July 27, 2006 - 15:45 AMT
Armenian Refugees Not to Return to Residence Places under Azeri Jurisdiction
Refugees and International Law civil association network has sent an open letter to Armenian President Robert Kocharian. The letter specifically says, "To His Excellency President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharian.

Your Excellency,

Refugees and International Law civil association network, aimed at protecting rights of Armenian refugees, expelled from Azerbaijani SSR and Nakhichevan by force, suggests that you include the issue of 500 thousand Armenian refugees in the agenda of your talks over settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh issue. Any settlement, leaving out restoration and full protection of rights of hundreds of our compatriots is not satisfactory.

Problems of Armenian refugees can be divided into three main categories:
1. Acquiring a Fatherland,
2. Compensation of direct material and moral damage, resulting from deportation from Azerbaijani SSR and Nakhichevan
3. Compensation of indirect material and moral damage, resulting from deportation from Azerbaijani SSR and Nakhichevan.

Surveys among refugee Armenians show they will not return to their previous residence places under the jurisdiction of the Azerbaijani Republic. We already had an opportunity to state that as the Azerbaijani Republic has refused being a successor of the Azerbaijani SSR, the only legal successor of the latter is the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. If Armenian refugees from the Azerbaijani SSR and Nakhichevan are granted NKR citizenship and if they get territories, outside the boundaries, within which the NKR was declared, but on which its jurisdiction spreads today, this can partially solve their problems.

Refugees and International Law civil association network has also appealed to the US Embassy in Armenia, suggesting to organize a meeting with OSCE MG US Co-Chair Matthew Bryza. During the expected meeting they plan to hand a message to Mr. Bryza, addressed to MG co-chairs and discuss matters referring to problems Armenian refugees experience."

We remind that earlier Refugees and International Law civil association network sent a message of a similar form to Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, reports IA Regnum.