Howard University lecturer voices support for right of Western Azerbaijanis to return

Rhoda Arrindell, a lecturer at Howard University and president of the One St. Martin Association, has expressed support for the right of Western Azerbaijanis to return to their ancestral homes.

According to the Baku Initiative Group, cited by Report, Arrindell said that all people who have suffered displacement should be able to exercise their rights freely, without obstacles or coercion.

She also stressed the importance of ensuring that people displaced from their homes have the right to return based on their own choices and under conditions suitable for them.

"We acknowledge the right of the Western Azerbaijani people to return to their homeland," Arrindell said.

She noted that, alongside Western Azerbaijanis, the issue of the right to return also concerns people displaced from their ancestral homes in various parts of the world.

Arrindell said the One St. Martin Association is ready to support efforts to protect the rights of displaced people and cooperate with international partners to contribute to their return to their ancestral homes.

She also said conferences organized by the Baku Initiative Group provide opportunities to bring the problems faced by different peoples to the attention of the international community and voice positions concerning the right to return.

We acknowledge the right of the Western Azerbaijani people to return to their homeland. Arrindell Rhoda Rebecca - Lecturer (PhD), Howard University, USA #RightOfReturn #WesternAzerbaijan #displacedpeople #SelfDetermination #humanrights https://t.co/HQDKd0j5kU

— Baku Initiative Group (@bakuinitiative) September 15, 2026