HRC 55th Session: Item 4. General debate

Delivered by H.E. Mr. Andranik Hovhannisyan, Permanent Representative

President,

Two days ago, Azerbaijan organized a lighting of a huge ceremonial fire in the city of Stepanakert in Nagorno-Karabakh and officially called it a "final cleaning".

A "final cleaning" in a region where according to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe almost the entire Armenian population left their ancestral homes "out of a genuine threat of physical extinction, a long-standing policy of hatred towards Armenians, and a lack of trust in their future treatment."

A "final cleaning" in a region, where according to the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights for Armenians "leaving home was the only reasonable option available" out of the "deep-rooted fear for their lives" and "future stemming from previous unresolved atrocities and ongoing intimidatory acts."

A "final cleaning" in a region, where according to the joint statement supported by forty states here at the HRC the "massive displacement of Armenians from their homes stemmed from Azerbaijan's military operation and nine-month long blockage of the Lachin corridor leading to dire humanitarian conditions."

The human rights are under serious threat when such slogans as "final cleaning" are used and remain unchallenged.

Thank you.

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