Human Rights Defender: Azerbaijan's Policy of Hatred Keeps Anti-Armenian Sentiment Active Worldwide

Azerbaijan's policy of hatred towards Armenians is spreading and keeps anti-Armenian sentiment active worldwide, maintaining tensions between the two peoples and threatening human rights systems in other countries. This was stated by Armenia's Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan on his Facebook page.

He noted, in particular, that on November 19 in San Francisco, accompanied by the Armenian National Committee of America and prominent American Armenian lawyer Karo Ghazarian, he visited the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church and the Grigoryan-Zakarian-Vaspurakan National School, which were attacked last year by Azerbaijani criminal groups. Specifically, the church was set on fire in September 2020, and in July, the school was subjected to vandalism with graffiti expressing anti-Armenian hatred and hostility. Following that, on September 21, 2020, shots were fired at the school.

Furthermore, the school caters to children from preschool age up to the 8th grade. Discussions were held in the church with Smpad G. Saboundjian, and in the school, with the director, teaching staff, and children. They confirmed the shocking attacks and presented their known details of the incidents.

These acts contradict human rights and democracy, infringing upon the rights of individuals to be free from violence, as well as the interests of children, and the freedom of conscience and religion, among other vital rights. They demonstrate that Azerbaijan's policy of hatred is spreading and actively maintaining animosity towards Armenians worldwide, keeping tensions between the two peoples high, endangering human rights systems in other countries, and maintaining an atmosphere of tension.

The investigation into these criminal acts is being carried out by the FBI as hate-motivated crimes. My visit to California was organized with the support of the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region (ANCA-WR).