RFERL.org
By Zachary Vargo

WASHINGTON — Armenian activists urged members of the U.S. Congress to use the upcoming COP29 climate change conference in Baku to draw attention to alleged human rights abuses in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Six Armenian activists testified on September 19 before a congressional human rights commission, outlining numerous alleged human rights abuses by Azerbaijan, as well as steps the United States can take to further support Armenia and its people.

The hearing before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission aimed to explore “how the United States, Congress and the Executive Branch can do more to protect Armenia,” according to Representative Chris Smith (Republican-New Jersey), co-chairman of the commission, previously known as the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.

COP29, the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, is set to be held in the capital of Azerbaijan in November. The event, which draws national leaders from across the globe, has garnered criticism for being held in an oil-rich nation with an ever-growing list of alleged human rights violations.

During the hearing, Gegham Stepanian, a human rights defender from Nagorno-Karabakh, said Azerbaijan “is not being held accountable,” complaining that the United Nations is allowing Baku to host COP29 even with what he called “ethnic cleansing through forced displacement.”

Smith reiterated that message, expressing frustration and disappointment that the United States didn’t object to Azerbaijan hosting COP29. He said far more needs to be done regarding “clear and unmistakable human rights abuses.”

The hearing came as Armenia marked the one-year anniversary of Azerbaijan’s lightning military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, which led to the displacement of over 100,000 ethnic Armenians. At the time, Azerbaijan pledged equal treatment for those who fled. It has also denied accusations of ethnic cleansing.

Since then, Azerbaijan and Armenia have held negotiations on a peace treaty that the two sides earlier this month said was 80 percent complete.

Adam Smith, co-director of the Caucasus Heritage Watch, told the commission that other alleged abuses have taken place in Nagorno-Karabakh, accusing Azerbaijan of undertaking “one of the most expansive and intense examples of cultural erasures.”

According to Adam Smith, in the past year alone 14 culturally significant sites including cemeteries and churches have been destroyed, with 12 others having suffered significant damage.

Alleged human rights abuses in Nagorno-Karabakh make up only some of the violations that have led to condemnation of COP29 being held in Baku. According to Kate Watters, co-founder and executive director of Crude Accountability, an environmental and social justice organization, there are 303 political prisoners currently being held in Azerbaijan, many of whom are journalists.

Watters called on Congress to “demand the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners” in Azerbaijan.

With COP29 looming, Van Krikorian, co-chair of the Armenian Assembly of America, called on the United States to use the platform and location to highlight points that the Armenian activists have raised. He asked that the name of every political prisoner in Azerbaijan be read aloud when the U.S. delegate takes the floor at the climate conference. He also implored delegates not to stay in any hotel or other accommodation on land that had previously belonged to ethnic Armenians.

In his closing remarks to the commission, Chris Smith promised he would do everything in his power to bolster support for Armenia. He added that the international community should “pursue a war crimes tribunal” to pursue the alleged actions taken by top Azerbaijan officials in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.