The Ombudsman participated in the opening ceremony of the international festival- congress in Nakhchivan

Sabina Aliyeva, the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan, participated in the opening ceremony of the festival "Return to Western Azerbaijan" and the I International Congress "Western Azerbaijan: the road to a great return," held in Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, in collaboration with the Representation of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, the Ministry of Education, Nakhchivan State University, and the Western Azerbaijan Society.

During her speech at the event, attended by state institutions and the wide public, the Ombudsman spoke about the policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide carried out against Azerbaijanis in the last two centuries, emphasizing that this policy in Armenia resulted in the violation of the fundamental rights of Azerbaijanis through coercion, genocide, mass killings, and other crimes against humanity.

S. Aliyeva said that many of our compatriots had been mercilessly killed, subjected to various serious injuries, taken captive, and gone missing, turning into victims of Armenia's crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The Ombudsman highlighted that during the First Karabakh War, around 4000 Azerbaijanis lost their lives, and information about their fate is still not available. She also pointed out that during the three decades of occupation, our lands have been mined, and that a mine problem hinders the building and construction works in the liberated territories and delays the safe return to those areas. The Ombudsman added that appeals regarding Armenia's violations of international law committed during the Second Karabakh War and the post-war period were prepared and sent to international organizations, and activities in this direction are ongoing.

The Ombudsman highlighted the importance of holding accountable those responsible for committing these crimes, compensating the material and moral damage inflicted on our compatriots, and creating conditions for their safe return to the current territories of Armenia, their historical lands.

Pointing out that the blockade of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic lasted for more than 30 years due to the military aggression of Armenia, S. Aliyeva stated that Armenia has not yet fulfilled its obligation regarding the establishment of transportation links between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, as stipulated in the Trilateral Statement signed on November 10, 2020. She also noted that citizens, transportation vehicles, and cargo face difficulties in unhindered movement in both directions, and the population in the blockaded area continues to experience various hardships.

The Ombudsman calls on international organizations to demonstrate a firm and just position based on international legal norms regarding the severe crimes committed against Azerbaijanis, avoiding double standards, to ensure the safe return of our compatriots, who have faced ethnic cleansing by Armenia, to their historical lands, and to support the removal of the blockade on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.