Azerbaijan is multi-ethnic but possibilities to enjoy national minority rights must be improved, say Council of Europe experts

Azerbaijan as a multi-ethnic country strives to promote ethnic cultural, linguistic and religious tolerance and respect. Most national minority cultures are celebrated, and religious tolerance and interreligious dialogue are high on the government's agenda. The rights of persons belonging to national minorities are protected in the Constitution and under a multiculturalism policy. However, this alone is insufficient to guarantee full and effective equality of rights.

Moreover, restrictions on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association limit the possibilities of persons belonging to national minorities to effectively enjoy their rights. Immediate action must be taken to address the situation following the Karabakh conflict. These are among the key findings of the new opinion by the Advisory Committee on the Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (see summary of the report in Azerbaijani).

In this opinion, the Advisory Committee assesses, for the first time, the situation in the Karabakh region. During this monitoring cycle, Azerbaijan reestablished its effective control over Karabakh, as well as seven adjacent districts. At the same time, following an almost ten-month blockade of the Lachin corridor, the military operation of the Azerbaijani authorities in September 2023 and the sudden reopening of the corridor, more than 100,000 Armenians have also left the region.

As a recommendation for immediate action, the Advisory Committee urges the authorities to create the political, legal and practical conditions necessary for safe, unimpeded and sustainable return of displaced Armenians from Karabakh and to set up a dedicated mechanism to deal with property issues. The authorities are also urged to inventory, protect and preserve all Armenian religious and cultural sites and artefacts and to investigate all allegations of vandalism, destruction and alteration of historic and cultural monuments and cemeteries used by ethnic Armenians in the region.

Finally, citing a strong public narrative against the Republic of Armenia in the context of the Karabakh conflict and its direct impact on the attitudes towards ethnic Armenians, the Advisory Committee urges the authorities to refrain from and condemn firmly any manifestation of intolerance and spreading of ethnic hatred against persons belonging to the Armenian community, in order to facilitate the reconciliation process.

The opinion has been published together with the comments of the authorities.

Press release
Azerbaijan is a multi-ethnic country, but possibilities to enjoy national minority rights must be improved, says Council of Europe expert body