International community ignored Azerbaijan`s war crimes - Armenian MP

ArmInfo. The international  community at one time ignored the war crimes of Azerbaijan in  Artsakh, and is now dealing with the consequences of these actions,  Armenian MP Tigran Abrahamyan believes. 

The MP noted that a few days ago a report was published in the United  States in which Azerbaijan was included in the religious freedom  watch list for engaging in or tolerating serious violations of  religious freedom after establishing control over Artsakh.

"The fact that Azerbaijan committed war crimes in various directions  and episodes after 2020 is already known to everyone. However, what  is much more problematic is that they were ignored or forgiven by  international players at different stages and for various reasons,  and now their consequences are only being considered ", the deputy  noted.

At the same time, he called it noteworthy that Azerbaijan's  propaganda channels made a big fuss about this, specifically blaming  the United States and the Secretary of State for the wording  contained in the report.

"Azerbaijan is trying to create the impression that President Aliyev  is the only reason for recent successes, despite the fact that it was  obvious from the very beginning that without the active participation  of Turkey and the silence of geopolitical actors, there will be no  serious progress.

The existence of the Armenian government is already a guarantee of  the growth of Azerbaijan's influence and the strengthening of its  interests, and other factors already follow from this," Abrahamyan  added.

On January 5 it became known that the United States included  Azerbaijan in a special list of countries that commit serious  violations of religious freedom. This potentially opens the door to  sanctions from the US government.

In releasing the annual list of violators, U.S. Secretary of State  Antony Blinken retained all 12 countries that were already on the  blacklist last year: Burma, China, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran,  Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and  Turkmenistan.

In his statement on the global religious freedom, Blinken said, in  particular:  "I have designated Burma, the People's Republic of  China, Cuba, the DPRK, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia,  Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular  Concern for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe  violations of religious freedom.  In addition, I have designated  Algeria, Azerbaijan, the Central African Republic, Comoros, and  Vietnam as Special Watch List countries for engaging in or tolerating  severe violations of religious freedom.  Finally, I have designated  al-Shabab, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS-Sahel,  ISIS-West Africa, al-Qa'ida affiliate Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal-  Muslimin, and the Taliban as Entities of Particular Concern.

"Significant violations of religious freedom also occur in countries  that are not designated.  Governments must end abuses such as attacks  on members of religious minority communities and their places of  worship, communal violence and lengthy imprisonment for peaceful  expression, transnational repression, and calls to violence against  religious communities, among other violations that occur in too many  places around the world.  The challenges to religious freedom across  the globe are structural, systemic, and deeply entrenched.  But with  thoughtful, sustained commitment from those who are unwilling to  accept hatred, intolerance, and persecution as the status quo we will  one day see a world where all people live with dignity and equality."

In its 2023 Annual Report, the United States Commission on  International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended that the U.S.  Department of State include Azerbaijan on its Special Watch List for  engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom. In  December 2022, USCIRF released a report on authoritarian states'  promotion of religious tolerance.

The report provides an update on religious freedom conditions in  Azerbaijan in 2023. Although Azerbaijan has in recent years ceased  some problematic practices regarding state interference in its  people's practice of their religion or beliefs, the government has  shown little interest in reforming laws and policies that violate  Azerbaijan's international human rights commitments. Within the last  three years, the government has twice amended its religion law to  introduce new restrictions on a variety of religious activities. The  report describes the legislative framework that facilitates the  official regulation of religious practice, concerns for religious  sites in Nagorno-Karabakh, the ongoing repression of Shi'a Muslim  religious activists, and the impact of the government's refusal to  allow conscientious objection.