Gardman-Shirvan-Nakhichevan Union Responds to US Inclusion of Azerbaijan in Religious Freedom Monitoring List

The Gardman-Shirvan-Nakhichevan All-Armenian Union has responded to the announcement by the United States regarding Azerbaijan's inclusion in the Religious Freedom Monitoring List.

"US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that Azerbaijan has been included in the Religious Freedom Monitoring List. This decision comes after Azerbaijan established control over the entire territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and engaged in ethnic cleansing, resulting in serious violations or toleration of religious freedoms," the statement reads.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, which has previously raised concerns about threats to Armenian cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, is once again warning of serious concerns regarding the regulation of religious activities in Azerbaijan. Such a declaration from the Commission, which plays a vital role in the international community and the rule of law, is an extremely important step in uncovering the crimes against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and providing an appropriate assessment of these actions.

The Gardman-Shirvan-Nakhichevan All-Armenian Union welcomes the efforts of the United States towards ensuring human rights and freedoms. We have repeatedly sounded the alarm regarding the religious and ethnic discrimination and the absolute brutality occurring in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the systematic vandalism perpetrated in historical Gardman, Shirvan, and Nakhichevan over the past decades.

We are committed to defending the violated rights of the displaced Armenian populations from historic Gardman, Shirvan, Nakhichevan, as well as Nagorno-Karabakh, and we call upon the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, along with other international legal bodies and organizations, to pursue a just investigation into the ethnic cleansing perpetrated by Azerbaijan in both Nagorno-Karabakh currently and in historical Gardman, Shirvan, and Nakhichevan over the past 35 years, condemning these actions and imposing appropriate punishment.

The Gardman-Shirvan-Nakhichevan All-Armenian Union is confident that through the coordinated efforts of the US and other international actors, it will be possible to mitigate the threat to the cultural heritage of Armenian Christianity, which holds significant global value, greatly contributing to the democratization and peaceful resolution processes in our region," the statement concludes.