ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY CALLS CONGRESS’ ATTENTION TO DESTRUCTION OF JULFA CEMETERY
Lragir, Armenia
July 16 2007
Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly expressed serious concerns
over Azerbaijan’s attempts to restrict basic rights and freedoms
for minorities and called on Congress to urge Baku to thoroughly
investigate the deliberate destruction of Armenian headstones in the
medieval cemetery of Julfa in 2005.
In testimony submitted for a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee
hearing, entitled "Ideals vs. Reality in Human Rights and U.S. Foreign
Policy: The Cases of Azerbaijan, Cuba, and Egypt" on July 12 the
Assembly denounced Azerbaijan’s lack of effort to develop a civil
society based on the rule of law.
"This regime has fostered an atmosphere of intolerance for free
speech and free press by regularly resorting to violence and arbitrary
judicial practices," the Assembly stated in its testimony. "It also
restricts the most basic rights and freedoms of its citizens, including
those of ethnic and religious minorities, in particular members of
the Armenian minority, who are routinely harassed and intimidated."
The Assembly also expressed grave concern over Azerbaijan’s failure
to condemn an Azeri military officer who brutally murdered an Armenian
participant at a NATO Partnership for Peace military training exercise
in Hungary in 2003. Rather than ensure that justice is served,
Azerbaijan’s National Democratic Party has awarded the individual
the title of "Man of the Year."
With respect to the destruction of the Julfa Cemetery, the Assembly
noted that the Azeri military was captured on film destroying the
centuries-old Armenian headstones of the Julfa Cemetery in Nakhichevan,
Azerbaijan. The Assembly likened the action to the 2001 destruction
of the statues of the Buddha by the Taliban in Afghanistan and noted
that Baku has rejected fact-finding missions to Julfa, and has refused
to investigate the matter itself.
Additionally, the Assembly called attention to the troubling reports
by the Azeri media that the Armenian cathedral of St. Gregory the
Illuminator in Baku may be demolished, converted to a mosque, or
used for some other purpose. The Assembly urged Congress to undertake
measures to preserve the church and ensure the protection of ethnic
and minority rights.
Turning to Azerbaijan’s military expenditures, the Assembly highlighted
that the country is one of the world’s most rapidly militarizing
regimes, having increased its spending from $141 million to $900
million in the past three years.
"We remain concerned that the rapid military escalation by Azerbaijan
not only poses a threat to democratic development and human rights,
but also to regional stability and security," the Assembly explained.
"We therefore, urge this Subcommittee and Congress to implement policy
measures that will bring about a de-escalation of tensions in the
region, as well as foster greater respect for human rights."
Jennifer L. Windsor, executive director of Freedom House, testified
at yesterday’s hearing and stated that: "The [Azeri] regime has been
able to effectively utilize its enormous petrol wealth to further
consolidate its control over society."
In her prepared testimony Windsor described Azerbaijan as "a
hydrocarbon-dependent quasi-dynasty," and noted that "Azerbaijan’s
sorry record on democracy and human rights…are well documented in
the State Department’s annual human rights reports."
The hearing, which was presided over by Subcommittee Chair Rep. Bill
Delahunt (D-MA), also included testimony from Morton H. Halperin,
Ph.D, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and Frank
Calzon executive director for The Center for a Free Cuba.
The Assembly’s testimony marked the fifth of this year before
Congress. The Assembly testimonies have focused on a broad range of
issues, including Genocide and the Rule of Law, U.S. Policy in the
South Caucasus and appropriations funding, the Darfur Accountability
Act, the State Department Human Rights Report, as well as human rights
in Azerbaijan.