Dunja Mijatović: Azerbaijan must guarantee the right of Armenians to return to their homes in safety and dignity

“Human rights violations have again marked the last chapter of the long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in and around the Karabakh region,” the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, said at the end of her visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan, the official statement on her visit reads.

She noted that full respect for human rights of all and strict adherence to relevant international standards should now be placed at the center of the path towards reconciliation and durable peace between the two countries.

Mijatović met with senior officials, human rights defenders, those affected by the conflict, and representatives of international and human rights organizations, and also visited Artsakh.

“The visit was prompted by the mass displacement of over 100’600 Karabakh Armenians who fled to Armenia in only a few days at the end of September. It followed Azerbaijan’s military action on 19 and 20 September, its subsequent full control over the region and the prolonged disruption in the movement of people and access to essential goods, services and energy supplies experienced by Karabakh Armenians as a result of a nine-month blocking of the road along the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan. They found themselves abandoned, without any reliable security or protection guarantees by any party. For them, leaving home was the only option available,” said the Commissioner.

The Commissioner also visited shelters for displaced persons in the cities of Aghavnadzor and Tsaghkadzor in the Kotayk province, where she spoke with Artsakh Armenians, including families, older persons, people with disabilities and other vulnerable persons. She also had meetings with representatives of international organizations and civil society.

Mijatović stressed that Azerbaijan must guarantee the human rights of the ethnic Armenians remaining in the region and of those who have left for Armenia, including the right to return to their homes in safety and dignity.

She noted “the importance of ensuring the human rights of all displaced persons, including their right to return in dignity and safety; the right to be protected against the danger of mines and explosive remnants of war; the human rights of captives to receive protection; the right to know the fate and whereabout of missing persons; the need for independent and effective investigations into serious human rights violations reported in relation to the conflict; and the importance of providing adequate and effective reparation to the victims.”