Speaking by teleconference from Yerevan, Armenia's capital, Turner also said there's a risk that punitive actions could undermine efforts to arrive at a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Canada has signed a multi-country declaration to the United Nations Human Rights Council to that effect. "In my meetings with displaced people scattered throughout Armenia," said Olesya Vartanyan, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, "I have not met a single person who is considering returning to Nagorno-Karabakh any time soon.Children sit on a curb as residents gather in central Stepanakert to leave Nagorno-Karabakh, a region inhabited by ethnic Armenians, on September 25, 2023. headtopics.com

Some of the experts who testified disagreed with the ambassador's suggestion that punitive actions could drive Azerbaijan out of peace talks. "They would be a warning that Canada expects Azerbaijan to protect cultural heritage, to safeguard the few remaining ethnic Armenians, to preserve the possibility of the right of return for those who fled, and to ensure fair treatment for civilian leaders who have been detained by the regime under the guise that they are terrorists."

Waters also pointed to how Azerbaijan has taken over some parts of Armenia's sovereign territory itself, and to Azerbaijani government rhetoric claiming another strip of land within Armenia. He cited the economic blockade imposed by Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh in the nearly 10 months prior to its military incursion, which largely stopped food and medication from making its way to the local population, as well as the exodus itself. headtopics.com