25/06/2026

International Conference on the Right of Return of Western Azerbaijanis held at the U.S. Congress.

June 24, 2026, an international conference titled "The Right of Return and Self-Determination: Double Standards and Selective Approaches" held at the United States Congress (Capitol Hill) in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, organized by the Baku Initiative Group.
Notably, the conference held at the U.S. Congress can be regarded as a significant contribution to raising international awareness of the facts surrounding the ethnic cleansing committed against Azerbaijanis by Armenia.
The conference brought together experts in refugee and minority rights, human rights defenders, specialists in international law, representatives of civil society organizations, and compatriots of Western Azerbaijani origin.
The participants in the conference emphasized the importance of ensuring that international organizations continue to give sustained attention to recognizing the fundamental rights of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis who were forcibly displaced from their ancestral lands in present-day Armenia as a result of a policy of ethnic cleansing, with particular emphasis on their right to a safe, voluntary, and dignified return to their historic homeland.
The participants called for the systematic destruction, desecration, and appropriation of the Azerbaijani people's cultural, religious, and historical heritage remaining in Armenia—including toponyms, mosques, cemeteries, shrines, and other cultural monuments—to be subjected to an appropriate legal assessment in accordance with international law. They further urged international organizations to undertake on-site fact-finding missions regarding those violations and to ensure their thorough documentation.
Representatives of Armenian media outlets based in the United States and members of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) also attended the event as observers. The conference concluded without any reported incidents. Members of the Western Azerbaijani community in the United States shared the personal stories of forced displacement, highlighting the humanitarian tragedy of their expulsion from present-day Armenia.
Representatives of the Sikh community stressed that the right to a safe, voluntary, and dignified return constitutes not only a humanitarian issue but also a fundamental human right and an essential element of historical justice. The conference included remarks by Oussama Jammal, Secretary General of the “U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations” (USCMO), and Matthew Stewart, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of “Our Sister Our Brother”. They underscored the unacceptability of ethnic discrimination, forced displacement, and human rights violations, and stressed the importance of protecting the rights of displaced communities, amplifying their voices on international platforms, and strengthening international solidarity.
At the end of the event, the conference participants adopted an address submitted to members of the U.S. Congress. The address emphasizes the need for the right of return and the right of peoples to self-determination to be applied consistently, fairly, and without discrimination, in accordance with international law. The document calls for international support for the right of Western Azerbaijanis to return to their ancestral homeland in a safe, voluntary, and dignified manner, and underscores the importance of restoring their property rights and protecting their cultural heritage. It also raises concerns regarding the rights of the Sikh community and the peoples of former Dutch colonies, calling on the U.S. Congress to give due consideration to these issues. The address further emphasizes the need to safeguard the right of return, the right to self-determination and universal human rights on the basis of consistent and principled standards, free from selective approaches or double standards.

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