ANC-UK presented its witness statement based on pattern of ethic cleansing in different stages.

Andre Vartanian, member of ANC-UK, presented the report, and together with Annette Moskofian, Chair of ANC-UK, responded to questions from the panel.

It is ANC-UK’s position that the British government must:

1. Pledge greater aid to the forcibly displaced population of Nagorno-Karabakh;

2. Acknowledge that Azerbaijan’s military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, viewed through the lens of the blockade and violations of humanitarian law, constituted ethnic cleansing;

3. Apply targeted sanctions against members of the Azerbaijani regime responsible for the ethnic cleansing.

4. Publicly support the right of return of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh to their homeland pursuant to the terms of the ICJ interim measure, Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Right 1948, Article 12 of The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 (III);

5. Publicly support the facilitation of that return with the instalment of multinational or UN peacekeeping force to ensure atrocities can not be committed against the Armenian people again, along with self-governing rights bestowed to the local population;

6. More vigorously lobby for the protection of the cultural and religious heritage of Armenians by international organisations such as UNESCO;

7. Curtail Azerbaijan from further claims on the sovereign territory of Armenia and insist on their withdrawal from Armenian territory occupied from 2020 to present.

“A key role was played by the Armenian National Committee of the United Kingdom (ANC-UK), which delivered a formal witness submission during the third session of the inquiry. The ANC-UK report laid out the legal foundations for the inquiry, citing protections under the 1907 and 1954 Hague Conventions, the Geneva Conventions, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, UN Security Council Resolution 2347, and the Genocide Convention. It argued that the systematic destruction of cultural heritage may constitute evidence of genocidal intent under international jurisprudence. Andre Vartanian, member of ANC-UK, presented the report, while ANC-UK Chair Annette Moskofian joined him in responding to questions from the parliamentary panel”.

“In its submission, ANC-UK called on the UK government to increase humanitarian assistance to the forcibly displaced Armenian population of Artsakh; recognize Azerbaijan’s 2023 military offensive — viewed in the context of the blockade and humanitarian law violations — as ethnic cleansing; impose targeted sanctions on Azerbaijani officials responsible; support the right of return of Artsakh Armenians in line with international legal instruments and the International Court of Justice’s interim measures; and advocate for stronger international protection of Armenian cultural heritage, including through UNESCO”.

Read the article by Horizon Weekly here: https://horizonweekly.ca/en/uk-embassy-distances-government-from-parliament-as-artsakh-hearings-spotlight-cultural-destruction-and-ethnic-cleansing/

The proceedings were conducted without fundamental fair-trial guarantees: defendants were denied effective legal defence, prosecuted on fabricated charges, and subjected to collective criminal punishment.

Those sentenced include former Presidents of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Arayik Harutyunyan (life imprisonment), Arkadi Ghukasyan (20 years), and Bako Sahakyan (20 years), as well as senior officials Davit Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, and David Manukyan, all of whom received life sentences, Madat Babayan (19 years), Garik Martirosyan (18 years), Melikset Pashayan, Davit Alaverdyan (16 years), Gurgen Stepanyan (15 years), Levon Balayan (16 years), Vasili Beglaryan (15 years) and Erik Ghazaryan (15 years).

Azerbaijan is currently holding at least 19 Armenians in detention under politically motivated and unfounded charges.

Marie Struthers, Amnesty’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, stated that trying Vardanyan and 15 other ethnic Armenians before a military court “raises serious concerns and is incompatible with fair trial guarantees.” She noted that the defendants were tried in closed hearings, based on “evidence” in a language they could not understand and that was not adequately translated. More than 40 charges were reportedly brought against Vardanyan alone, including “terrorism” and “crimes against humanity,” many of which were not fully disclosed publicly.

Amnesty also raised concerns about allegations of ill-treatment, coerced signatures on falsified case materials, and denial of adequate time to prepare a defence. Despite requesting clarification from Azerbaijani authorities, the organisation received no response.

Many of them are facing politically motivated sham trials. If convicted, they risk life imprisonment under fabricated charges. The “trials” are closed, no international observer or journalist are allowed to attend them and they are deprived of choosing their own lawyer. The Armenian prisoners are subjected to systematic violations of due process, torture and inhumane treatment.

The Armenian prisoners are not only unlawfully imprisoned but also hostages: Azerbaijan holds them captive as a means of exerting psychological terror on the Armenian population of Artsakh, ethnically cleansed from its ancestral homeland.

On January of 2026, Azerbaijan released four Armenian civilians, which shows that international pressure and activism WORK. We must sustain it.

What Can You Do?

We urge all Armenians in the UK to take immediate action by:

1. Share this message on social media using the hashtag #FreeArmenianHostages and #FreeArmenianPrisoners to raise awareness and pressure UK authorities to act.

2. Contact your local MP to demand that the UK government take a firm stance against Azerbaijan’s unlawful detentions and call for the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian prisoners.

3. Email the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) at fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Urge them to pressure Azerbaijan to comply with international law and release all Armenian prisoners.

4. Write to international human rights organisations, urging them to continue monitoring these trials and advocate for justice.

The attendees were privileged to hear about the evolving experiences of capturing this unique story, and to learn about the humanitarian and political challenges that persist for displaced population after the fall of Artsakh. In the words of director Emily, we hope that this film serves to engage and educate future discussions relating to the story of Artsakh.

The same state-sponsored hatred and impunity have continued for decades, culminating in Azerbaijan’s war of aggression in 2020, the genocidal blockade of Artsakh, and the ethnic cleansing of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in 2023.

The same voices that chose to look the other way 38 years ago have too often remained silent since. History keeps repeating itself when crimes go unpunished. Azerbaijan continues to refuse meaningful international investigation and has failed to comply with binding rulings of the International Court of Justice. Without accountability and enforcement of international law, the cycle will continue and history will repeat itself once again.