Assembly Observes UN Human Rights and Genocide Commemoration Days

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the United Nations this week marks both the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and the Prevention of This Crime (December 9) and Human Rights Day (December 10), the Armenian Assembly of America reaffirms the urgent responsibility of the international community to uphold human rights and ensure accountability for violations wherever they occur. 

This year’s observance coincides with the tenth anniversary of the UN’s genocide commemoration day, a reminder that innocent populations continue to suffer the consequences of unchecked aggression and impunity. These principles resonate deeply with the Armenian people in the wake of the ethnic cleansing of 120,000 Armenians from their ancestral homeland of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) in 2023, carried out by the Aliyev regime of Azerbaijan.  

As Members of Congress and expert witnesses testified at the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, the deliberate blockade that deprived Armenians of food, medicine, electricity, and fuel constituted an act of genocide. Armenian Assembly of America Co-Chair Talin Yacoubian also testified on these issues before Congress earlier this year, emphasizing the urgent need to enforce Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and the critical steps required to support Armenia and the people of Artsakh. “Armenia has been negotiating under extreme duress, with Azerbaijani soldiers illegally occupying Armenia and Armenian hostages still unjustly held,” stated Yacoubian. “Aliyev has said, ‘we have destroyed Armenia,’ and warned that the ‘iron fist is in place and always will be.’ Preventing further genocide requires securing the release of all hostages and upholding the fundamental human rights of the people of Artsakh, including their fundamental right of return.”

Azerbaijan's Aliyev regime continues to commit serious human rights violations, including the unlawful detention of Armenian civilians and prisoners of war, the destruction of Armenian cultural and religious heritage, the illegal occupation of sovereign Armenian territory, and the suppression of fundamental freedoms within Azerbaijan, as highlighted by human rights experts. These actions require a firm and principled international response.  

“This week, as we mark the International Day of Genocide Commemoration and Human Rights Day, we are reminded that preventing future atrocities requires confronting present abuses. Human rights begin with the most basic of freedoms, and today, Armenian hostages held in Baku by the Aliyev regime are still deprived of both,” stated Co-Chair Oscar Tatosian. “Their unlawful detention is an ongoing human rights abuse that the world cannot ignore. Securing their immediate release must be a top priority for the United States and the international community.” 

As the international community prepares for next year’s high-level UN meeting on genocide prevention, the Armenian Assembly urges governments and institutions to take concrete steps to prevent future atrocities and uphold the universal values enshrined in the Genocide Convention and Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

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