Participants of International Symposium of Ombudsmen informed about violated rights of Azerbaijanis
Speaker of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova met with participants of the International Symposium of Ombudsmen, themed “Strengthening the Rule of Law: The Role of Ombudsmen and National Human Rights Institutions,” on June 18.
In her remarks, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova noted that Azerbaijan’s capital is successfully hosting both the Symposium and the 65th Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) - a key platform for interparliamentary cooperation in the region. She emphasized that organizing such events and creating opportunities for dialogue on global concerns reflects Azerbaijan’s commitment to international cooperation and its vision for multilateral engagement. According to her, these efforts reaffirm the belief that, in a world facing serious challenges, only collective action and coordination can lead to shared progress and meaningful outcomes.
The Speaker went on to brief the participants about Azerbaijan’s development path and the country’s achievements in the field of human rights. She highlighted that despite the many difficulties Azerbaijan has faced, substantial progress has been made in safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms. She also spoke about the mandate and activities of the Human Rights Commissioner’s Office (Ombudsman) in Azerbaijan, as well as the robust legislative framework supporting this institution.
Touching on historical injustices, Speaker Gafarova provided detailed information on the 30-year occupation by neighboring Armenia of 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory. She described how cities, villages, infrastructure, and Azerbaijan’s historical, religious, and cultural heritage were destroyed during the occupation, emphasizing that this constituted gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms. She stated that the Azerbaijani people were subjected to ethnic cleansing and genocide, forced to flee their native lands. Over 750,000 Azerbaijanis became internally displaced persons, while more than 250,000 Azerbaijanis were expelled from Armenia in the late 1980s, prior to the onset of the conflict.
Despite the heavy socio-economic burden, the Azerbaijani state took all necessary measures to meet the needs and uphold the basic rights of these displaced persons. Speaker Gafarova noted that the liberation of occupied territories and the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty also represent a significant human rights victory.
She also highlighted the large-scale restoration and reconstruction efforts currently underway in the liberated territories, aimed at enabling the return of former internally displaced persons. She noted that in the short time since the end of the 44-day Patriotic War, more than 40,000 people have returned to live and work in these areas. Emphasizing the symbolic importance of these developments, she pointed out that President Ilham Aliyev had declared 2025 as the “Year of Constitution and Sovereignty” - marking the 30th anniversary of the adoption of Azerbaijan’s Constitution and the 5th anniversary of the country’s victory in the Patriotic War, which restored its territorial integrity and ensured the realization of its people’s rights and freedoms.
Speaker Gafarova also addressed outstanding issues, particularly the unresolved right of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia to return to their homes, which remains unacknowledged by Armenia. She expressed hope that the discussions held during the Symposium would help attract greater international attention to this issue and prompt Armenia to respect the rights of these individuals.
The meeting also featured remarks by Chief Ombudsman of the Republic of Türkiye Mehmet Akarca, Executive Secretary of the Ombudsman Association of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Almas Ali Jovindah, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan Feruza Eshmatova, and Public Defender of Rights (Ombudsman) of the Slovak Republic Róbert Dobrovodský. All participants underscored the relevance of the symposium’s topics and emphasized the importance of international cooperation in the field of human rights. The essential role of national legislative bodies in this area was particularly highlighted.
