Tatoyan warns of Azerbaijani campaign to legitimize territorial claims against Armenia

Former Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan has raised alarm over Azerbaijan’s intensified efforts to legitimize territorial claims against Armenia through international platforms.

According to Tatoyan, Azerbaijani officials increasingly avoid referring to Armenia by name, instead labeling it “Western Azerbaijan” in international forums. 

“In the context of the so-called “return” issue, they expect specific deadlines from the prime minister of Armenia, presenting it as an established fact. They are also making territorial claims against Syunik, referring to it as “Western Zangezur”. Their demands include amending the Constitution, renouncing the Declaration of Independence, abandoning the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and dropping the issue of Artsakh,” he said in a social media post on Friday.

“This is a program for the occupation of Armenia, which the Azerbaijani authorities are advancing with full force. The frightened, submissive stance of the Armenian authorities —relying on Azerbaijani and Turkish authorities mercy—only contributes to the progress of this plan and the international spread of Azerbaijani falsehoods,” the ex-ombudsman stated.