Delegates Must Demand Aliyev Release Artsakh Leadership Before COP29 Summit: Jonathan Shbankerperk

During the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change delegates' summit in Bonn, Germany, Jonathan Shbankerperk, president of the Central Council of German-Armenians, initiated awareness actions demanding the release of the Artsakh military-political leadership and all Armenian prisoners held illegally in Baku. NEWS.am interviewed Shbankerperk about the actions organized and future steps.

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change delegates' summit in Bonn essentially sets the agenda for COP29, which will take place in Baku in November. You and your organization, along with several others, initiated active actions last week, rightly highlighting that Azerbaijan is trying to cleanse itself by hosting COP29. How did the actions go, what results do you have, and what will your next steps be?

“We organized the actions in a fairly short time. We conducted two actions; the first was on Monday when the assembly began, attended by about 20 participants. The second action was on Friday, June 7, which had about 30 Armenians participating. We managed to talk to a significant number of delegations, inform them about Azerbaijan's actions, distributed about 800 flyers, and inquired about raising our demands among those delegations. Part of the demonstration featured photos of Armenian political prisoners illegally held in Azerbaijan. Our goal now is to try to elevate our issue through the participants in every possible way. This means we need to convey more information to the members of the delegations. There is a particularly interested segment that says we must remain persistent. We need to encourage the delegates to raise this issue.

This is not just an Armenian issue; it is a serious human rights concern. It is unacceptable for a country that violates human rights to host such an event. Our goal was for the delegates to be able to raise this issue in their home countries before the COP29 event takes place there. I don’t know how successful we will be, but if we do nothing, then, of course, nothing will happen.”

You also called on the Azerbaijani government to immediately release Armenian political prisoners held illegally in Baku, including benefactor Ruben Vardanyan. What responses have you received regarding this matter?

“As always, the Azerbaijani side organizes attacks on social media, spreading their false propaganda. I consider this natural and do not give it much importance. There have also been positive responses. Prior to conducting the actions, we sent a letter to German parliamentarians asking them to be more active on this issue. In April, we held meetings in the Bundestag, meeting with several officials where this issue was also discussed. Nevertheless, we have received positive feedback, and I wouldn’t want to elaborate on what steps will be taken in that regard. We hope that German parliamentarians will take certain actions. It is important that similar actions are organized in other countries as well.”

There are opinions that COP29 is a climate-focused summit and should not be intertwined with political issues and demands. What is your opinion on this?

“Today, there are two issues in the world that require global solutions. One is the climate issue, and the other is the issue of genocide. What is happening in Artsakh is a genocidal act, and that genocide is still ongoing. This is included in the legal context of the Convention for the Prevention of Genocide. The genocidal act continues as long as the leadership of Artsakh is held in Baku. Both of these matters deserve a global response. Therefore, this is not a political issue. We need to show that Azerbaijan has genocidal intentions not only toward Artsakh but also toward Armenia. Humanity should not remain silent upon witnessing all of this. The conference should take place in a country whose leadership is effectively engaging in genocidal actions. It is tragic that such a conference is held in such a country. Delegates must demand from Aliyev that he release the Artsakh leadership before the summit takes place. If the international community does not raise this issue in advance, Baku will undoubtedly succeed, which is unacceptable. There is a crucial task here, and the participation of every Armenian can lead to positive change.”