French parliamentarians urge for establishment of  international  platform to assess  conditions for  return, security and fundamental  rights of Artsakh people

ArmInfo. On the occasion of the anniversary of the forced displacement of the people of Artsakh from their homeland, 31 French senators and members of  parliament issued a joint appeal emphasizing the need to hold  accountable those responsible for ethnic cleansing,  the release of   prisoners, to ensure the return of the Artsakh people, and  other  essential measures, as was reported by the Union of Artsakh NGO.

The statement recalls that on September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched  An unjustified  and large-scale military aggression against the  population of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh, bringing to an end to the  centuries-long presence of Armenians on this land. It also emphasizes  that the attack occurred at a time when the international  community-through the OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by France, the  United States, and Russia-had committed to resolving the conflict  exclusively by peaceful means, taking into account the right of the  Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to  determine their future. Despite  this, Baku chose the path of war.

"Today, two years later, most of the forcibly displaced persons  continue to live in  uncertainty and poverty.  The Armenian cultural  heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh is being destroyed or distorted.  Armenian prisoners, including former high-ranking officials of  Nagorno-Karabakh, remain held in Azerbaijani prisons without  guarantees of a fair trial. The regime in Baku continues its policy  with impunity, erasing every trace of Armenian presence from the  region," the statement continues.

French MPs and senators called on the French government and European  institutions not to yield to diplomatic indifference. They also  reiterated their clear and unequivocal condemnation of the blockade  of the Lachin corridor, the assault of September 19, 2023, and  Azerbaijan's ongoing violations of international law.

They reiterated their call for the immediate release of all Armenian  prisoners, including former political leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh,  unlawfully held by Azerbaijan.

The legislators also called for the establishment of an international  platform to assess the conditions of return, security, and  fundamental rights of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

They also reaffirmed the inalienable right of the displaced  population of Artsakh to a safe, dignified, and unimpeded return to  their home, in accordance with the decisions of the International  Court of Justice, in particular the November 17, 2023 decision.

The legislators also supported the introduction of targeted European  sanctions against those responsible for war crimes, human rights  violations, and actions against the territorial integrity of Armenia.  "We support an international investigation to document violations  committee in Nagorno-Karabakh and initiate judicial proceedings under  Article 14 of the Rome Statute. We advocate for increased support for  Armenia in the humanitarian, defense, and cultural areas.

On this sorrowful anniversary, we reaffirm: the expulsion of the  Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh is not destiny. Their right of return  must remain at the center of the  agenda of democratic nations. The  European Union cannot defend its values with shifting standards:  justice and human rights must be universal, including in the South  Caucasus," the statement reads.