BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. An international
conference titled “The Right of Return and Self-Determination:
Double Standards and Selective Approaches” was held on Capitol Hill
in Washington, D.C., bringing together experts, advocates and
members of the Azerbaijani diaspora to discuss displacement,
refugee rights and international legal standards.
According to the Baku Initiative Group, the event sought to
raise international awareness about what organizers described as
the ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of Azerbaijanis from
Armenia.
Participants included specialists in refugee and minority
rights, human rights advocates, international law experts,
representatives of civil society organizations and Azerbaijanis of
Western Azerbaijani origin.
Speakers emphasized the importance of ensuring international
attention remains focused on what they described as the fundamental
right of displaced people to return to their ancestral lands in a
safe, voluntary and dignified manner. Participants cited the case
of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis who they said were
forcibly displaced from territories in present-day Armenia as a
result of policies of ethnic cleansing.
Conference attendees also called for an international legal
assessment of what they described as the systematic destruction,
desecration and appropriation of Azerbaijani cultural, religious
and historical heritage in Armenia. They cited the loss or
alteration of toponyms, mosques, cemeteries, shrines and other
historical sites, and urged international organizations to
investigate and document alleged violations on the ground.
Representatives of Armenian-American media outlets, including
members of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA),
attended the event as observers. Organizers reported that no
incidents occurred during the conference.
Several Azerbaijani-Americans of Western Azerbaijani origin
shared personal accounts of displacement and refugee experiences,
describing the humanitarian impact of forced migration from
Armenia. Representatives of the Zikh community said the right to a
safe, voluntary and dignified return is not only a humanitarian
concern but also a fundamental human right and a matter of
historical justice.
Among other speakers were Oussama Jammal, secretary-general of
the Council of Muslim Organizations of the United States, and
Matthew Stewart, founder and chief executive officer of the
nonprofit organization “Our Sister Our Brother.” Both speakers
condemned discrimination, forced displacement and rights violations
based on ethnicity, while highlighting the need to protect
displaced communities, amplify their voices in international forums
and strengthen global solidarity.
At the conclusion of the conference, participants adopted an
appeal addressed to members of the U.S. Congress. The document
called for the consistent, fair and non-discriminatory application
of the rights of return and self-determination in accordance with
international law.
The appeal also urged international support for the right of
Western Azerbaijanis to return to their homeland in a safe,
voluntary and dignified manner, restore property rights and
preserve cultural heritage. In addition, the document raised
concerns regarding the rights of the Zikh community and peoples
from territories formerly under Dutch colonial rule, calling on
Congress to consider those issues as well.
The appeal concluded by stressing that the rights of return,
self-determination and universal human rights should be protected
through a unified and principled approach, without selective
application.
