ArmInfo.The Committee for the Protection of Fundamental Rights of the People of Artsakh issued a statement in connection with the repeated violation of the rights of Artsakh people by Azerbaijan. The statement notes that on March 8, 2024, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree appointing a judge and chairman of the city court of Stepanakert, the capital of the occupied Artsakh Republic.
"We believe that these appointments have far-reaching, malicious/destructive intentions aimed at initiating an illegal process of grabbing property and harassing individuals.
Any political appointment in any city or region of occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, especially in the absence of a population forcibly removed from their homes under the threat of ethnic cleansing and genocide, is both illegal and reprehensible.
"In addition, we condemn other political appointments made by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh, which further highlight the systematic disregard for the democratic will and rights of the indigenous population of Artsakh," the statement said.
The Committee is confident that these actions of Azerbaijan not only contradict the principles of self- determination and democratic governance, but also clearly demonstrate the lack of real efforts to reflect the will of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh in the political and administrative processes of the region.
"We are also deeply disappointed by the withdrawal of the International Committee of the Red Cross mission from Nagorno-Karabakh. Without the ICRC, the only international presence on the ground, Azerbaijan's hands will be completely untied - it will do what it wants and what it has craved for so long.
Although the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is not conducive to the safe return of displaced persons, international law protects the right of forcibly displaced persons to return to their territory of origin. This right is recognized by international law, universal human rights and international humanitarian law and is protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and many other international conventions and declarations," the Committee said.
It is also recalled that on November 17 last year, the International Court of Justice ruled that Azerbaijan must "ensure" the possibility of the Artsakh people returning to Nagorno-Karabakh "safely, unhindered and quickly." In addition, on March 12, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on Azerbaijan to "enter into a truly comprehensive and transparent dialogue with the Armenians of Karabakh to ensure respect for their rights and guarantee their security, including the right to return and live in their homes in Karabakh with dignity and security in an international presence."
"We call on Azerbaijan, instead of engaging in the illegal legalization of territories acquired as a result of war and violence, to fulfill its international obligations by ensuring the safe and unhindered return of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to their homes and historical homeland," the Committee concluded.
The Committee for the Protection of Fundamental Rights of the People of Artsakh was created and authorized by a decision of the Artsakh Parliament on December 2, 2023.