Karabakh activists called for support for the right of displaced persons to return

International organizations and Armenian diaspora activists abroad must seek the return of refugees to Nagorno-Karabakh under the supervision of UN peacekeeping forces and with guarantees, representatives of Karabakh NGOs stated.

As "Caucasian Knot" reported, the Armenian authorities are not paying enough attention to Karabakh refugees, refugees indicated on the first anniversary of the outbreak of hostilities. The Nagorno-Karabakh parliament declared September 19 as the Day of Forced Deportation and Struggle for Rights. Internally displaced persons consider it necessary to seek their return to their homes and protect the interests of refugees at the international level.

More than 50 Karabakh non-governmental organizations have issued an appeal to Armenians, calling on organizations and individuals in the diaspora to support the demands of Karabakh Armenians. "From the first days of independence, Armenia has been a reliable guarantor of our security, and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) has been a shield protecting the eastern borders of our shared homeland, while the diaspora has always helped us overcome difficult challenges and build statehood," the statement reads.

The authors of the appeal note that the socioeconomic situation of internally displaced persons in Armenia continues to deteriorate. They called for assistance to ensure that "the issue of collective return and the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh (the self-designation of Nagorno-Karabakh) remains at the center of the international political, legal, and informational agenda."

Addressing the international community, the activists outlined five conditions for the collective return of the Armenian population to Karabakh, stating that the return of Nagorno-Karabakh residents to Azerbaijani jurisdiction is "out of the question." Return will be possible if the "Azerbaijani armed forces, police, and administrative structures" are completely withdrawn from the region. A multinational international UN peacekeeping force must be deployed along the entire border of the Republic of Artsakh, and a demilitarized zone must be established. The internationally recognized Lachin corridor must be fully transferred to UN control and administration. The territory of the Republic of Artsakh must be transferred to UN administration for a transitional period to ensure conditions for the return of all refugees, the formation of democratic and legal institutions, and economic recovery. A new referendum under the auspices of the UN must confirm the final political status of Nagorno-Karabakh, the results of which will be legally recognized by all states," the appeal states.

They also demanded that any criminal prosecution of Karabakh Armenians by Azerbaijan on any charges related to the entire period of the conflict be excluded. "All Armenians detained and already convicted in Azerbaijan must be immediately released," reads the appeal, published on the page of the "Union for Artsakh" association, which includes public organizations of Nagorno-Karabakh. Fifty-five organizations signed the statement.

Karabakh residents must "more actively assert their rights and firmly demand that those responsible be punished for the war, blockade, and deportation," noted Saro Saryan, head of the public organization of refugees from Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh.

"It is necessary not to stop at this appeal, but to appeal to every state with an important role in world politics, "as well as to all international human rights structures," said Asmik Mikaelyan, head of the NGO "Motherhood."

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