“As emphasized in the Commissioner’s observations, this was the first human rights mission to the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in the last 30 years following the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia. The visit, carried out at the invitation and with the consent of the Government of Azerbaijan, is also an indicator of the transparency and cooperation of the Government of Azerbaijan with respect to international human rights institutions.
Overall, the report minimizes unfounded accusations of so-called ‘ethnic cleansing’ or ‘forced resettlement’ as a result of local anti-terrorist measures conducted by the armed forces with serious precautions regarding civilian territories on the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan on September 19-20, 2023.
The report highlights a number of specific steps taken by the Government of Azerbaijan to ensure the right to return and other human rights, especially after measures to combat terrorism. Here, Azerbaijan’s positive intention and approach to the issue of reintegration of the local Armenian population and measures provided within this process are emphasized.
The Commissioner’s report reflects the prolonged impact of the conflict and occupation by Armenia on the destroyed civilian infrastructure, demining and reconstruction work, undertaken to ensure the right of Azerbaijani internally displaced persons to safely and with dignity return to the liberated areas.
Finally, it should be particularly noted that Azerbaijan invited the Commissioner to visit our country, expecting that he would conduct observations based on impartiality, equality, and universality of all human rights. Considering the results of the visit, Azerbaijan notes that the Commissioner’s observations lack complete fairness and impartiality. The Commissioner focuses on a narrow and single perspective, missing a comprehensive view of the situation. In this regard, Azerbaijan believes that the conclusions are based not on the Commissioner’s direct observations during his visit, but primarily on data obtained from other incomplete and biased sources,” the information states.
