AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Jan 20 2005

NGOs appeal to CE rapporteur

The National NGO Forum has proposed to make changes to the report of
the Council of Europe rapporteur on Upper Garabagh David Atkinson to
be presented to the PACE winter session on January 25. Following the
discussions, the document will be placed on voting.

The Forum chairman Azay Guliyev says that although Atkinson’s report
is unbiased. He welcomed the fact that the document confirms Armenia
as an aggressor, which perpetrated ethnic cleansing against
Azerbaijanis in Upper Garabagh and adjacent regions, and is trying to
establish a mono-ethnic state there, while Upper Garabagh is
controlled by separatist forces.

At the same time, Guliyev pointed out some drawbacks in the report.
He emphasized the CE rapporteur’s suggestion to the conflicting sides
to take the matter to the International Court. The Forum chairman
continued that at this point that calls to the two countries’ public,
education bodies and mass media to forge ties are inappropriate.
“Establishing any ties with Armenia will be possible only after a
full liberation of the occupied territories.”
Guliyev also termed as unacceptable the fact that the report says
that “talks should be held with both the Azerbaijani and Armenian
communities for the political status of Upper Garabagh to be
determined by the Azerbaijani government”.
Guliyev also pointed out that the issue of Armenia’s holding
Azerbaijani prisoners and hostages was not reflected in Atkinson’s
report.
The appeal, signed by over 100 local non-government organizations,
was forwarded to rapporteur Atkinson, relevant Council of Europe
entities and embassies of CE member-states in Baku. It suggests that
the mentioned report cover liberating Upper Garabagh and seven
neighboring regions, immediately starting the process of returning
refugees home, Armenia’s guaranteeing their security, evaluating and
compensating the financial and moral damages inflicted to Azeris
rendered refugees as a result of occupation and deportation. The NGOs
also called for indicating the atrocities committed by Armenian
forces against civilians in Khojaly in 1992, legally assessing this
at the European Court and demanded Armenia to clarify the fate of
4,852 Azerbaijanis that became captives, hostages and missing persons
in 1990-1994.