Amnesty International urges Baku to take care of internally displaced persons not only on documents

PanARMENIAN.Net - One of the largest populations of internally displaced people per capita in the world faces discrimination, segregation and an uncertain future. According to a new report titled "Azerbaijan: Displaced then discriminated against - the plight of the internally displaced population", which was released by Amnesty International, some 600 000 Azeris have lived in internal displacement for over a decade as a result of the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh. Although minimum essential levels of human rights have been provided for by the Azerbaijani government with international assistance, Amnesty International is concerned that current measures are not adequate to provide for the progressive realization of human rights in a context of long-term displacement.



Human rights treaties to which Azerbaijan is a party require the authorities to respect and protect the rights of internally displaced people to life, and an adequate standard of living. "Although on paper the Azerbaijani government appears willing to allocate resources to the needs of the internally displaced population, these resources are not being used in ways that allow the progressive realization of their human rights. State officials consistently emphasize the 'temporary' nature of social and housing programs for the displaced. Yet this emphasis is increasingly in conflict with the prolonged nature of displacement," Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central Asia Program Director at Amnesty International said.



In order to address the human rights issues of the displaced people, Amnesty International calls on the government of Azerbaijan to remove all obstacles to the rights of the displaced population to freedom of movement and choice of residence; take steps to provide for the right of displaced people to genuinely participate in a process of consultation on issues affecting them; ensure that the right of the displaced population to an adequate standard of housing is respected in both rural and urban contexts.



Amnesty International calls on the international community to continue to assist the Azerbaijani authorities in this regard.