Religious leaders of Azerbaijan have made an appeal to Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

AzVision.az presents the appeal:

- Dear Prime Minister,

As religious leaders of Azerbaijan, a country where people of different religions have historically lived together in peace and harmony, we appeal to you to express our deep concern about the recent misleading letter you have received from Bishop Ovakim Manukyan, the Head of the Diocese of the Armenian Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and several other religious figures of Great Britain. Looking at the political events in our region through the prism of religion, this letter contains inaccurate information and is clearly part of an effort to jeopardize the ongoing peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The sole cause of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region for more than 30 years. Now that Azerbaijan has liberated its territories and restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity along its internationally recognized borders, the conflict has been resolved.

The Armenian citizens currently on trial in Azerbaijan are not “hostages” or “prisoners of war.” There is ample credible and concrete evidence that Armenia committed grave war crimes against Azerbaijanis during its military aggression in 1991-2023, as well as in the last years of the USSR. The 2019 report “On War Crimes in the Occupied Territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Responsibility of the Republic of Armenia”, published as an official document of the UN General Assembly and Security Council (a/74/676 – S/2020/90), provides detailed information on the crimes against humanity committed by Armenians during the years of occupation (https://t.co/bSVDxuJYSZ).

Despite the unfounded claims by some individuals, these people have been granted access to a lawyer, have never raised a complaint of ill-treatment, and their trials are being conducted in a transparent manner. Recently, on March 13, the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (a/HRC/VGAD/2024/46) rejected the allegations regarding a denial of a fair trial in the case of Ruben Vardanyan and found the legal proceedings to be fully in line with international standards.

This trial is part of Azerbaijan’s post-conflict efforts to rehabilitate the rights of innocent victims of aggression, secure justice and hold those accused of military aggression, crimes against humanity, and war crimes accountable. Therefore, calls for the release of these Armenian individuals are a sign of disrespect for the thousands of Azerbaijanis who have been victims of war crimes, as well as an interference in Azerbaijan’s judicial system. These calls are also an insult to and a violation of international norms, as well as fundamental principles of humanity. Impunity cannot be tolerated.

Dear Prime Minister, Azerbaijan is a unique location in the world where religious and cultural diversity is recognized as a spiritual asset. Multiculturalism is a state policy in Azerbaijan, and we are proud that at a time when ethnic, religious and racial discrimination is rampant in the world, Azerbaijan serves as an example of how Muslims, Christians, Jews and representatives of other faiths can live together in harmony and prosperity.

We all know that the same holds true for England. Here, inclusivity, integration and a commitment to mutual respect have allowed people from all walks of life to thrive and live in harmony with each other.

The vibrant Azerbaijani community in the UK is a clear example of the hospitality and solidarity of British society. The past conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has nothing to do with religion.

Unfortunately, some Armenian clerics have used divisive religious rhetoric in the context of the past conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan to undermine the peace process.

While it is not surprising that these internal divisions within Armenian society have now spread to other countries, it is worrying that the Archbishop of London and some other UK religious leaders have been drawn into political debate in our region on the basis of false statements.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been engaged in active peace talks since 2020. While there has been significant progress, several issues still remain unresolved. We are grateful to the UK for its balanced position on the past conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and for its support for the ongoing peace process in our region. We are confident that the UK government will continue to support Azerbaijan in its efforts to establish a lasting peace in the region and secure justice for its citizens. We extend our best wishes to you in your highly responsible mission and pray for the further prosperity and well-being of the people of the United Kingdom.

Sincerely,

Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade
Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Office

Aleksiy
Bishop of the Baku and Azerbaijan Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church

Milik Yevdayev
Head of the Mountain Jewish Community of Azerbaijan

Alexander Sharovsky
Head of the European Jewish Community in Baku

Robert Mobili
Head of the Albanian-Udi Christian Religious Community

Zamir Isayev
Head of the Sephardic Jewish Religious Community in Baku.

More about: