BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 23. The Azerbaijan National NGO Forum, the umbrella organization uniting hundreds of civil society institutions, has issued an “Open Letter” condemning the U.S.-based Lemkin Institute’s (Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention) call to release ethnic Armenian individuals accused of war crimes, including Ruben Vardanyan, Trend reports.
The letter criticizes the Lemkin Institute for attempting to undermine peace efforts in the South Caucasus, including initiatives led by former U.S. President Donald Trump. It highlights that the institute, under the management of figures like Lucy Mirzoyan, promotes divisive ethnic and religious agendas and aligns with revanchist groups in Armenia, threatening the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The “Open Letter” notes that the institute, named after Raphael Lemkin, has faced criticism even from Lemkin’s own family for misuse of his name, and its positions have been repeatedly questioned by Armenian institutions such as the Zoryan Institute. The Azerbaijan National NGO Forum emphasized that the Lemkin Institute’s call to release individuals accused of war crimes, while ignoring mass atrocities like the Khojaly genocide, contradicts its stated mission.
The forum implored the Lemkin Institute to engage in responsible discourse and extend a formal apology to the Azerbaijani public. The institute has not responded to the claims outlined in the letter.
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