HRC 51: General debate: 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 Mrs. Zoya Stepanyan, First Secretary

03 October, 2022

President,

Armenia took note of the reports presented under this agenda item.

Racism, ethnic profiling and glorification of the atrocity crimes committed in the past seriously undermine efforts aimed at promotion of international peace and security. In autocratic systems, racist hate speech and dehumanization of national, ethnic, racial or religious groups are often times elevated to the level of state ideology with an objective to conveniently replace any domestic discourse by deafening propaganda about the designated enemy. Azerbaijan can serve as an example for this matter, since every inch of public domain is injected with anti-Armenian hatred, racial slur and never ending incitement to violence.

In its recent concluding observations CERD committee expressed concern about the school textbooks in Azerbaijan that “promote prejudice and incite racial hatred, particularly against ethnic Armenians, and that ethnic minorities are marginalized in history education”. The Committee recommended to prevent ethnic hierarchizing in teaching of history. Amid this background, on September 23 hundreds of Azerbaijani schoolchildren in the city of Sumgait were forced to chant “hate to the enemy, hate, hate, hate”, video of which was proudly posted all over the social media.

President,

The detrimental effects of decades-long racist narratives revealed their most warrying manifestations during military hostilities that Azerbaijan is constantly launching.

In the course of the most recent attack against Armenia, Azerbaijani military personnel recorded and circulated videos of their war crimes, including horrendous scenes of mutilation of an Armenian servicewomen. We will refrain both from describing it and citing the cheering chants of the Azerbaijani servicemen in the video.

Against this background, all the few people in Azerbaijan who dared to speak against the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against Armenia on September 13 and 14, were publicly intimidated and harassed. Their names and photographs were shared on social media alongside their words, all stamped with the hashtag #xainitaniyaq — which means ‘let’s recognize the traitor’ in translation. The public campaign was run by the youth wing of the ruling political force – New Azerbaijan Party (YAP).

I thank you.

Right of reply

President,

We resolutely reject to engage in fruitless blamegame and whataboutism. Azerbaijan’s deplorable record in human rights is very straightforward, so are the volumes of racist hate speech and incitement to violence constantly roaring at the highest level.

Literally two days ago, Azerbaijani military circulated another video where on occupied Armenian soil 7 unarmed Armenian servicemen are being arbitrary executed. Following international outcry on this obvious war crime, Azerbaijan announced that it would investigate this incident. Weeks earlier there were assurances to deal with the video of barbaric mutilation of Armenian servicewomen. In the same manner two years ago Azerbaijan first committed to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of numerous cases of arbitrary killings and inhumane treatments and then declared amnesty “to all participants of Karabakh wars”. No one has been charged so far for war crimes committed against Armenians in Azerbaijan. Hardly anyone would be. The perpetrators of crimes never bother even to cover their faces on the videos which they themselves shoot depicting their crimes. This speaks volumes on the atmosphere of impunity and lack of any accountability in Azerbaijan.

Atrocity crimes, their video recording, crowds of Azerbaijanis cheering in horrific scenes – these are not isolated incidents, but a patterned conduct by representatives of Azerbaijani state. Azerbaijani officer who beheaded Yazidi Armenian soldier Qyaram Sloyan in what was apparent ritual killing, and then posed in photos with the severed head, was later awarded. Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani lieutenant killed an Armenian Gurgen Margaryan with axe in his sleep when both of them were in the third country for English language training. After his extradition to Azerbaijan he was pardoned, praised as national hero, elevated to the rank of major.

President,

One of the channels recently created by Azerbaijani military in social media for dissemination of war horrors is called “Khacherubka” – where “Khach” is Armenian first name often used as collective racial slur and “rubka” meaning grinder.

Azerbaijan occupies 154^th place in terms of freedom of expression. In country where even semi- independent media resources and political pluralism are simply destroyed and remnants of civil society are constantly brutalized, any alternative narrative to a blind hatred towards all Armenian can not sustain a chance to exist. We already witness irreparable harm this policy has inflicted upon generations of Azerbaijanis not capable to question the official racism and killing machinery it created.

I thank you

MFA RA
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