Justice and dignity: Western Azerbaijanis urge for right of return to homeland

The right to a dignified life is an elementary human right determined in accordance with international legal acts. While humankind can be proud of its progress over the past decades, the elementary right of Western Azerbaijanis brutally driven out from their native lands in Armenia is yet to be restored.

Western Azerbaijanis were expelled from their ancestral lands during a series of forced deportations. The year of 1988 saw the next cruel crime in the history of Azerbaijani people when over 250,000 people were driven out of Armenia just because of their ethnic belonging. Many of them were killed, beheaded, and exposed to terrible torture. Advocating for a robust international agreement with verification mechanisms to ensure the voluntary return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia the Azerbaijani government is seeking a fair approach from the international organizations. The international community, which often voices concerns over human rights, remains largely silent on the plight of Western Azerbaijanis. The world’s selective outrage to similar issues is the main obstacle for mapping out the solution to the problem and sets an urgent need for justice and accountability. Being loud for some crises but muted for others is the very reality pushing many issues to deadlock.

Azerbaijan called on the OSCE and the European Commission to take a principled stance on this issue, arguing that ignoring the rights of Western Azerbaijanis undermines the very foundations of justice:

"Ignoring this matter is not the right step. This is a serious problem. It is about restoring the rights of hundreds of thousands of people. This is a human rights issue, a matter of justice. At the same time, it will also show that the current Armenian leadership is not a fascist, as the previous three presidents were fascists," President Ilham Aliyev said in a meeting with the members of the Western Azerbaijani community.

The Azerbaijani government, which guarantees the guarantee for protecting the rights of its citizens, applies a multi-component approach in this matter, such as historical studies, legal justifications, international initiatives, and diplomatic communication. Such a complex approach not only ensures the continuity of the ideological line but also strengthens the recognition of Azerbaijan's legitimate demands at the international level. The in-depth analysis of what happened in the past and the formation of a scientific base lay the groundwork for future activities aimed at protecting the rights of hundreds of thousands of Western Azerbaijanis who were subjected to deportation and ethnic cleansing.

One of the most important steps in solving the problem was the unification of public organizations from West Azerbaijan under a single Western Azerbaijan Community.

Now the Community focuses on attracting the attention of international organizations, human rights protection and guarantee institutions, foreign governments and the general public to the problem of over half a million left homeless. With each passing day, the understanding that this issue is not only a national tragedy, but also an international challenge in terms of human rights protection is getting stronger. Azerbaijan clearly declares that ensuring the return of Western Azerbaijanis to their native and historical lands is their fundamental right and an inevitable process.

Article 13 (2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) clearly guarantees the inherent dignity and equal rights of all individuals, including the right to return to one’s homeland and protection from displacement.

Human sufferings have no compensation, the only remedy to all pains is justice. The Western Azerbaijanis, brutally driven out of their lands, have never given up their struggle for justice. Now when the 2020 war put an end to the illegal occupation of and bloody conflict with Armenia, their hope for a peaceful return to their homeland guiding the superiority of the law and all international legislative acts that protect their universal right has boosted as never before. They are keen to grasp the attention of the international community.

So, Azerbaijan expects a clear, concrete, logical, and transparent position from Armenia in accordance with the norms of international law. Baku demands concrete steps from the Armenian leadership to recognize the right of our compatriots to return to their historical lands, provide security guarantees for those who will return back to their homeland, restore infrastructure, and create conditions for normal life in the areas where the return will take place.

There is no obstacle to the repatriation of Western Azerbaijanis as their houses are still empty and the area is unsettled.

Now it is time for Armenia to apologize for the historic crime and provide for their dignified return. Regardless of the nature of its bilateral relations with the Republic of Azerbaijan, Armenia must provide for the unconditional return of Azerbaijanis, who held its citizenship. Any pretense to deter the dialogue until the peace deal is achieved or make the issue a topic of dialogue counteracts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Western Azerbaijani Community has appealed to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan calling him to make sincere efforts to establish peace and cooperation in the region, create conditions for the return of Western Azerbaijanis, and start a direct dialogue with the Community in this regard.

It is relevant to remind here the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees provides protection and the right to return for displaced persons, under Article 33, hereby prohibiting refoulement (the return of refugees to a territory where they face danger).

Justice is not just a slogan, but a fundamental principle of international relations. Western Azerbaijanis deserve not only the right to return to their lands but also a dignified life in those lands. So, it is high time to cross from word to action.