Lord Alton links 1915 genocide to 2023 ethnic cleansing

PanARMENIAN.Net - On the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, The Telegraph published a powerful article by Lord David Alton of the UK House of Lords. In his piece, Alton compares the genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 with the ethnic cleansing carried out by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) in 2023, calling the latter a "continuation of historic crimes."

"Today, the descendants of the same Armenians are once again being targeted—this time by Azerbaijan," he wrote.

Alton recalled the story of Armenian Bishop Grigoris Balakian, one of just sixteen survivors among 250 intellectuals arrested and deported in 1915. His harrowing escape, chronicled in Armenian Golgotha, stands as a powerful testimony against historical amnesia.

This year's commemoration, Alton emphasized, is not just about remembrance, but a call to confront the present. He stressed the link between historical and ongoing crimes, asserting that it compels us to speak clearly and without compromise.

He condemned Azerbaijan’s completion of its ethnic cleansing campaign in 2023, which forced 120,000 ethnic Armenians from their ancestral lands, despite warnings from human rights experts and international organizations. Alton criticized world leaders for remaining indifferent.

The peer noted his personal visit to Nagorno-Karabakh, describing the 10-month blockade, the September assault, and mass displacement as chillingly reminiscent of past atrocities.

Alton cited former ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, who concluded that Azerbaijan’s actions meet the legal definition of genocide under Article 2(b) of the Genocide Convention. This view is echoed by the European Parliament, Genocide Watch, and the Lemkin Institute.

"Why, then," he asked, "does the UK government still refuse to call it what it is?" He condemned the government’s failure to use the term ethnic cleansing, apply sanctions, or abandon a policy of false equivalence.

Alton pointed to Armenia’s ratification of the Rome Statute, enabling international prosecution of Azerbaijani officials for war crimes. However, he stressed that justice must be both retrospective and preventative.

He called for the immediate release of the 23 Armenian detainees held in Baku, the return of international monitors, and guarantees for the displaced to return home. Without these actions, he said, the rule of law becomes meaningless.

Their release, he argued, is not only a matter of justice but a prerequisite for peace. No sustainable agreement can be reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan while innocent people remain imprisoned in Baku.

In closing, Alton referenced his 2024 speech at London’s Armenian Apostolic Church, dedicated to Archbishop Balakian. There, he asked: does international law still matter? The answer, he declared, must be "yes"—if we are prepared to uphold it.

Failure to act, he warned, would empower tyrants, silence survivors, and render the vow "never again" meaningless.

He ended by quoting Hitler’s chilling remark: “After all, who remembers the Armenians?” and stated—“It is time we do.”