The approaches voiced by the Prime Minister of Armenia
during the online press conference that took place on December 24, 2021,
contradict the right to life and to live in peace of the Armenians of Artsakh,
and other fundamental and natural rights to have a human existence, and prepare
a fertile ground for future Azerbaijani violations. These approaches
fundamentally threaten the natural right to national self-determination.
The fact that the Azerbaijani authorities are still
continuing their state-sponsored policy of Armenophobia and enmity is ignored
in the public speech of the Prime Minister of Armenia; the state-sponsored
policy of the Azerbaijani authorities is not only rhetoric, but also a policy
of enmity that has been implemented for several years (education, culture,
sport, etc.). It is particularly aggressive towards the Armenian population of
Artsakh.
In the mentioned speech of the Prime Minister, the
fact that the Azerbaijani continuous discriminatory policy was aimed at
emptying the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of its Armenian population
(which up to 1923, constituted 95% of the population of the region) through
persecutions, confiscations of private property, atrocities and other illegal
means.
It is the state-sponsored policy of Armenophobia and
enmity that led to mass ethnic cleansings during the Artsakh War of 2020,
destroying cities and villages in a targeted manner (Stepanakert, Martuni,
Shushi, Hadrut, etc.), depriving people of their homes. Torturing, committing
atrocities, killings, and desecrating and destroying churches.
In the post-war period, Azerbaijani armed servicemen,
under the auspices of the Azerbaijani authorities, continue to violate the
fundamental rights of the people of Artsakh, through the killings of civilians,
shootings towards civilian communities, theft, disrupting vital telephone
communications, and other terrorist acts. The dignity of people living in
Artsakh is violated on a daily basis.
Similar criminal acts and violations are continuing on
a daily basis against the population of Armenia as well.
Both in the case of Artsakh and Armenia, Azerbaijani
armed servicemen operate under conditions of criminal impunity. There are no
guarantees for the protection of human rights.
We consider the assessments of the Prime Minister of
Armenia very dangerous: They validate the supremacy of political issues over
human rights, consolidate the fake Azerbaijani theses ignoring human rights,
and increase the risk of the violations of human rights of our compatriots. The
Azerbaijani authorities have strived to achieve this for years.
It is through this policy that the Azerbaijani
authorities have constantly obstructed, and have done everything to isolate
Artsakh from the outside world, and deprive the Armenians of Artsakh from the
protection of their rights, pursuing a policy aimed at deceiving the
international community.
The policy of ignoring the right to national
self-determination, fundamental human rights and their guarantees, and
obstructing their protection at all costs, has created fertile ground for the
atrocities, and ethnic cleansing that took place during the 44-day war.
Peace is an absolute value for the Human Rights Defender
of Armenia and the Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh, however, the declared
peace of the Azerbaijani authorities is fake, aimed only at presenting itself
as peace-loving to the outside word, and hiding its real face through fraud.
Hence, we strongly urge everyone to stop ignoring
human rights, creating a fertile ground for the Azerbaijani false theses, stop
subordinating human rights to political issues, and to refrain from creating
artificial obstacles to the protection of the rights of our compatriots,
especially in international instances.
Mr. Arman Tatoyan
The Human Rights Defender of Armenia
Mr. Gegham Stepanyan
The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Artsakh
Հայերեն
