A conference on the presentation of the report on “the Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Against Azerbaijanis” was organized

In joint cooperation with the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Social Research Center, a conference on the presentation of the report on the “Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Against Azerbaijanis” was organized.

The representatives of the Ombudsman Office, the Social Research Center, and civil society organizations took part in the presentation event.

The Ombudsman, Sabina Aliyeva, delivered an opening speech at the conference, saying that ethnic discimination and hatred-based hostilities are one of the most significant problems in the modern world. The Ombudsman noted that ethnic-based policy is against universal values, and such negative instances lead to armed conflicts. 

Highlighting that Azerbaijan has suffered from the adverse consequences of this policy for many years, the Ombudsman has also noted that the groundless territorial claims of Armenia against Azerbaijan and the hate ideology formulated by the political leadership of that country against other nations in the region are  accompanied by ethnic cleansing and occupation policies. 

The Ombudsman has noted that the long-term occupation of our lands by Armenia and the displacement of more than a million people from their homes, turning them into refugees and internally displaced persons, are clear indicators of the hatred policy against Azerbaijanis.

S. Aliyeva pointed out that the various groups of society in Armenia and people of Armenian origin living across the world have sharply expressed their hatred against Azerbaijanis. She also said that such cases have risen  during the Second Karabakh War and afterwards, wherein statements openly propagating hatred against our country and Azerbaijanis were disseminated, both on social and print media. 

S. Aliyeva said that fact-finding missions have been carried out during and after the Second Karabakh War that disclosed Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan, crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes and terrorist acts, and the targeting of peaceful individuals and civilian objects. She also added that reports, statements, and appeals that were prepared have been submitted to local and international organizations, ombudspersons of other countries, and national human rights institutions. 

At the end of the event, the report on the "Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Against Azerbaijanis" prepared by the Ombudsman Office was, presented to the participants.

During the event, Zahid Oruj, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Social Research Center, said that Armenia's hate speech and hate crimes against Azerbaijanis, which became public policy and were escalated to the highest levels of state administration, posed a threat to all nations and the region. Oruj also added that hate speech leads to violent terrorist acts and perpetuates eternal wars.

The Deputy Foreign Minister, Elnur Mammadov, stated that the crimes committed against the Azerbaijani people are a reflection of Armenia's long-standing ideology. He mentioned that after the Second Karabakh War, Azerbaijan sent numerous proposals for a peace agreement to Armenia, but the opposing side did not show a positive attitude.

Elmar Jafarov, the Deputy Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan, underlined that investigations have been conducted on the crimes committed during the First and Second Karabakh wars, as well as the criminal acts documented during the post-war period. Furthermore, investigations continue on the deliberate killing of civilians, death tolls and severe injuries caused by mine explosions.

The Chief Office of the Ministry of Education and Science, Metin Kerimli, highlighted that hatred against the Azerbaijani people is currently rising in other countries. He emphasized that the complete destruction of our cities that had been under occupation for three decades and the committed genocide against our citizens serve as clear evidence of this hatred.

At the end, broad discussions and exchanges of opinions were carried out during the conference on the topic.