HRC 53rd Session: Item 9: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

10 July, 2023

Delivered by Mr. Henrik Yeritsyan, Second Secretary

President,

We thank the Special Rapporteur for the presentation.

The prohibition of racial discrimination is a peremptory norm of public international law and all human beings, by virtue of their humanity, should enjoy all human rights without discrimination on any grounds.

We concur with the SR that the analysis of the historical roots of contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance are vital and share her perspective that contemporary manifestations of these phenomena cannot be understood in a historical vacuum. In this regard, we would like to underscore that one of the main causes of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict was the systematic racial discrimination against Armenians by Azerbaijan.

Madame Special Rapporteur,

We would like to express our appreciation that your report on Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance reflected also the reports and orders by such reputable institutions as the UN CERD, Council of Europe’s ECRI, the European Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice about the state-sponsored policy of racial discrimination towards Armenians by Azerbaijan. We believe that international attention, scrutiny along with the follow up actions on the ground can deter Azerbaijan’s current attempts to ethnically cleanse Nagorno Karabakh.

I thank you.

First Right of Reply

July 11, 2023

Delivered by Mr. Henrik Yeritsyan, Second Secretary

President,

We would like to exercise our right of reply to the statement delivered by Azerbaijan.

State-sponsored crimes motivated by racial discrimination and anti-Armenian hatred such as massacres, ethnic cleansing, destruction of cultural heritage have long been integral part of Azerbaijan’s policy towards Armenians. In 1990s alone around 400.000 Armenians were forced to flee Armenian pogroms and military aggression by Azerbaijan.

Identity-based violence committed by Azerbaijan has been recognized by the European Court of Human Rights on the cases of torture and killing of ethnic Armenians. The ICJ Ordered Azerbaijan to prevent incitement of anti-Armenian racial hatred, including by its officials. The UN CERD expressed deep concern with regard to incitement to racial hatred and the propagation of racist stereotypes against Armenians, including by government of Azerbaijan.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in its 22 June 2023 Resolution on “Ensuring free and safe access through the Lachin Corridor” stated that the Assembly is “extremely worried by the hostile and threatening rhetoric used against Armenians at the highest level of Azerbaijan’s leadership and urges Azerbaijan to repudiate such rhetoric”. On the same day, Azerbaijan went even further and installed a massive concrete barrier on the Lachin Corridor.

In its most recent report on Azerbaijan, Council of Europe’s ECRI pointed to the persistent hostile narrative against Armenia, hate speech and hate crimes against Armenians. According to the report public discourse in Azerbaijan has been marked using inflammatory rhetoric in public statements by politicians, including at the highest political level, as well as by the widespread dissemination of hateful and dehumanising anti-Armenian content in the media. ECRI also noted the presence of discriminatory language against Armenians in school textbooks. In this regard The UN CERD too expressed concern about the school textbooks in Azerbaijan that “promote prejudice and incite racial hatred, particularly against ethnic Armenians”.

The report by ECRI also recalled the hideous “Military Trophy Park” erected in Baku, which displayed wax figures of Armenian servicemen, presented in a degrading manner. Helmets of the fallen Armenian servicemen were also displayed in an attempt to further insult and humiliate the relatives and memory of the fallen soldiers. As the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe stated “[t]his kind of display can only further intensify and strengthen longstanding hostile sentiments and hate speech, and multiply and promote manifestations of intolerance.”

I thank you.

Second Right of Reply

July 11, 2023

Delivered by Mr. Henrik Yeritsyan, Second Secretary

President,

We would like to exercise our second right of reply to the statement delivered by the delegation of Azerbaijan.

Despite numerous international calls, Azerbaijan continues to inject anti-Armenian hatred, including by its public statements. Recently a parliamentary committee of Azerbaijan adopted a statement which referred to Armenians as “a cancerous tumor of Europe”. Highest leadership of Azerbaijan reiterates that “in the present-day world, the power factor comes to the fore, international law does not work.” Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh “either will bend their necks and come themselves, or things will develop differently now.” The public television of Azerbaijan openly preaches for a new aggression against Nagorno Karabakh. An online poll showed 83 percent of support extended to it.

Hence, it does not come as a surprise that in accordance with the policy of national supremacy, Azerbaijan glorifies Nazi collaborators from its midst, such as Mammad Amin Rasulzadeh, and erects monuments in their honor. At the same time, it demolished monuments to the Armenian heroes from Nagorno-Karabakh, who contributed to the victory over Nazism.

The blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the sole lifeline that connects Nagorno-Karabakh to the outside world is the most recent manifestation of anti-Armenian hatred committed by Azerbaijan.

Most recently the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide also called to ensure free and safe movement through the Lachin Corridor. We welcome these and other calls of the international community to cease the blockade of Nagorno Karabakh and hope they won’t fall on deaf ears.

I thank you.

MFA RA
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