We, Azerbaijanis living abroad, express our support for the protest rally of representatives of numerous non-governmental organizations operating in Azerbaijan with the demand to stop the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the territories of Azerbaijan where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily deployed and the resulting environmental stress in the region.
Environmental protection is the duty of every human being, regardless of ethnicity. We, Azerbaijanis living abroad, are gravely concerned about the deteriorating environmental situation in the territories under the control of the Russian peacekeeping contingent temporarily deployed in our homeland, Azerbaijan.
We have come to the conclusion that the actions of a group of criminals in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, causing consistent environmental damage, against the background of issues of serious international concern such as climate change and depletion of water resources, are driven by ethnic hatred of Azerbaijanis — Azerbaijanophobia. We consider the fact that the Russian peacekeeping forces temporarily deployed in these territories enable illegal activities and fail to prevent systemic environmental terrorism an indication that the command of the peacekeeping forces is influenced by a group of criminal oligarchs.
As Azerbaijanis living abroad, we join the rightful voice of our compatriots in demanding that the safety of Azerbaijani environmental activists be ensured for the investigation of the illegal exploitation of natural resources and the resulting environmental complications in the territories of Azerbaijan where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily deployed, and that conditions be created for regular inspections of the Gizilbulag gold ore deposit, the Demirli copper-molybdenum deposit and other deposits.
Until these demands are met, we, Azerbaijanis living abroad, will show solidarity with our compatriots and take regular actions of support.
