Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform criticizes so-called "elections" in Karabakh

By Azernews

By Akbar Mammadov

Co-chair of the Civil Peace Platform between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the head of the Karabakh Armenians Movement, Arthur Agajanov, has criticized the so-called "presidential and parliamentary elections" held in Nagorno-Karabakh recently, calling them illegal and illegitimate.

In an interview given to an Armenian journalist and posted on YouTube on April 25 (https://bit.ly/2KHI7E6), Agajanov said that the so-called election was held without participation of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Azerbaijani population who have been expelled from their homes and therefore was void. He also emphasized the lack of international observers during the elections.

“It’s time to end this circus and commence the real, constructive negotiations between the sides. The final status of Nagorno-Karabakh’s status will be defined during the negotiations process,” Aghajanov said.

Agajanov also told Interfax-Azerbaijan Agency on April 26 that the so-called elections violated the fundamental right of participation of all residents of Nagorno-Karabakh. Tens of thousands of Karabakh Azerbaijanis expelled from their native land did not participate in these elections, he emphasized.

In an exclusive commentary, Agajanov also stressed that international observers did not arrive for monitoring the so-called “elections”, which suggests that the world community does not recognize either the “Nagorno-Karabakh regime” nor any of their actions until all forced IDPs return to their homes and occupied territories are liberated. Aghajanov reminded that international organizations have condemned the so-called "elections" in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Furhtermore, Aghajanov spoke about the threat of COVID-19 in Nagorno-Karabakh, saying that the so-called elections were held without any regard to the health of the region’s population.

“It is interesting that some“ presidential candidates ”of the unrecognized republic, as well as part of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, were against holding these elections in connection with the coronavirus,” he said.

“I realized that the situation and health of the Karabakh Armenians is more of a concern to Azerbaijan than the Karabakh separatists or the Armenian authorities", he added.

Agajanov noted that many Karabakh Armenians support Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity but are afraid to voice it due to threat from the separatist regime. A significant part of the Karabakh Armenians living abroad also support the resolution of the conflict within the framework of the sovereignty of Azerbaijan and good neighborly relations with the Azerbaijani people, he added.

Aghajanov said that he was not particularly surprised when recently two Karabakh Armenians - husband and wife Hovhannes Torosyan and Tamella Arzumanyan - made angry accusations against Armenia and the separatist leadership. (https://bit.ly/2W8cGYP) 

"This family called on the Karabakh people to seek help and protection from Azerbaijan, among Azerbaijanis. They rightly noted that they would entrust their children and family to Azerbaijanis than Armenians - that this what many Armenians abroad do, who trust and seek support from Azerbaijanis. We fear for the fate of these two Karabakhi people and urge international and human rights organizations to make efforts to save this family, whose are in danger. We call on the members of the Karabakh Armenians to openly support Hovhannes Torosyan and Tamella Arzumanyan, who are seeking justice, seeking to free themselves from slavery of the NKR occupation regime,” said Agajanov.

He noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved peacefully and within the framework of the sovereignty of Azerbaijan.

"Thousands of Armenians of Azerbaijan want this. I urge the Baku Armenians, most of whom have Karabakh roots, not to remain indifferent to the fate of the Karabakh Armenians," Aghajanov concluded. 

Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform was set up in 2016 with the aim of establishing peace and reconciliation between the two nations.