Committee for the Protection of the Fundamental Rights of the People of Artsakh: Diplomatic visits must not become an instrument for normalizing ethnic cleansing

ArmInfo.  The Committee for the Defense of the Fundamental Rights of the People of Artsakh sent an open letter to members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Azerbaijan amid their visit to occupied Nagorno-Karabakh.

According to a statement by the Committee received by ArmInfo, diplomatic visits must not become a tool for normalizing ethnic cleansing.

"We express deep concern over the recent official diplomatic visits to Nagorno-Karabakh. Visits to Shushi, Gandzasar, Stepanakert and other areas are taking place in a region where around 150,000 indigenous Armenians were forcibly displaced following Azerbaijan's military aggression in September 2023.  Our deep concern is obvious: diplomats cannot afford to be puppets in Azerbaijan's artificial attempts to secure international approval for the consequences of ethnic cleansing. Your presence provides Azerbaijan with precisely the international "clean-up" (legitimization) it seeks," the statement says.

"Your participation in officially organized trips, as well as the accompanying photographs and public statements, which completely ignore the total destruction of the Armenian presence in Artsakh, create an image of normality in a fundamentally abnormal situation. Today, homes in Nagorno-Karabakh are presented without their owners, and churches without their worshippers. This is appalling, and the participation of the diplomatic corps, diplomats who are fully aware of the humanitarian catastrophe that occurred in Nagorno-Karabakh 36 months ago, is utterly incomprehensible," the statement further emphasizes.

At the same time, it notes that it is equally astonishing and deeply troubling that none of the diplomats who took part in these visits publicly addressed the fate of Armenian prisoners of war, civilians and political hostages illegally held in Azerbaijan, as well as the sham trials being conducted against them.  The Committee stated that, while visiting areas emptied of their indigenous Armenian population, members of the diplomatic corps found words and gestures for carefully organized trips, but continue to maintain complete silence about the rights of those deprived of their freedom and subjected to proceedings that grossly violate the principles of justice and due process.

The Committee called the continued erasure of the region's historical identity equally alarming. "While diplomats are entertained by a carefully orchestrated farce, Armenian cultural heritage sites are systematically destroyed, desecrated or stripped of their identity. The destruction of churches in Stepanakert, the desecration of the historic Armenian cemetery in Shushi and the deeply troubling fact that the centuries-old Armenian monastery of Gandzasar is presented as "Albanian" cannot go unnoticed; they are being deliberately and consciously ignored. These actions constitute a deliberate campaign to erase Armenia's historical presence, a direct violation of the provisional measures introduced by the International Court of Justice (ICJ)," the Committee for the Defense of the Fundamental Rights of the People of Artsakh noted.

The Committee once again emphasized that diplomats cannot afford to become puppets in Azerbaijan's mercenary political theater, and that a diplomatic visit must not turn into a stage where the history of an entire people is erased in the presence of the international community.

"Therefore, we call on members of the diplomatic corps to reject complicity by refraining from participating in official, state-sponsored visits that legitimize the consequences of forced displacement and create a false impression of normality. Furthermore, reject historical revisionism, namely, do not support, repeat or lend credibility to official narratives that deny, distort or appropriate the true Armenian identity of churches, monuments and historical sites. Moreover, instead of agreeing to state-controlled tours, insist on unhindered access to cultural and religious sites for international experts, UNESCO and independent observers, and publicly express concern over the ongoing destruction, alteration and desecration of Armenian heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh," the Committee demanded.

The organization also called on foreign diplomats to protect the right of return.  "Ensure that the displaced Armenian population is not excluded from discussions about its homeland. Support the creation of conditions for their safe, dignified and voluntary return in accordance with international law.  Diplomacy requires independent judgment, historical responsibility and moral courage. Meanwhile, the world is watching a diplomatic corps acting in concert with Azerbaijan to legitimize the consequences of ethnic cleansing.  This cannot be normalized. The people of Nagorno-Karabakh have lost their homes.  The international diplomatic corps cannot help and support Azerbaijan in destroying its history, identity and heritage," the Committee concluded.