Washington to host int'l conference on rights of Western Azerbaijanis to return

On June 24, an international conference titled Right of Return and Self-Determination: Double Standards and Selective Approaches will be held at the US Congress building (Capitol Hill) in Washington, organized by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), the group told Report.

This will be the first event in the US Congress dedicated to the ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijanis by Armenia.

The conference will bring together experts specializing in refugee and minority rights, human rights defenders, international law specialists, representatives of diaspora organizations affected by ethnic violence, discrimination, and persecution, civil society institutions, and members of victimized communities.

Participants will discuss the recognition of fundamental rights – particularly the right of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis forcibly expelled from their historic lands in Armenia to return safely, voluntarily, and with dignity – and the need for international organizations to keep this issue in focus.

The event will also address the systematic destruction, desecration, and appropriation of Azerbaijani cultural, religious, and historical heritage in Armenia, including toponyms, mosques, cemeteries, shrines, and other monuments. Discussions will explore ways to bring these violations under international accountability and monitoring mechanisms within the UN framework, including fact-finding missions, special rapporteurs, and other international mandates.

Additionally, the conference will examine the right of peoples suffering from colonialism to self-determination, with particular attention to placing colonies on the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories requiring decolonization.

Washington to host int'l conference on rights of Western Azerbaijanis to return