Leaders of Artsakh Armenians, who were displaced by Azerbaijan’s brutal offensive in September, 2023, announced Tuesday that they will appeal to Switzerland to mediate their right to return to their homeland.
The impetus for this decision is a decision by the Upper House of the Switzerland legislature to hold a discussion on March 18 corresponding to an earlier motion passed in December to the urge the Swiss Federal government to hold a peace forum on the Karabakh conflict.
A statement on Tuesday issued by the Artsakh Parliament, that is currently in session in Yerevan, announced a rally in front of the Swiss Embassy in Armenia on March 13, at which time the official appeal will be presented to Switzerland’s envoy to Yerevan.
The Artsakh Parliament members said that they will appeal to Switzerland to “use its proven role as a neutral mediator in initiating international discussions on the forcibly displaced Artsakh residents’ right of return.”
The motion approved by both houses of the Swiss legislature said that Nagorno-Karabakh has been emptied of its Armenian population since Azerbaijan’s last military advance in September 2023. Fearing another genocide like that perpetrated against the Armenians in 1915, the historical population was forced to leave their homeland within a few days.
“The region has since experienced documented ethnic cleansing: Armenian cultural heritage, such as churches, monasteries and cemeteries, is systematically destroyed or reinterpreted with fake historical documents under the guise of ‘renovation.’ Despite these serious developments, the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh maintain their desire to return to their homeland under security guarantees from the international community, to determine their own political future and to exercise democratic self-government,” added the motion.
The lawmakers emphasized that on November 17, 2023, the International Court of Justice ruled that Azerbaijan is obligated to ensure the “safe, unhindered and expeditious return” of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and to prevent future displacement by force or intimidation.
Furthermore, the motion cited that the European Parliament adopted a resolution on March 12, 2024 calling on Azerbaijan to engage in a comprehensive and transparent dialogue with the Armenians of Karabakh.
“Switzerland has a unique opportunity to use its proven role as a neutral mediator to initiate a constructive dialogue between the conflicting parties. Such an engagement would not only continue Switzerland’s humanitarian tradition, but would also strengthen its position as a reliable partner in international diplomacy,” the Swiss lawmakers said in their motion.
