How can Azerbaijan get rid of accusations of ethnic cleansing?

Baku/13.10.23/Turan: In a contentious session convened at the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday, longstanding tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Karabakh region came to a head, as both nations traded heated allegations of "ethnic cleansing." Yerevan accused Baku of orchestrating such actions, inciting a fervent response from Azerbaijan, who vehemently dismissed the allegations as "unfounded."

Yeghishe Kirakosyan, the representative of Armenia at the International Court of Justice, delivered a pointed statement during the proceedings: "For thousands of years, the overwhelming majority of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh were Armenians. There are almost none in Nagorno-Karabakh today. And if this is not ethnic cleansing, then I do not know what can be considered ethnic cleansing."

In retort, Elnur Mammadov, the Azerbaijani representative, criticized Armenia for repeatedly leveling accusations of ethnic cleansing, characterizing these claims as having taken on a life of their own. Mammadov categorically rejected these accusations, labeling them as "baseless" and "completely groundless," and adamantly contended that they do not accurately depict the situation in Karabakh. He stated unequivocally, "Azerbaijan has not participated and will not participate in ethnic cleansing or any attacks on the peaceful population of Karabakh."

In the wake of a massive exodus of Armenians from Karabakh, it was widely anticipated that Azerbaijan would face allegations of ethnic cleansing. The question now lingers: How can Azerbaijan extricate itself from these and similar accusations?

Human rights activist Fuad Hasanov shared his insights during a recent installment of the "Difficult Question" program. Hasanov recalled the emergence of allegations of "ethnic cleansing" against Armenians and the expulsion of Armenians from Karabakh, which began surfacing nearly three years ago, immediately following the signing of the trilateral agreement on November 9.

"This terminology has been widely used. The media, including quite reputable ones, from time to time published materials in which the justice and legitimacy of the struggle of the Azerbaijani people for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of their country were questioned," Hasanov remarked.

According to Hasanov, the anti-terrorist operation executed by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on September 19 was entirely legitimate, with no civilians or non-military targets in its sights. "Nevertheless, following the results of the one-day operation, voices began to be heard that Azerbaijan allegedly committed ethnic cleansing in Karabakh," noted the expert.

In his view, the key to dispelling allegations of ethnic cleansing lies in establishing a mechanism for shaping public opinion on both regional and international fronts. This, he argued, necessitates the involvement of nimble, proactive information structures. However, Hasanov expressed concerns that Azerbaijan's management system in this regard remains imperfect and must be refined to effectively tackle this challenging issue.