“Brussels an instrument in Azerbaijan’s leadership hands”

In connection with the event entitled “Internally Displaced Persons in Azerbaijan: from Khodjalu (Nagorno-Karabakh) to Baku” scheduled for February 9, 2011, Brussels, Foreign Minister of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Georgy Petrossian sent messages to its organizers – Vice-Speaker of the European Parliament, Coordinator of the Human Rights Committee Laszlo Tokes and Human Rights Without Frontiers NGO.

"It is with deep regret that we learned about the event entitled “Internally Displaced Persons in Azerbaijan: from Khodjalu (Nagorno-Karabakh) to Baku” scheduled for February 9, 2011, Brussels, and hosted by the Human Rights Without Frontiers, jointly with H.E. Laszlo Tokes, Vice-Speaker of the European Parliament, Coordinator of the Human Rights Committee, where only one side of the story would be heard, leaving out of attention the fates of the victims of Sumgait, Baku and Kirovabad and other once Armenian populated regions of Azerbaijan. Let alone the rights of the people of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, most of the population of which has become internally displaced as a result of the military actions imposed by Azerbaijan... We protest against such one-sided events, where an attempt is made to present only one side of the story to please the authorities of the state that spares no efforts to use the Khodjalu tragedy as a propaganda tool for the sake of its political gains. It is, indeed, sad that such a reputable organization as yours has become another instrument in the hands of Azerbaijan’s leadership in its efforts to distort the truth about Khodjalu", read the messages.

The Foreign Minister drew the attention of the European Parliament Vice-Speaker to the fact that the Kodjalu events were used by Azerbaijan as a propaganda tool for drawing the international community's attention away from the crimes and human rights violations committed by this country. He noted that the Azerbaijani journalist, Einulla Phatullaev, who had introduced the truth about the Khodjalu events in his ‘Karabakhian Diary’, was still in prison.

"There exist a great number of witness testimonies and stories about the truth of what happened in Khodjalu. True human rights activists should carefully examine them and make corresponding conclusions. To ease the task of those looking for the truth, we can readily offer the existing documents and internet links about the falsifications related to the Khodjalu events», reads the message.

The NKR Foreign Minister called upon the Human Rights Without Frontiers to consider the tragic fate of the victims of the Sumgait massacres, Baku pogroms, ethnic cleansings in Shahumian and all other people deported from Azerbaijan.

"It is our deepest belief that no one should be allowed to manipulate the human tragedy for the sake of political gains. Human right is a universal value and should be applicable to all human beings irrespective of their creed, color, and place of birth. The fact that the people of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic live in a country not recognized by the international community does not in any way deprive them of their fundamental rights", Georgy Petrossian emphasized.

The NKR Foreign Minister expressed hope that the Human Rights Committee of the European Parliament would do its utmost to avoid hosting events that do not consider the rights and freedoms of all.