Artsakh rights body warns against legitimizing ethnic cleansing

The Committee for the Protection of the Fundamental Rights of the People of Artsakh has issued an open letter urging diplomats in Azerbaijan to avoid legitimizing the consequences of ethnic cleansing and forced displacement. The committee warned that state-organized tours to occupied areas, including Shushi, Gandzasar, and Stepanakert, risk creating an appearance of normalcy following the September 2023 military offensive that displaced the region’s indigenous Armenian population.

Controversy has arisen following a two-day visit to Nagorno-Karabakh by representatives from 58 countries and nine international organizations. During these visits, Azerbaijan portrayed Armenian religious heritage as ‘Caucasian Albanian,’ a historical theory used to deny the Armenian origins of medieval monuments. Critics and Armenian authorities expressed concern that such narratives, combined with the destruction of ancient cemeteries and inscriptions, constitute an attempt to erase Armenian cultural and religious identity.

The committee has called on the international community to demand independent access for UNESCO and international monitors, to condemn the alteration of cultural heritage, and to support the right of displaced Armenians to a safe and voluntary return to the region.