Sharmazanov accuses Azerbaijan of ethnic cleansing, neo-Nazism at Moscow forum

PanARMENIAN.Net - Eduard Sharmazanov, a member of the Executive Body of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), spoke about the neo-Nazi policies of Azerbaijan’s authorities and the ethnic cleansing carried out in Artsakh during the international symposium on "The Significance of the Victory over Nazism" held in Moscow.

Members of the Azerbaijani delegation attempted to interrupt his speech from the floor but failed, as Sharmazanov continued his remarks.

Sharmazanov addressed the right of peoples to self-determination, a right exercised by the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to "build their future on the land of their ancestors." He stressed that "today, that right is violated, and Nagorno-Karabakh is under occupation."

He also spoke about how, after the 44-day war, Armenian monuments and memorials in Artsakh, including those dedicated to Marshal Bagramyan, Marshal Khanferyants, and twice Hero of the Soviet Union Nelson Stepanyan, became targets of Azerbaijani vandalism.

"Between 2020 and 2023, Azerbaijan carried out ethnic cleansing, forcibly displacing 120,000 Armenians from their homeland. What the Azerbaijani leadership has done is ethnic cleansing, an expression of hatred, and a neo-Nazi policy," Sharmazanov said.

On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale attack against Artsakh, subjecting the entire territory to mass shelling. As a result, on September 20, the Artsakh authorities accepted a ceasefire proposal from the command of the Russian peacekeeping mission, agreeing to Baku's terms: disarmament of the Defense Army and dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh. Forced displacement of Artsakh Armenians began on September 24, with more than 100,000 people forcibly relocated to Armenia. According to reports, about 20 Armenians remained in Artsakh. On September 28, Artsakh’s President Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree on the dissolution of the republic, effective from January 1, 2024.