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1. Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno-Karabakh
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The Swiss Peace Initiative is based on Motion 24.4259, passed by Parliament, which instructs the Federal Council to organise an international peace forum on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in order to facilitate an open dialogue between Azerbaijan and representatives of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians and to negotiate the safe return of the historically resident Armenian population.
An interparty commission composed of 19 parliamentarians supporting the Swiss Peace Initiative launched its work on May in the Swiss capital Bern. The commission aims to assist in the implementation of the Swiss Parliament’s decision to activate the necessary international mechanisms for realizing the right of return of the Armenians of Artsakh— a decision that holds binding legal significance for the country’s executive authority. |
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| Jim Shannon MP and Lord Alton of Liverpool, Chair and Vice Chair of the UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group on International Freedom of Religion or Belief, with over 110 British Parliamentarians as members, issued a statement on June 18 welcoming the Swiss Peace Initiative For Nagorno-Karabakh.
“We welcome the Swiss Peace Initiative For Nagorno Karabakh. The envisioned peace forum provides a much-need opportunity for:
– Open dialogue between Azerbaijan and the forcibly-displaced Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh;
– The return of the displaced to their homes;
– Protection of fundamental human rights, including respect for Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the safeguarding of Armenian cultural and spiritual heritage;
– Greater stability in a volatile region of increasing geopolitical and economic importance”. |
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| The Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART) issued a statement in support of the Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno-Karabakh signed by: Sam Mason, CEO of HART; Lord Alton of Liverpool, House of Lords; Lord Singh of Wimbledon, House of Lords; Sir Geoffrey Nice KC, Senior Human Rights Lawyer; Fiona Bruce, UK Special Envoy for Religious Freedom 2020-24; Dr Rowan Williams, 104th Archbishop of Canterbury.
“We support calls for meaningful dialogue between Azerbaijan and the recently-displaced Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. A central tenet of the dialogue process requires mediators to work creatively to give voice to people who might otherwise be marginalised: the ‘forgotten voices’, who have no position of power or privilege but whose engagement is essential. Marginalised groups often have the biggest stake in promoting peace and development. Without their insights, the nature and intensity of hidden interests cannot surface. If deeply-held views remain hidden, or if they are heard but dismissed, then the root causes of conflict cannot be addressed. Sustainable reconciliation is possible when diverse voices are heard”. |
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| Christian Solidarity International reported on June 16 that Azerbaijan rejected Switzerland’s offer of an international negotiating platform – vetoing talks toward the collective, protected return of indigenous Armenian to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).
“CSI cannot accept that a state that has committed religio-ethnic cleansing can place a veto on Switzerland or any other state engaging in peaceful dialogue with representatives of a forcibly displaced community, stated CSI’s International President Dr. John Eibner. He furthermore pledged that CSI will continue to press for Azerbaijan to engage in constructive dialogue with representatives of the expelled Armenian Christian population about their return to Nagorno Karabakh with fundamental human rights guaranteed”, said the organisation. |
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2. HART calls UK to “break its silence”
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| “It is in Britain’s interest to engage. Not by issuing vague calls for dialogue, and neither with reckless threats or inflammatory language. A new approach is needed. A middle way, built on three pillars:
● Assertive advocacy: An evolution of the UK’s current approach, away from a “both sides” narrative and towards visible accountability of evidence-based aggression. Apathy is no longer an option.
● Meaningful dialogue: Yes, bilateral talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia, but also involving the displaced people of Nagorno Karabakh. We should support initiatives to include them, such as the Swiss Peace Forum. Their voice matters.
● Strategic use of leverage: As the largest foreign investor in Azerbaijan, the UK is perfectly placed to draw clear red lines. We must press for the observance of international law, even when we are anxious to trade.”
Read the analysis of Sam Mason, CEO of Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART) and former advisor in the House of Lords, here: https://www.hart-uk.org/blog/armenia-azerbaijan-on-the-brink-time-for-britain-to-break-its-silence/ |
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3. UK Parliamentarians raising the issues of Armenia and Artsakh
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| During June, ANC-UK launched a campaign entitled “UFC in Baku: Stop Sportwashing Genocide”.
On June 21, the UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organisation, hosted an event in Baku, Azerbaijan. This was not just a sporting event, it was a deliberate attempt to sportwash war crimes and genocide.
The UFC event was held at Baku Crystal Hall, just a few meters away from the site where Armenian prisoners of war are illegally incarcerated, subjected to sham trials and abuse in violation of international humanitarian law.
The authoritarian regime of Azerbaijan is responsible for the ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of over 120,000 indigenous Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). After starting a brutal war in 2020 and a ten-month genocidal blockade, Azerbaijan launched a full-scale assault in 2023, erasing an entire population from its ancestral homeland. The ethnic cleansing went unpunished, as Azerbaijan failed to comply with the binding resolutions of the International Court of Justice. Now, Armenia itself is under growing threat of a new war and invasion.
This is not the first time Azerbaijan has used global sports to cleanse its international image: the Azerbaijan Grand Prix (F1) and UEFA Europa League final at Baku’s Olympic Stadium were also tools of the regime’s ongoing propaganda strategy. By partnering with Azerbaijan, the UFC is endorsing a dictatorship that silences dissent and glorifies violence. |
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Watch the video of the campaign here:
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5. News articles and recent developments
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“Friendship between the Church of England and the Armenian Church has a long history, the Archbishop of York said on Tuesday, but it amounts to a ‘mere moment’ in comparison with the almost 2000-year-old history of Christianity in Armenia. Archbishop Cottrell was speaking at the two-day Armenian Heritage Conference in Bern, which ended on Wednesday. The conference, which was hosted by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Protestant Church in Switzerland, brought together lawyers, historians, politicians, faith leaders, and representatives from non-governmental organisations to discuss the protection of Armenian Christian heritage in Azerbaijan-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh”.
“The area, known to Armenians as Artsakh, contains many ancient churches and graveyards, and there is concern about their future under Azerbaijani rule. On Tuesday, Archbishop Cottrell said that he understood the concern about these monuments, and called for UNESCO to be granted access to ensure the safety of this heritage. ‘I do not know how the Armenian people have found the astonishing resilience they have shown in such a long time of hardship and persecution,’ Archbishop Cottrell said”. Article by Francis Martin in The Church Times.
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| The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute has announced that the International Journal of Armenian Genocide Studies has been officially indexed in Scopus, one of the world’s most prestigious academic databases.
“This milestone represents a major achievement not only for the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, but for the entire field of Armenian Genocide studies. It reflects the growing international recognition and scholarly relevance of research on the Armenian Genocide”, said the Institute on June 9. |
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| On June 20, between 08:00 and 09:00, Azerbaijani Armed Forces units opened fire in the direction of the Nerkin Hand settlement in the Syunik region, damaging a residential house, the Armenian Defense Ministry reported. According to the report, there were no casualties. |
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| The Armenian Foreign Ministry has denounced the Istanbul Declaration adopted by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and driven by Azerbaijan, which promotes the concept of “Western Azerbaijan”, a territorial claim on sovereign Armenian land.
“Regarding Azerbaijanis living in Soviet Armenia, they voluntarily left Armenia in the final years of the USSR, managing to sell or exchange their property or receive compensation from the Armenian government. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the fate of Armenians in Azerbaijan—in Baku, Sumgait, and other places, where massacres and forced displacement of Armenians took place. The most recent manifestation of this in our region was witnessed by the world in the fall of 2023, when over 115,000 Armenians were forced to flee Nagorno-Karabakh subjected to ethnic cleansing”, said the Armenian MFA. |
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| Are you of Armenian heritage and living in the UK?
Srab Der Haroutounian is conducting a research for his doctoral studies, exploring how the legacy of the Armenian Genocide continues to impact the emotional and psychological well-being of Armenians today. If this resonates with you or someone you know, please consider participating or sharing this message with others who may be interested.
Title: Exploring the Legacy of the Armenian Genocide in London’s Armenian Community
Participant Criteria:
Aged between 25 and 65
Of Armenian heritage
Living in the UK
Fluent in English
With personal or familial ties to the Armenian community in London
The aim is to explore how inherited stories, memory, and community identity influence present day emotional life, contributing to a deeper understanding of trans-generational and multigenerational trauma -and how psychotherapy can more authentically serve communities like ours.
If anyone is interested or has questions, they can reach him directly at 06624@metanoia.ac.uk, or on srab@transformative-healing.com |
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| BP and the Azerbaijani government have signed an agreement to build a $200 million solar power plant in occupied Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), a region depopulated through the war, genocidal blockade, ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of the native Armenian population in 2020-2023. Announced at an energy conference in Baku, the project is set for completion by 2027. |
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“A relentless crackdown over the past 18 months has eradicated any semblance of independent media from authoritarian Azerbaijan. But as President Ilham Aliyev casts critical journalists as enemies of the state, they continue to try to hold power to account — from exile, or even from behind bars”. Investigation by the OCCRP.
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| The Armenian National Committee-International issued a statement on June 16 expressing serious concern over the growing threat from Azerbaijan toward Armenia’s Syunik Province, amid regional instability following the Israel-Iran conflict.
“The Armenian National Committee-International1 expresses grave concern over the escalating threats posed by Azerbaijan toward the Syunik province of Armenia. In the wake of the Israel-Iran conflict, geopolitical instability has heightened, creating an additional threat of Azerbaijani aggressive actions that endanger the sovereignty of Armenia. We urge the international community to take decisive measures to prevent another act of aggression against Armenia”, said ANC-International.
“President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan has repeatedly emphasized that the ‘Zangezur Corridor’ will be established ‘whether Armenia wants it or not’. Time and again, Aliyev has threatened to use force towards that end, and Azerbaijan has occupied over two hundred square kilometers of the Republic of Armenia’s territory since September 2022. Such rhetoric, coupled with increased military exercises near Armenia’s borders and the diversion caused by the recent developments in the Middle East, signals a clear threat to the territorial integrity of Armenia”.
“We urge international organisations and global leaders to recognise the severity of the situation and take immediate steps to uphold peace and stability in the South Caucasus”. |
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| Alejandro Milcíades Peña, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of York, UK, will be hosting a seminar at the Torcuato Di Tella University of Argentina on June 25 with Vasif Huseynov, Directive of the AIR Center in Azerbaijan.
The seminar is entitled “The South Caucasus: National Highlights, Regional Conflicts, and Geopolitical Posture” and was widely criticised by the Armenian community in Argentina, which denounced it as an anti-Armenian event.
On his social media, Husaynov described the forced displacement of the Armenian population of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) as “voluntary”, defended the genocidal blockade in 2023 and when the war began in 2020, he declared that it was a “counterattack against Armenia’s provocation” |
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6. Support to Etchmiadzin
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We express our support to the 1700 year old Holy Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and condemn the recent attacks on the Church and the arrest of senior clergy and civilians. This was an attack to one of the oldest national institution that has endured the Armenian Genocide, the Bolshevik terror, and wars at a time when Armenia is facing external threats, and the government’s actions risk deepening divides in society and weakening already fragile national stability.
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Make your donation
Please give today to help our campaigns
To continue our ever growing work in advocacy we urgently need funds to have paid staff. All our efforts are done on voluntary basis. Please donate so we can carry on working for the Armenian Cause and raise the concerns of the British Armenian community.
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You can now donate monthly!
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Why Donate?
The Armenian National Committee of the United Kingdom (ANC-UK) is the largest and most influential British-Armenian political grassroots organisation.
Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Britain and affiliated organisations around the world, ANC-UK actively advances the concerns of the British-Armenian community on a broad range of issues.
The work achieved by ANC-UK is currently on a volunteer basis. However, we are hopeful that in the coming years through the financial support of our community, the ANC-UK chapter will have the necessary funds to open a full-time office employing an Executive Director and a part-time Administrative Assistant.
Setting up an ANC-UK office will allow for our organisation’s goals to be achieved as they have been throughout the diaspora in the United States of America, Canada, Australia and Europe.
As a grassroots organisation, we rely upon you, our community and friends for financial assistance to advance our cause. Your donations support our goal of having a full-time office, to advocate on issues important to all British-Armenians and the Armenian cause.
Thank you for your consideration of our request for your support.
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