Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, has said that displaced Karabakh Armenians “should be given the possibility of returning in safety and dignity.”

Mijatović made the announcement yesterday as she published her Observations following her visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the Karabakh region, in October 2023. 

She said that while such a return remains “hypothetical” for now, steps should be taken to allow Karabakh Armenians to “temporarily access their homes or places of habitual residence and visit graveyards where loved ones are buried.”

Mijatović called on Azerbaijan to ensure that property left behind by Karabakh Armenians is protected from looting and seizure.

She said that all persons displaced by the Karabakh conflict must have the right to return to their homes regardless of whether they have been displaced internally or across borders.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, in response, argued that Mijatović’s remarks nullify claims made by Armenians and others that Karabakh Armenians were forced to flee the region and underscore steps taken by Azerbaijan to ensure the right to return and other human rights.

Photo: Alexander Kim/OSCE