Azerbaijan seeks to block references to ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh on global stage, group warns

Azerbaijan has lodged a complaint with the United Nations Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) against Christian Solidarity International (CSI), a globally respected human rights and religious freedom organization with consultative status at the UN, over its principled advocacy on behalf of the displaced Armenians of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh).

The complaint falsely accuses CSI of “politically motivated hostile actions” and “apparent noncompliance” with UN standards—charges rooted in CSI’s efforts to shed light on Azerbaijan’s September 2023 military assault and genocidal ethnic cleansing campaign that emptied Nagorno-Karabakh of its 120,000 Armenians.

In a statement on Sunday, the Human Rights Union of Nagorno-Karabakh Refugees warned that Azerbaijan seeks to silence independent voices and block references to ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh on international platforms. CSI has consistently advocated for the rights of displaced Armenians and prisoners through UN mechanisms, including hosting events in Geneva and New York highlighting human rights violations and forced displacement.

The rights group denounced Azerbaijan’s efforts as a direct threat to civil society’s role in international human rights advocacy and a violation of core UN principles, including freedoms of expression, assembly and association, as enshrined in international law.

The organization called on the UN Committee on NGOs to reject Azerbaijan’s complaint and urged member states to defend international law and the vital work of human rights organizations.