BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. An international conference titled “The Right of Return and Self-Determination: Double Standards and Selective Approaches” was held on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., bringing together experts, advocates and members of the Azerbaijani diaspora to discuss displacement, refugee rights and international legal standards.
According to the Baku Initiative Group, the event sought to raise international awareness about what organizers described as the ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of Azerbaijanis from Armenia.
Participants included specialists in refugee and minority rights, human rights advocates, international law experts, representatives of civil society organizations and Azerbaijanis of Western Azerbaijani origin.
Speakers emphasized the importance of ensuring international attention remains focused on what they described as the fundamental right of displaced people to return to their ancestral lands in a safe, voluntary and dignified manner. Participants cited the case of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis who they said were forcibly displaced from territories in present-day Armenia as a result of policies of ethnic cleansing.
Conference attendees also called for an international legal assessment of what they described as the systematic destruction, desecration and appropriation of Azerbaijani cultural, religious and historical heritage in Armenia. They cited the loss or alteration of toponyms, mosques, cemeteries, shrines and other historical sites, and urged international organizations to investigate and document alleged violations on the ground.
Representatives of Armenian-American media outlets, including members of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), attended the event as observers. Organizers reported that no incidents occurred during the conference.
Several Azerbaijani-Americans of Western Azerbaijani origin shared personal accounts of displacement and refugee experiences, describing the humanitarian impact of forced migration from Armenia. Representatives of the Zikh community said the right to a safe, voluntary and dignified return is not only a humanitarian concern but also a fundamental human right and a matter of historical justice.
Among other speakers were Oussama Jammal, secretary-general of the Council of Muslim Organizations of the United States, and Matthew Stewart, founder and chief executive officer of the nonprofit organization “Our Sister Our Brother.” Both speakers condemned discrimination, forced displacement and rights violations based on ethnicity, while highlighting the need to protect displaced communities, amplify their voices in international forums and strengthen global solidarity.
At the conclusion of the conference, participants adopted an appeal addressed to members of the U.S. Congress. The document called for the consistent, fair and non-discriminatory application of the rights of return and self-determination in accordance with international law.
The appeal also urged international support for the right of Western Azerbaijanis to return to their homeland in a safe, voluntary and dignified manner, restore property rights and preserve cultural heritage. In addition, the document raised concerns regarding the rights of the Zikh community and peoples from territories formerly under Dutch colonial rule, calling on Congress to consider those issues as well.
The appeal concluded by stressing that the rights of return, self-determination and universal human rights should be protected through a unified and principled approach, without selective application.
