An international conference focusing on the right of return of Azerbaijanis displaced from present-day Armenia was held on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 24, organisers said.
The event, titled “Right of Return and Self-Determination: Double Standards and Selective Approaches,” was organised by the Baku Initiative Group and brought together experts on refugee and minority rights, international law specialists, civil society representatives and members of the Azerbaijani diaspora originating from Western Azerbaijan, APA reports.
Participants called for greater international attention to what organisers described as the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis from Armenia and urged support for their right to a safe, voluntary and dignified return to their ancestral homes.
Speakers also called for international legal scrutiny of alleged destruction and appropriation of Azerbaijani cultural, religious and historical heritage in Armenia, including mosques, cemeteries, shrines and historical place names. They urged international organisations to investigate and document such claims.
Members of the Azerbaijani-American community shared personal accounts of displacement and refugee experiences during the conference.
Representatives of the Sikh community attending the event said the right to return should be regarded as a fundamental human right and an issue of historical justice.
Among the speakers were Oussama Jammal, Secretary General of the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations, and Matthew Stewart, founder and chief executive of the non-profit organisation Our Sister Our Brother. They stressed the need to combat ethnic discrimination and forced displacement while strengthening international support for displaced communities.
According to organisers, representatives of Armenian media outlets in the United States, including members of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), observed the proceedings. No incidents were reported.
At the conclusion of the conference, participants adopted an appeal addressed to members of the U.S. Congress, calling for the consistent and non-discriminatory application of the right of return and the principle of self-determination in line with international law.
The appeal also urged international support for the restoration of property rights and the protection of the cultural heritage of Western Azerbaijanis. In addition, it raised concerns regarding the rights of Sikh communities and peoples from territories formerly under Dutch colonial rule, calling on U.S. lawmakers to pay greater attention to those issues.
Organisers said the document emphasised the need to uphold universal human rights, the right of return and self-determination on a principled basis without selective application.
By Aghakazim Guliyev
