Statement delivered by the Delegation of Armenia during the general debate under the Agenda Item 9 of the 46th Session of the UN Human Rights Council

22 March, 2021

HRC 46th Session: General Debate under Agenda Item 9, Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance, follow-up to and implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

Delivered by Mr. Nairi Petrossian, Deputy Permanent Representative

President,

The OHCHR distributed a report under reference number A/HRC/46/67, which in paragraph 29 recalled that Turkey reported a letter dated 24 April 2020 sent by President Erdoğan to the Armenian Patriarch as an example of the Turkish government’s continued attempts to speak out against intolerance, discrimination, hostility and violence based on religion or belief. In this context, Armenia emphasizes that the said letter itself is an instance of genocide denial, which is a manifestation of hate speech. It is, furthermore, not victim-centered and fails to address those affected by the harms inflicted.

President,

Armenia has continuously reported to this Council on appalling instances of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance directed against ethnic Armenians. During the recent war in Nagorno-Karabakh this anti-Armenian hatred has manifested itself in the atrocities committed in the ugliest forms. Azerbaijan does not shy away from admitting that this xenophobia has been injected by the state itself claiming recently at the highest level (and I quote) “We have created this reality. The younger generation has grown up with hatred for the enemy.”

In accordance with the policy of national supremacy Azerbaijan glorifies Nazi collaborators in its midst, such as Mammad Amin Rasulzadeh, and erects monuments in their honor. At the same time, it demolishes monuments to Soviet heroes and Marshals, in an attempt to erase the memory of those Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, who contributed to the victory over Nazism.

In December 2020 Azerbaijani Government issued postal stamps commemorating the fight against Covid-19 and the 2020 War in Nagorno-Karabakh. The stamps show collages of physicians side by side with soldiers. It further displays an illustration of a disinfection specialist standing over a map of Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh and fumigating it, which makes it effectively being depicted as a virus that should be eradicated. If one wants a case study in taking an unashamed pride in the horrendous ethnic cleansing committed this is a vivid and explicit example par excellence.

I thank you.

First Right of Reply

Madame Vice-President,

We asked for the floor to exercise right of reply in response to the statement made by Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan continues its noncompliance with the provisions of the November 9 ceasefire statement on the repatriation of the prisoners of war and other detainees, as well as on the humanitarian access of the UNHCR to Nagorno-Karabakh, which continues to be denied by Azerbaijan along with the engagement of other international structures such as UNESCO. Apparently, Azerbaijan aims at hampering the safe and dignified return of the recently displaced population to their homes, tries to conceal the humanitarian disaster and the destruction of religious and cultural heritage that it caused.

Recently, the President of Azerbaijan visited the occupied territories of Nagorno-Karabakh, in particular, the Hadrut region and the city of Shushi. Only months ago, these regions were fully inhabited by tens of thousands of Armenians, however, were ethnically cleansed during the war. Statements made by the President of Azerbaijan in the Hadrut region revealed the intention to destroy Armenian villages and replace them with the Azerbaijani settlements. A video footage captured President of Azerbaijan instructing to erase Armenian scripts from a church. Recently disseminated satellite images revealed the destruction of another Armenian church in Shushi.

The European Court of Human Rights applied interim measures with respect to 188 Armenians captured by Azerbaijan. The Court decided to (I quote) “notify the Committee of Ministers of the measures taken by it, having regard to the Azerbaijani Government’s failure to respect the time-limits set by the Court for the submission of information on the individuals concerned and the rather general and limited information provided by them.” Meanwhile, the European Court declined the applications made by Azerbaijan on any cases filed against Armenia.

In defiance of international humanitarian law, Azerbaijan not only refuses to release the Armenian detainees, but also to provide their complete list. In the situation when anti-Armenian hatred is promoted and supported at the state level, the Armenian prisoners of war and civilians face an imminent threat to their lives and health in Azerbaijani captivity.

The Human Rights Watch called today on immediate release of all PoWs and civilian detainees in the Azerbaijan custody. The report further stressed that Azerbaijani forces abused Armenian PoWs (and I quote) “subjecting them to cruel and degrading treatment and torture.”

I thank you.

Second Right of Reply

Madame Vice-President,

Armenia asked for the floor to exercise its second right of reply in response to Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Turkey uses its pretended good will as a technique of denial whereby past abuses and responsibility for them are minimized, obscured or reinterpreted. The track record of Turkey’s officials’ anti-Armenian hate speech gives us solid grounds to question their sincerity when they appeal to the Armenian Patriarch on April 24, the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.

Such messages should be appropriate and carefully chosen to communicate sincere remorse and should not be employed to evade blame and responsibility, to obfuscate or to minimize legal culpability.

Vice-President,

We reject all allegations made by Azerbaijan.

The destruction and misappropriation of historical and cultural monuments is a form of ethnic cleansing, and Azerbaijan is perpetrating it to continue the war of aggression it launched on September 27. In our previous intervention we referred to the most recent actions by the President of Azerbaijan propagating such conduct. There can be only one reasonable explanation to it: the Azerbaijani public needs to be talked and fed with hate to maintain a notion of relative legitimacy about their government.

Armenia views this conduct of the Azerbaijani leadership as a vivid manifestation of its total feeling of insecurity and inability to deescalate. Azerbaijan’s tough talk for a domestic audience has handicapped the attempts to find negotiated solution to the Nagorno Karabakh issue in the past. They should make no mistakes as any legitimacy that they build upon the destructive message of racially inspired hate is going to backfire within their own society from inside.

I thank you.

MFA RA
official website

Dual citizenship

Electronic visa

Visa applications