“Possessing an ancient history of statehood and culture, the Azerbaijani people have repeatedly been subjected to deprivation, deportation, and genocide over the past two centuries. After the relocation of Armenians to the ancestral Azerbaijani lands, and in the aftermath of massacres and illegal resettlements committed against Azerbaijanis in 1905–1907, 1918–1921, 1948–1953, and 1987–1991, hundreds of thousands of our compatriots were forced to leave their homeland and seek refuge in Azerbaijan.

The forced deportation of Azerbaijanis from mountainous regions in the territory of Armenia to places with a warmer climate, the embezzlement of the property they had built and created over the years, and the seizure, destruction, and alienation of material and cultural artifacts are historical facts proven by reliable documents,” said President Ilham Aliyev in his address to the participants of the international conference on “Cultural Heritage and the Right of Return” held in Baku.

“Time and time again, Armenia destroyed the rich material and intangible cultural heritage of the Azerbaijanis who lived in Western Azerbaijan, including their shrines and cemeteries, in an attempt to erase the traces of the Azerbaijani people from its territory. It is extremely important to take the necessary steps to assess, within an international legal framework, the crimes against humanity Armenia has committed against Azerbaijanis and to secure the support of the international community in this matter,” President Ilham Aliyev emphasized.