International and Comparative Law Center submits report to UN on  religious rights of residents of Artsakh

ArmInfo.The Center for International and Comparative Law (ICLaw), in cooperation with the Armenian Law Center for Justice and Human Rights has submitted a communication to the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief regarding serious and ongoing violations of the religious rights and freedoms of Armenians forcibly displaced from Nagorno- Karabakh as a result of Azerbaijan's military attack in September 2023.

According to a statement received by ArmInfo, the communication  includes 37 confirmed cases, indicating that displaced Armenians have  been deprived of the opportunity to perform their fundamental  religious rites. "According to Armenian religious and cultural  traditions, family members visit the graves of their relatives on the  7th and 40th days after burial and once a year thereafter. Due to  ethnic cleansing and forced displacement, Armenians have been  deprived of the ability to exercise these religious practices. The  desecration of Armenian graves, which may occur at any time, will  result in families being deprived of the opportunity to mourn their  relatives with dignity and to preserve important religious customs,"  the organization said in a statement.

"This is not only about the inability to visit cemeteries or burial  sites, but about the ongoing disruption of religious obligations.  Obstructing funeral ceremonies, dignified exhumations, and reburials  constitutes a serious violation of freedom of religion or belief,  with deep and lasting human consequences," said Siranush Sahakyan.

For followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church, funeral rites and  burial ceremonies are not only cultural traditions but also an  essential part of faith. Preventing the performance of these rites  disrupts the spiritual life of families and causes them continuous  suffering.  The violations documented in the communication occurred  following the large-scale military attack launched by Azerbaijan on  September 19, 2023, which resulted in civilian casualties and the  forced displacement of more than 120,000 ethnic Armenians from  Nagorno-Karabakh. Since then, displaced families have been unable to  return, recover remains, or ensure the dignified reburial of their  deceased relatives.

.  The "International and Comparative Law Center" also emphasizes in  the communication that affected families lack effective domestic  remedies. In the absence of diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan,  effective cooperation mechanisms, including the activities of the  ICRC, international procedures remain the only available avenue for  legal protection. Previous attempts to address these issues through  humanitarian intermediaries and interstate communication channels  have not yielded significant results.  "This is a matter of human  dignity," said Siranush Sahakyan, adding, "nothing should prevent  families from burying, mourning, and honoring their loved ones with  dignity in accordance with their religion.  These rights must be  protected."