan simply because of their ethnicity. Given  the documented cruelty of Azerbaijani authorities towards prisoners,  it is evident that there is no effective mechanism for protecting the  rights of persons held in Azerbaijani prisons. We, along with  international structures, lack the opportunity to have objective  information about their detention conditions," Stepanyan said,  emphasizing the importance of international condemnation of  Azerbaijan's actions in order to secure the release of prisoners and  hostages.

 In this regard, Stepanyan noted that he and his colleagues raise  these issues on various platforms.  According to him, this forum is  especially important for their voices to be heard. However, the  Artsakh Ombudsman admits that due to the current instability in the  world and the numerous problems, their concerns often fall on deaf  ears. "Now, more than ever, we need organizations and individuals who  are committed to human rights and are ready to defend these important  issues, helping us to be heard," Stepanyan concluded.