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Akbar Novruz

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The Western Azerbaijan Community has strongly criticized Michael O'Flaherty, the Council of Europe High Commissioner for Human Rights, for what it described as a lack of awareness and one-sided approach in his recent responses to Armenian deputies in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Azernews reports.

In a statement, the Community said:

“It is unacceptable that the High Commissioner addresses the issue of the return of Armenians to Azerbaijan and does not mention the return of Western Azerbaijanis to their ancestral homeland in Armenia. We call on the High Commissioner not to be held hostage to the deeply rooted double standards policy in a number of Western institutions regarding human rights.”

The Community further criticized O'Flaherty for remaining silent on justice for Azerbaijani victims, particularly in light of the trial currently underway in Baku. It urged the High Commissioner to instead call on Armenia to prosecute war criminals within its own territory, including those responsible for the Aghdaban massacre, which occurred exactly 33 years ago.

The statement also demanded accountability from former Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosyan for his remarks boasting about the mass expulsion of Azerbaijanis, and called on the Commissioner to visit Armenia to observe the state of destroyed or neglected Azerbaijani cultural and religious heritage and investigate the prevailing anti-Azerbaijani sentiment in the country’s media and public discourse.