The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Armenia held a meeting on the 17th of March that was attended by the Armenian National Committee UK, MPs, Primate of the UK Armenian Diocese, and members of the British Armenian community.
The meeting hosted the Former Minister of State for Nagorno-Karabakh and Human Rights Defender of Artsakh Artak Beglaryan.
Beglaryan gave MPs a detailed brief on key areas that the UK government should address to support the perilous situation of the population of Artsakh post-cleansing in September 2023. These included calling for the release of hostages involved in illegal sham trials in Azerbaijan, renewed humanitarian support, and commencing investigations into UK businesses implicated in the ethnic cleansing and post “reconstruction”.
He underlined that Azerbaijan is destroying the cultural and historical identity of the region and warned that “without international monitoring, Artsakh is not a grey zone, it’s a black zone”. MPs were able to ask questions to Beglaryan, including querying the treatment of the hostages and for information about existing international efforts aimed at preserving the legal right to return for the people of Artsakh.
Concern expressed by the chairman of the UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights
On March 18, Lord Alton, chairman of the UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights, made a special guest appearance during the Christian Solidarity International (CSI) UN side event entitled “Human Rights in Azerbaijan: The Trials and Continued Detention of Ethnic Armenians”.
The event also featured Siranush Sahakyan, Philippe Kalfayan, and Arpine Avetisyan.
Watch the complete video here:
Parliamentary questions for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
On February 24, the Lord Bishop Winchester had asked “His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan regarding the ongoing detention and reported mistreatment of 23 Armenian hostages who were taken from Nagorno–Karabakh in September 2023; and what steps they are taking, in coordination with international partners, to ensure Azerbaijan upholds its commitments under international law.”
On February 24, the Lord Bishop of Southwark had asked “His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan for the release of prisoners in Nagorno–Karabakh.”
On March 19, and on March 21, on behalf of the government, Baroness Chapman of Darlington responded to both questions: “The UK urges the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure that those detained during September 2023’s military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh are afforded a fair trial and provided safe conditions, in accordance with Azerbaijan’s international obligations and commitments. Our Embassy in Baku pays close attention to the cases and have sought regular updates to stay informed about progress. We have also been consistent in calling for the release of all remaining prisoners of war. The Minister of State Stephen Doughty raised these issues with Azerbaijan’s Presidential Advisor, Elchin Amirbayov, during his visit to the UK in October. In a meeting with Azerbaijan’s Principal Presidential Advisor, Hikmet Hajiyev, on 10 March, the Minister of State also urged Azerbaijan to seize the opportunity to sign an historic peace deal with Armenia. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have also conveyed these messages.”