HRC 52nd Session: Item 2: General debate: Right of replies to the statement delivered by Azerbaijan

08 March, 2023

First Right of Reply

Delivered by Mr. Henrik Yeritsyan, Second Secretary

President,

Armenia requested the floor to exercise its right of reply to Azerbaijan and Pakistan that spoke on behalf of the OIC.

Armenia will keep persistently communicating that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not a religious one and it cannot be anointed in religious terms. Armenia strongly believes that human rights are universal and are not limited to religious affiliations.

It is unfortunate that Azerbaijan continues to abuse its membership to the OIC to distort the conflict-related realities. Let us bring just one illustrious example in this regard. Azerbaijan has misled the OIC that allegedly the religious sites in Nagorno-Karabakh have been damaged by the Armenian side. In reality it is Azerbaijan that hinders the fact-finding mission of UNESCO to Nagorno-Karabakh to assess the state of affairs with regards to the cultural and religious sites and this has been publicly stated by the Assistant Director General of UNESCO.

Obviously, Azerbaijan strives to conceal its own damage inflicted to the religious sites in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, on the contrary, have supported the mission of UNESCO. It is our conviction that the OIC should not take the allegations of Azerbaijan for granted and not allow Azerbaijan to disseminate blatant misrepresentations through such reputable organization as the OIC.

Armenia enjoys good relations with nearly all OIC members. We are concerned that the support that Azerbaijan receives from a very few OIC members emboldens it to continue its destructive policy.

On 13 September 2022 Azerbaijan unleashed a military attack and occupied sovereign territories of Armenia. The UN special procedure mandate holders noted that the violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed by armed forces of Azerbaijan during this attack may amount to war crimes. They included extrajudicial executions, torture, mutilation of corpses, including of women soldiers.

Furthermore, according to the Mandate holders Azerbaijan did not provide (and I quote) “factual and legal reasons for the continued detention of PoWs after the cessation of hostilities and measures to inform the disappeared about their fate and the exact whereabouts.”

Azerbaijan continues to violate the letter and spirit of the international humanitarian law by keeping hostage the combatant and civilian detainees that should have been released and repatriated without any preconditions. Azerbaijan weaponizes their unlawful and arbitrary detention to drive a bargain. It is coupled with the Government-induced and propagated extreme manifestation of intolerance and hate towards Armenians.

I thank you.

Second Right of Reply

Vice-president,

Armenia took the floor to refute the groundless allegations of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan failed to implement the Order of the International Court of Justice to ensure unimpeded movement along the Lachin Corridor.

According to the Order (and I quote) “the Court observes that, since 12 December 2022, the connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia via the Lachin Corridor has been disrupted. The information available to the Court indicates that the disruption on the Lachin Corridor has impeded the transfer of persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin … to medical facilities in Armenia for urgent medical care. The evidence also indicates that there have been hindrances to the importation into Nagorno-Karabakh of essential goods, causing shortages of food, medicine and other life-saving medical supplies.”

On the same day the ICJ also considered the request for provisional measure made by Azerbaijan on the alleged use of landmines by Armenia. The ICJ unanimously rejected the Request made by Azerbaijan. In this regard the Court refers to its previous Order (and I quote) “Azerbaijan has not placed before the Court evidence indicating that Armenia’s alleged conduct with respect to landmines has “the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing,” of rights of persons of Azerbaijani national or ethnic origin.”

Therefore, the ICJ has twice unanimously rejected the false accusations of Azerbaijan about the alleged use of landmines by Armenia. These Orders once again vividly demonstrate that Azerbaijan abuses the issue of landmines for its political purposes and for dissemination of groundless propaganda against Armenia.

I thank you.

MFA RA
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