The Artsakh Union Delegation Presented the Priorities for the Protection of the Rights of the People of Artsakh to MEP Marina Mesure

On July 15 in Yerevan, the Artsakh Union delegation met with Member of the European Parliament Marina Mesure to present the crimes committed against the forcibly displaced people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and the main priorities for the restoration of their rights. These include the immediate and unconditional release of Armenian hostages held in Baku, the protection of Artsakh's spiritual and cultural heritage and the realization of the right to a safe, dignified and collective return for around 150,000 individuals forcibly expelled from their homeland.

The organization was represented by Artsakh Union President Artak Beglaryan and Executive Board Member and Head of the Foreign Relations Working Group Armine Aleksanyan. The delegation passed on to Ms. Mesure first-hand testimonies regarding the 2023 Azerbaijani aggression, the subsequent mass forced displacement and other violations of the fundamental rights of the people of Artsakh.

The delegation presented that Azerbaijan continues to illegally detain a group of representatives of the former military-political leadership of the Republic of Artsakh and other Armenian captives. They are subjected to fabricated trials, which the European Parliament, Amnesty International and independent observers have consistently condemned as politically motivated processes devoid of any standards for a fair trial.

"These individuals are hostages, not accused. Europe must consider their release as a mandatory precondition for relations with Baku, rather than a secondary issue pushed into the shadow of energy interests," Armine Aleksanyan emphasized during the meeting.

During the meeting, special reference was made to the fate of Armenian cultural and religious heritage throughout the entire territory of Artsakh. Centuries-old churches, monasteries, khachkars (cross-stones) and cemeteries are now under Azerbaijan's control. They are subjected not only to physical destruction but also to state-sponsored systematic falsification aimed at distorting their origins. The Artsakh Union warned Ms. Mesure that this cultural genocide is inseparable from the continuous policy of ethnic cleansing of the people themselves: every destroyed church and falsified inscription aims to completely eliminate any possibility of the indigenous people's return.

The delegation expressed serious concern regarding the so-called "peace agenda" promoted by the Armenian authorities and international mediators, pointing out the glaring disregard for the protection of the rights and interests of the displaced people of Artsakh.

"The negotiation documents do not contain any provision regarding the collective return of the people of Artsakh and the protection of their rights, which is a direct result of the inaction of the Government of Armenia," noted Artsakh Union President Artak Beglaryan. "Any settlement built on silence and the disregard of the fundamental rights of the people of Artsakh cannot bring a stable and just peace to the region. We reaffirm our determination to achieve our return, the realization of our other fundamental rights and justice by using all available legal and political avenues."

During the meeting, Marina Mesure emphasized her ongoing care for the rights of the people of Artsakh, promising to employ all possible mechanisms to raise the identified issues and implement the relevant European Parliament resolutions. She stressed that the ethnic cleansing of the people of Artsakh cannot be tolerated by civilized Europe and Azerbaijan must be held accountable for it.

As a result of the meeting, Ms. Mesure sent a written inquiry to the European Commission demanding the realization of the right to a safe and unhindered return of the displaced Armenians, based on the legally binding order of the UN International Court of Justice of November 17, 2023. She also raised the question of what role this fundamental human rights obligation should play in the EU's political and economic relations with Azerbaijan. Subsequently, Ms. Mesure published this written inquiry on her official social platforms to ensure broad awareness of the issue.

The Artsakh Union highly appreciates Ms. Mesure's prompt response and sincere commitment to defending the rights of the forcibly displaced population. The organization is determined to continue providing Ms. Mesure's office with documented evidence and legal analyses regarding cultural vandalism and ethnic cleansing to guarantee that European institutions are guided not by Baku's false assurances but by established facts and norms of international law.