Baku-backed group to hold “right of return” conference at U.S. Capitol

(Horizon Media / WASHINGTON) — The Baku Initiative Group is set to hold an international conference at the U.S. Capitol on June 24 under the title “The Right of Return and Self-Determination: Double Standards and Selective Approaches,” Azerbaijani media reported.

The event is being presented by Baku as the first discussion of its kind inside the U.S. Congress focused on what Azerbaijan describes as the “ethnic cleansing” of Azerbaijanis from Armenia. Organizers say the conference will bring together experts on refugee and minority rights, human rights advocates, international law specialists, diaspora representatives, civil society groups and members of so-called affected communities.

According to Azerbaijani reports, participants will discuss the alleged displacement of “hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis” from what Baku calls their “historical lands” in Armenia, with a focus on securing international recognition for their “safe, voluntary and dignified return.” The agenda is also expected to include accusations that Armenia has appropriated or destroyed Azerbaijani cultural, religious and historical heritage.

The framing reflects Azerbaijan’s growing “Western Azerbaijan” campaign, which seeks to internationalize demands for the return of Azerbaijanis to the territory of the Republic of Armenia. The campaign is part of a broader pressure strategy against Armenia, particularly as Baku continues to avoid accountability for the forced displacement of more than 100,000 Armenians from Artsakh following Azerbaijan’s 2023 military offensive.

The Baku Initiative Group was created in 2023 and has positioned itself as an anti-colonial platform, organizing events targeting France, Belgium, the Netherlands and India, among others. The group has also drawn attention for its involvement in campaigns related to French overseas territories, including unrest in French-administered islands.

The planned Capitol Hill event comes as Armenian advocacy organizations continue to press U.S. lawmakers to condition or restrict assistance to Azerbaijan, secure the release of Armenian prisoners and hostages held in Baku, protect Armenian heritage in Artsakh, and recognize the right of return for forcibly displaced Armenians under international guarantees.