The Ombudsman sent letter to UN High Commissioner for Refugees regarding protection of rights of persons deported from Armenia

Sabina Aliyeva, the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, sent an official letter to Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, regarding the right of return of our Azerbaijani compatriots who were previously deported from Armenia.

According to the Ombudsman's letter, the ethnic cleansing policy resulted in the systematic expulsion of our compatriots from the territory of present-day Armenia at different points in time, in violation of international law.

The letter noted that a number of international legal documents, including UN General Assembly Resolution 194, recognize the right of return as a fundamental human right and that every individual has the right to return to their homeland. Furthermore, it was noted that, according to the general principles of international law, the right of return does not apply only to persons forcibly expelled from their homeland, but also to their family members and future generations, and the right to claim compensation for material and moral damage suffered.

In the letter to the Commissioner Filippo Grandi, the Ombudsman emphasized the significance of her mandate to take proactive steps to guarantee international recognition of the right of return of Azerbaijanis who have been forcibly evicted from their ancestral lands and to bring this matter to the attention of the world's human rights community. She also expressed her confidence that such efforts would help bring about long-term peace and the creation of justice in the area and urged support for the inclusion of this delicate topic in pertinent UN reports and recommendations.