On November 23 in Yerevan, a press conference was held by the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation, and guarantees of non-recurrence, Fabián Salvioli, following his visit to Armenia, which was organized by the Armenian diaspora.
As reported by Report, the press conference did not address any questions regarding the hundreds of thousands of victims of the 30-year Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, as the visit followed a pre-planned propagandistic agenda and access to the press conference for journalists was strictly limited.
However, the UN Special Rapporteur’s visit to Armenia, organized by the Armenian diaspora, did not go unnoticed by European human rights organizations.
The international coalition “Khojaly: Recognition for Reconciliation,” represented by its member, the President of the Italian Federation for Human Rights, Antonio Stango, sent a query to the Special Rapporteur titled “Khojaly – Does Transitional Justice Triumph?”.
In their query, the coalition seeks clarity on why it is so important today to recognize the crime in Khojaly. It is highlighted that the Khojaly Syndrome, the most brutal violence against civilians during the entire Karabakh conflict, the legacy of impunity for war crimes, and the rationalization of mass killings of civilians have led to the propagation of racist ideas and ethno-nationalist exclusivity narratives in Armenia.
The “Khojaly: Recognition for Reconciliation” coalition demanded that the UN rapporteur raise and seek answers to specific questions: What specific measures have been taken by the Armenian authorities to shed light on the Khojaly Massacre? Have those responsible for crimes related to gross violations of international humanitarian law in the Khojaly Massacre been held accountable? What steps can the current government take to apologize to the victims of the Khojaly Massacre?
It is noted that the coalition “Khojaly: Recognition for Reconciliation” was established last November during an event on transitional justice at the UN Geneva center by European human rights organizations: the Coordination Association of Associations for Freedom of Conscience (France), the Budapest Centre for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities, the Italian Federation for Human Rights, the European Association EMISCO, the Mothers of Srebrenica Association, and various prominent human rights defenders.
#Reconciliation #TransitionalJustice #Peace #Caucasus #Khojaly The UN Special Rapporteur on promotion of truth and justice Fabián Salvioli pays a visit to Armenia. It’s important to choose the path to peace which also involves addressing historical wrongdoings. pic.twitter.com/aLkCHA5DGb
— Antonio Stango (@AntonioStango) November 17, 2023
