US Congressional Groups “Misrepresent” Azerbaijan's Situation, Says Azeri MFA

Some groups in the US Congress are openly distorting the situation in Azerbaijan.

This statement was made by the spokesperson of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Ayhan Hajizade, while commenting on the hearings held on September 19 by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the US Congress. At these hearings, numerous accusations were made against Azerbaijan.

"This is yet another example of how certain groups in the US Congress are openly distorting the situation in Azerbaijan under the guise of human rights, while demonstrating disrespect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan," he said.

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16 Swiss Parliament Members Request Executive Action on Karabakh Armenians’ Return

Pro-Armenian member of the Swiss Federal Assembly, Erich Vontobel, along with 15 other MPs, submitted a written request to Switzerland’s executive branch on Thursday. The request concerns the return of Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh and the restoration of their rights.

On September 23, the Swiss executive branch is required to address the following questions from the parliamentary rostrum:

• Does Switzerland recognize the right of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians to return to their homeland and exercise their right to self-determination there?
• At COP29, does the Swiss delegation plan to raise the issue of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh and the right of return for its inhabitants?
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The former and current Ombudsmen of Artsakh have filed a complaint to the ICC Prosecutor against Azerbaijan on charges of crimes against humanity

In association with the Tufenkian Foundation and the Association de soutien à l'Artsakh, international leading lawyers François Zimeray and Catalina de la Sota are representing Artak Beglaryan and Gegham Stepanyan.

It is stressed in the complaint that they had experienced deprivations of food and health care following a nine-month blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh which began in December 2022. That was followed by a lightning invasion by Azerbaijan’s military on September 19th, 2023, and a forced displacement of the population from the territory.

Several other leaders and residents who were unable to flee Nagorno-Karabakh were arrested by the Azerbaijani authorities and have since been detained, subjected to torture and ill-treatment and denied proper access to their families and lawyers.

For their lawyers François Zimeray and Catalina de la Sota, “Nothing justifies the forcible uprooting of men, women and children from their home and land. The world must say no to this political bestiality. This is what is at stake in the complaint we are filing.”

The complaint, known formally as a “communication”, was filed in accordance with Article 15 of the Rome Statute establishing the court, under which the Prosecutor may open an investigation in light of information brought to his attention. For the lawyers "the deportation of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh bears all the hallmarks of a crime against humanity. It was the forcible displacement of persons from the area in which they were lawfully present, as part of a widespread attack against the civilian population with full knowledge of it. All the conditions are present to ensure that those responsible are held accountable before international criminal justice.”
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Tehran reaffirms its principled position regarding the inviolability of international borders
“Just received a greeting phone call from @VahanKostanyan, DFM of Armenia. I reiterated our strong desire to strengthen relations with all our neighbors. I also expressed our principled position on inviolibility of int'l borders. I gladly accepted his invitation to visit Yerevan,” the newly appointed Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht Ravanchi said on X, commenting his phone call with his Armenian counterpart.
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Regional peace, security and stability is not merely a preference, but a pillar of our national security, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on X.

“Any threat from North, South, East, or West to territorial integrity of our neighbors or redrawing of boundaries is totally unacceptable and a red line for Iran,” Araqchi posted.
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Envoy: Russia has not given up its role as ‘honest broker’ in Azerbaijan-Armenia negotiations
Russia has never given up its role as an "honest broker" in the negotiation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Russian ambassador to Yerevan,, Sergey Kopyrkin, said in an interview with the CSTO publication, TASS reports.
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Artsakh Ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan stated that Baku is conducting judicial procedures involving Artsakh leaders in a closed setting. Neither Armenian human rights activists nor international organizations have access to the investigation materials.

During the program "Day with Nver Mnatsakanyan," Stepanyan mentioned that Azerbaijani authorities are bringing fabricated charges against Armenian prisoners under various legal provisions.

According to him, it is unclear how Azerbaijan decided in 2023 which Karabakh leaders should be arrested and which should be allowed to enter Armenia. He suggested that these decisions were likely made at the highest levels of the Azerbaijani leadership.
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Putin, Aliyev Discuss South Caucasus

Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a telephone call on August 28 with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness to provide all possible assistance to Baku and Yerevan to iron out sticking points delaying a peace deal between the two South Caucasus nations.

The call follows a meeting between Putin and Aliyev in Baku two weeks ago.

They also discussed various aspects of the current situation in the South Caucasus.

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