Ombudsman urges global steps to foil Armenia's hatred policy

By Azernews

By Vafa Ismayilova

Human Rights Commissioner Sabina Aliyeva has urged drastic international steps to prevent ethnic hatred policy against Azerbaijanis in Armenia and beyond,  the ombudsman office reported on May 4.

A report addressed to international organizations by Sabina Aliyeva on hate crimes and hate speech against Azerbaijanis aims to inform the world community of the human rights violations caused by the long-standing policy of ethnic hatred against Azerbaijanis in Armenia and beyond, and to call for drastic measures to prevent this hatred-based policy, the report added.

Factual materials obtained by the rights commissioner, information received from reliable sources spread through social media and press have been used in the report.

In her report, Aliyeva expressed her concern about the irresponsibility of, non-respect for human rights and freedoms, and disregard for the rule of law principle by the Armenian state and its institutions that ignore the international legal obligations and evade responsibility. 

She called on the relevant international human rights organizations and national human rights institutions to join their efforts to end similar actions leading to the creation of new hotbeds of disputes.

The scale of destruction in Azerbaijan’s formerly-occupied territories suggests deep hatred and animosity against Azerbaijanis, with many experts describing these mass destructions as genocide.

Azerbaijan and Armenia entered the second war after that latter started firing at Azerbaijani civilians and military positions starting September 27, 2020. The war ended on November 10 with the signing of a trilateral peace deal by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders.

The peace agreement stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions. Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centres and historic Shusha city. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s.