ICLaw submits communication to UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief
The International and Comparative Law Center has submitted information to the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief regarding serious violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief following military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023.
The organization has documented 37 confirmed cases, involving a broader group of affected families who were deprived of the opportunity to perform religious funeral rites for deceased relatives. These violations stem from the large-scale military offensive carried out by Azerbaijan on Sept. 19, 2023. The attack resulted in civilian casualties and the forced displacement of more than 120,000 ethnic Armenians.
The communication emphasizes that, since the forced displacement of the Armenian population, families have been unable to visit the graves of their relatives. Azerbaijan has systematically denied them access to Artsakh. The inability to exhume, repatriate or properly re-bury the remains of the deceased has led to ongoing violations of religious rights. For followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church, funeral rites and burial ceremonies are not only cultural traditions but also fundamental religious obligations; therefore, their obstruction disrupts individuals’ spiritual life.
The International and Comparative Law Center has undertaken measures to document these violations and raise them at the international level. The center has collected testimonies and case-related information, prepared and submitted official communications to United Nations special procedures and cooperated with international humanitarian organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, particularly in situations where direct inter-state communication mechanisms are absent.
The submission situates the violations within a broader legal and factual context, highlighting a long-standing pattern of systemic discrimination against ethnic Armenians previously documented in international legal proceedings. It also references binding interim measures issued by international courts calling for the prevention of racial hatred and the protection of cultural heritage and fundamental human rights. Despite these measures, the situation remains unchanged, and no effective steps have been taken to ensure access to burial sites or the return of remains.
The center also emphasizes the lack of effective domestic remedies. In the absence of diplomatic relations and cooperation mechanisms, as well as direct communication channels, affected families have no recourse other than international procedures. Previous attempts, including communications transmitted through humanitarian intermediaries, have not produced tangible results.
