Baku: The Baku Initiative Group (BIG) has issued a statement urging the international community to objectively assess what it describes as Armenia's policy of intolerance against Azerbaijanis. The group claims that these actions are part of a systematic colonial policy aimed at enforcing mono-ethnicization.

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the BIG's statement highlights that Azerbaijanis in Armenia have faced massacres, ethnic cleansing, and violations of their political, economic, social, and cultural rights throughout history. The statement emphasizes that these actions are consistent with patterns of atrocities committed by colonial powers against subjugated peoples.

The BIG detailed how the Armenian SSR's policies led to the forced deportation of over 150,000 Azerbaijanis between 1948 and 1953, resulting in significant human tragedies and severe resettlement conditions. The group also pointed out the obliteration of Azerbaijani cultural and religious heritage, including the changing of toponyms and the destruction of settlements, cemeteries, and monuments.

The statement further describes events from late 1987, when Armenian authorities allegedly reignited territorial claims against Azerbaijan. This reportedly led to the expulsion of more than 250,000 Azerbaijanis, completing what the BIG calls a campaign of ethnic cleansing. These actions, the group argues, were not limited to Azerbaijanis but also affected other ethnic and religious minorities, contributing to a decline in their populations.

The BIG stresses the importance of addressing these issues as part of the ongoing peace agenda between Armenia and Azerbaijan. They express concern over the persistence of hate rhetoric and discriminatory attitudes within Armenian society. The group calls for the recognition of historical grievances, respect for human rights, and the restoration of rights for forcibly displaced individuals as essential components for durable peace.

In conclusion, the Baku Initiative Group calls on international bodies, including human rights institutions and United Nations mechanisms, to assess the alleged colonial-style and ethnically discriminatory policies pursued by Armenia against Azerbaijanis.