Baku Initiative Group Alleges Systematic Discrimination Against Azerbaijanis in Armenia

Baku, The Gulf Observer: The Baku Initiative Group (BIG) has alleged that actions taken against Azerbaijanis historically residing in Armenia constituted a deliberate and systematic policy aimed at enforcing mono-ethnicization, rather than isolated instances of ethnic discrimination.

In an official statement, the group asserted that Azerbaijanis were subjected to repeated waves of violence, forced displacement, and violations of fundamental rights over the past century. It claimed that these actions reflected patterns associated with colonial-era policies targeting specific ethnic groups.

According to the statement, Azerbaijanis faced massacres during 1905–1906, in 1918, and in later decades of the 20th century, alongside what it described as ethnic cleansing and widespread infringements of political, economic, social, and cultural rights. The group maintained that these developments led to the systematic removal of Azerbaijanis from their historical lands.

The statement further alleged that between 1948 and 1953, more than 150,000 Azerbaijanis were forcibly deported, resulting in significant humanitarian consequences. It also highlighted claims of cultural erasure, including the destruction or alteration of Azerbaijani settlements, cemeteries, and religious and cultural sites.

BIG stated that from the late 1980s, renewed territorial tensions led to the expulsion of over 250,000 Azerbaijanis from Armenia, describing the developments as part of a broader campaign of ethnic cleansing. The group also claimed that such policies affected other ethnic and religious minorities, contributing to demographic changes within Armenia.

Referring to ongoing peace efforts between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the organization expressed concern over what it described as the persistence of hostile rhetoric and discriminatory attitudes. It emphasized that achieving lasting peace would require acknowledgment of historical grievances, respect for human rights, and the restoration of rights for displaced populations.

The Baku Initiative Group called on the international community, including the United Nations and other human rights bodies, to objectively assess the situation and address what it termed policies of intolerance and discrimination.