United Nations: Human Rights expert calls on Azerbaijan to guarantee the rights of ethnic Armenians Nagorno-Karabakh

On September 27th, Morris Tidball-Binz, the UN Human Rights Council-appointed Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, explained that Azerbaijan must guarantee the rights of ethnic Armenians in the Karabakh region and ensure that the lives of civilians are respected and protected according to its international obligations. 

Conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Kabarkh region has transpired for more than 30 years. In 2020, a ceasefire and Trilateral Statement was agreed upon following six weeks of fighting by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia, leading to the deployment of thousands of  Russian peacekeepers.

The fighting that broke out last week and the arrival of the first refugees in Armenia prompted the UN chief to step in and call for full scale access for aid workers to people in need. “Investigations must be conducted in accordance with international standards, in particular the Revised UN Manual on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-Legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions, also known as the Minnesota Protocol,” stated Tidball-Binz.

The Special Rapporteur assures that he is available to provide any assistance to authorities in    these investigations. He is willing to aid in measuring the degree of Azerbaijan’s compliance to their international humanitarian law and human rights obligations. Answering questions from reporters in New York, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric explained that the UN has been conversing with the Government of Azerbaijan regarding the issues of international law and humanitarian principles, proclaiming that the Government has ascertained that all citizens in the Karabakh region would be protected.

Images showcasing the actuality of the brutality faced by ethnic Armenians have been quite alarming. Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, stated that “...the images of people leaving due to fear of identity-based violence are very alarming.” She called for “all efforts to be made” to protect the human rights of ethnic Armeanians who remain in the Karabakh region and those who left.

During a press briefing in Geneva earlier in the day, the World Health Organization’s head of Health Emergencies stated that a third of the population of the Karabakh region has migrated in a very short period of time. These people don’t have their usual goods and services with them. They lack medication, food, water, and shelter. Therefore, it is necessary that they receive emergency shelter due to cold temperatures at night, the risk of dehydration, and the risk of disease and trauma.

Last update

5/10/2023