BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 23. The Azerbaijan
National NGO Forum, the umbrella organization uniting hundreds of
civil society institutions, has issued an “Open Letter” condemning
the U.S.-based Lemkin Institute’s (Lemkin Institute for Genocide
Prevention) call to release ethnic Armenian individuals accused of
war crimes, including Ruben Vardanyan, Trend reports.
The letter criticizes the Lemkin Institute for attempting to
undermine peace efforts in the South Caucasus, including
initiatives led by former U.S. President Donald Trump. It
highlights that the institute, under the management of figures like
Lucy Mirzoyan, promotes divisive ethnic and religious agendas and
aligns with revanchist groups in Armenia, threatening the peace
agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The “Open Letter” notes that the institute, named after Raphael
Lemkin, has faced criticism even from Lemkin’s own family for
misuse of his name, and its positions have been repeatedly
questioned by Armenian institutions such as the Zoryan Institute.
The Azerbaijan National NGO Forum emphasized that the Lemkin
Institute’s call to release individuals accused of war crimes,
while ignoring mass atrocities like the Khojaly genocide,
contradicts its stated mission.
The forum implored the Lemkin Institute to engage in responsible
discourse and extend a formal apology to the Azerbaijani public.
The institute has not responded to the claims outlined in the
letter.
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