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Sabina Mammadli

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A group of Western Azerbaijani women have sent an appeal to the European Commission to support the safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis to their homes. The appeal has been made to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

Addressing the EU official, the letter informed her of the ethnic cleansing and other crimes against humanity against Azerbaijani people, noting that the Western Azerbaijan Community established in 1989, is dedicated to defending the rights of Azerbaijanis who have been forced to flee their homes in Armenia.

The community pointed out that not a single Azerbaijani is left in Armenia after the total ethnic cleansing, which has had a devastating effect on the community, particularly on women and girls, who have suffered greatly as a result of the expulsion.

“We would like to highlight that the Western Azerbaijan Community places a specific emphasis on the women, peace and security agenda in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Our organization has developed the Concept of Return, in which the interests of women, children, and vulnerable social groups are considered the main priority, and the internationally accepted progressive concepts and standards in this field, including the women, peace and security agenda, are envisaged to play a central role in the return process,” the appeal reads.

Furthermore, it was specified that the empowerment of women is essential to creating a peaceful and stable society, which the community is committed to promoting.

The appeal also drew attention to the destruction of Azerbaijani cultural heritage in Armenia, and the refusal of Armenia to allow Azerbaijanis to visit their cemeteries, cultural heritage, and sacred places, despite the fact that such visits are crucial for peace and reconciliation.

Besides, the community pointed out that an appeal has previously been written to EU Council President Charles Michel to raise awareness of the organization's work and to seek political support for its efforts to enable the safe and dignified return of expelled Azerbaijanis from Armenia.

“We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the EU's mediatory role in the normalization of inter-state relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It goes without saying that the return process will also require substantial practical support from the international community. We would appreciate relevant practical assistance of the European Commission for our return, particularly for devising and implementing programs for addressing special needs of Azerbaijani women and girls during their repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration in Armenia,” the community underlined.

Moreover, the women also stated that they count on von der Leyen’s personal support and understanding, as a woman and mother, of the plight of Azerbaijani women and girls who are suffering as a result of the ethnic cleansing carried out by Armenia.

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Sabina Mammadli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SabinaMmdl

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