The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), in collaboration with the World Council of Churches (WCC), Christian Solidarity International, and a coalition of global organisations, issued a joint statement urging international attention on Azerbaijan’s actions in Nagorno-Karabakh as COP29 began in Baku.

The statement expressed concern over Azerbaijan’s use of COP29 as a distraction from alleged human rights abuses and ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh, following the forced displacement of its ethnic-Armenian Christian population.

It said that Azerbaijan’s pledge for COP29 to be a “COP of Peace” starkly contrasts with recent actions that led to the exodus of 120,000 ethnic-Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh. Since December 2022, Azerbaijan imposed a blockade on the Lachin Corridor, the sole passage connecting Armenia to NagornoKarabakh, exacerbating humanitarian challenges. The situation escalated further with Azerbaijan’s military operation in September 2023, resulting in widespread displacement.

The coalition’s statement highlighted grave human rights violations, including the destruction of Armenian cultural and religious sites and the detention of 23 Armenians – civilians, soldiers, and political leaders – captured during Azerbaijan’s recent military campaign. “Azerbaijan’s systematic depopulation of NagornoKarabakh has been characterised by numerous authorities as ethnic cleansing,” the statement emphasises, citing evidence from prominent human rights investigations.

The statement concluded: “We call on the government of Azerbaijan to make good on its vision of a “COP of Peace” by unconditionally and immediately releasing all of the Armenian hostages and Azerbaijani political prisoners it is currently holding. We furthermore call on Azerbaijan to contribute to a lasting peace in the region, by facilitating the safe return of the ethnic-Armenian population of NagornoKarabakh to their homeland.

“We also call on all states participating in COP29 to raise these issues directly with the government of Azerbaijan.”

(WCC)