Armenia’s former FM Vartan Oskanian to coordinate work of committee for collective repatriation of Artsakh people

The Committee for the Defense of the Fundamental Rights of the Artsakh People was mandated by a resolution of the Artsakh Parliament dated December 2, 2023

As per the recommendation of the members of the Committee, the responsibility for overseeing the Committee’s activities has been assigned to the former Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Vartan Oskanian.

The Committee will provide information about the start of its activity, the Committee members, and other details in the coming days.

We anticipate that individuals, groups, and institutions engaged in activities for the defense of the fundamental rights of the people of Artsakh will coordinate their work with this mandated Committee.

January 18, 2024

Background

In a Facebook posting, Oskanian defined the committee’s primary mission as “to advocate for and pursue the right of the collective repatriation of the Artsakh people to their homeland with international guarantees,” adding that “enduring peace in the region is unattainable when a segment of the Armenian people is forcibly uprooted from its homeland, and a coerced notion of ‘peace’ is imposed upon Armenia.”

On December 2, 2023, in a closed session, yet leaked to the press, the Artsakh parliament, currently based in Armenia and recognized as the legitimate elected body representing the will of the people, decided to establish an international committee dedicated to defending and advocating for their fundamental rights. This notably includes the right to the collective return to their homeland, backed by international guarantees.

The 10-month-long severe blockade imposed by Azerbaijan, followed by swift military aggression and violence against Nagorno-Karabakh in September of last year, resulted in the forced displacement of nearly all of the approximately 120,000 Armenians residing there. This occurred amid the looming threat of ethnic cleansing or genocide.

Both the European Union and the United States, among others, have urged Azerbaijan to permit those who wish to return to their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh to do so.

In a significant development on November 17, 2023, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the Republic of Azerbaijan must ensure the safe and unhindered return of those who left Nagorno-Karabakh after September 19, 2023.

Civilnet