On November 15, Swedish eco-activist Greta Thunberg joined an action in front of the UN office in Yerevan organized by the Armenia Climate Justice Initiative. The protest was a response to the ongoing COP29 conference in Azerbaijan, which Thunberg boycotted due to Azerbaijan's human rights abuses.
Addressing the gathering, Thunberg made a powerful statement:
"We urge international media to visit Baku, meet with the captives, and demand the immediate release of all political prisoners, POWs, and hostages."
Participants in the protest criticized the COP29 conference, arguing that it contradicts the theme of “Solidarity for Green World.” According to them, the event serves as a greenwashing tactic to conceal the crimes committed by the authoritarian Azerbaijani regime.
Thunberg and other speakers highlighted the ongoing ethnic cleansing and violent acts committed against both Azerbaijani citizens and Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).
"Azerbaijan's hands are stained with the blood of its own people and of those affected by the ethnic cleansing and genocidal acts against the Armenians of Artsakh. Torture, forced displacement, and physical and psychological violence continue unabated. It is unacceptable for a country that engages in such actions to escape condemnation. The silence of the international community is deafening," Thunberg stated.
At the conclusion of the protest, the initiative members and supporters signed a letter addressed to the representative of the UN office in Armenia. The letter urged the UN to leverage all available mechanisms to prevent legitimizing Azerbaijan’s inhumane policies. It called for active involvement to promote peace and rebuild mutual trust in the region. The letter emphasized:
"We urge you to condemn Azerbaijan for its war crimes in Nagorno-Karabakh, violations of humanitarian law, ethnic cleansing against the indigenous Armenians, destruction of Armenian cultural heritage, and environmental crimes. We demand accountability for these actions. Additionally, we draw your attention to Azerbaijan’s efforts to conceal its state crimes and greenwash its image, and we expect an appropriate response."
This demonstration reflects the growing frustration with the international community's failure to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its actions, especially in light of its hosting of a major global environmental conference.
November 15, 2024 at 18:27