European Parliament (Brussels) – The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy informs that, on Thursday 9th February 2011, an event was organized by the NGO “Human Rights Without Frontiers”, under the patronage of the EP Vice President, Mr. László Tőkés. The event was titled “The Humanitarian Consequences of an Unresolved Conflict: Nagorno Karabakh”. As a result of the European Armenian Federation’s timely interventions, MEPs and other bodies’ reactions, Mr. Tőkés changed the program of the event, and did not give the floor to the assumed refugee from Khojalu. The European Armenian Federation also informs that during the meeting, the Azerbaijani Embassy’s collaborators blatantly and violently confiscated the fact sheets prepared by the Federation for the occasion (available on the website: http://www.eafjd.eu/IMG/letters/Khojalu_AZE_propaganda.ppt#11 ) Later, the Azerbaijanis were surprised when Mr. Tőkés stated that Human Rights are universal, and reminded to the audience of his speech at the EP’s plenary session of November 22, 2010, on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, where he called on the EP President Mr. Jerzy Buzek to demand the EU member states to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Mr Willy Fautré, the director of “Human Rights Without Frontiers” and Mr Scott Crosby, lawyer, concluded the event by resuming the current humanitarian situation of Azerbaijani refugees without any debate with the audience. “We congratulate Mr. László Tőkés for his engagement in Human Rights’ issues and recognizing the Armenian Genocide”, announced Hilda Tchoboian, President of the Federation. The European Armenian Federation considers that the imbalanced treatment by the international community regarding refugees in Armenia and Azerbaijan is not justified. “Those Azerbaijanis who left Armenia after 1988 received financial reparations from Armenia; but Azerbaijan still has to compensate the Armenian survivors who fled from Sumgait, Kirovabad, Mingechaour and Baku massacres to find refuge in Armenia and Karabakh. We call upon Armenian and European humanitarian structures to raise the issue of the Armenian refugees’ horrible conditions within their political institutions”. The Federation points out that, for years, Azerbaijan has been exploiting the Azerbaijani refugees’ issue to its own benefit. “The European Union has to grant protection and assistance to Armenian refugees too. We have raised this question with the EU Special Representative to the South Caucasus, Mr. Peter Semneby, within the framework of the EU Eastern Partnership with Armenia and Azerbaijan”, concluded Hilda Tchoboian.

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