FM: Resettlement of Syrian Armenians in occupied lands aimed at preventing expelled Azerbaijani population from returning to their homes

FM: Resettlement of Syrian Armenians in occupied lands aimed at preventing expelled Azerbaijani population from returning to their homes
# 24 October 2017 12:29 (UTC +04:00)

One of the elements of concern for Azerbaijan is that in searching effective ways out of the migration crisis currently faced by the international community, it is of utmost importance to pay careful attention to the attempts of some political leaders to misuse suffering migrants in their own malicious interests, said Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

Mammadyarov made the remarks at the High-Level Segment entitled “Advancing Mediterranean security and cooperation in an age of large movements of migrants and refugees”, held in the framework of 2017 OSCE Mediterranean Conference, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told APA.

He pointed out that policy pursued by Armenia aimed at resettling Armenians from Syria on the occupied lands of Azerbaijan in a grave breach of international humanitarian law, in particular the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention and Additional Protocols is a vivid example to these attempts of misuse of human suffering for illegal purposes.

These policies and practices implemented by Armenia in the occupied territories, including attempts to change the economic, cultural and demographic character at the occupied territories, demonstrate its intention to prevent the expelled Azerbaijani population from returning to their homes and to further continue the annexation of Azerbaijani territories, FM Mammadyarov stressed.

“It is worth mentioning that the European Court of Human Rights in its judgment on the case of Chiragov and others v. Armenia affirmed the right of displaced persons to return to their homes and called for respecting international humanitarian law and human rights law provisions relating to property rights issues,” the foreign minister said. “The court stressed the ongoing negotiations within the OSCE Minsk Group do not provide a legal justification for the interference with the rights of the Azerbaijani IDPs and recalled Armenia’s obligations towards Azerbaijanis who had to flee during the conflict. Consequently, the court’s ruling highlights the unlawfulness of any purported transfer of property in the occupied territories.”

Mammadyarov noted that strong international and public condemnation of the illegal activities in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan can seriously undermine intentions of Armenia’s leadership to consolidate existing status-quo and enrich perspectives for the peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Nagorno Garabagh

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