“Armenia must respect the right of Azerbaijanis to return to their ancestral lands. This is an essential condition for the establishment of peace, reconciliation, and human rights in the region,” said President Ilham Aliyev in his message to the participants of the International Symposium of Ombudsmen on “Strengthening the Rule of Law: The Role of Ombudsmen and National Human Rights Institutions.”

“One of the topics to be discussed at the symposium is related to the rights of refugees. The issue that warrants special attention in this area is the forced deportation and ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis from Western Azerbaijan, the territory of Armenia, starting at the beginning of the last century. After those horrific deportations, not a single Azerbaijani remained in Armenia, and the ancient historical, cultural, religious, and spiritual heritage of our people in these territories, including monuments, mosques, and cemeteries, was destroyed. Historical justice requires the peaceful and safe return of these people to their homeland,” the message reads.