Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian population’s right to return is part of Iran’s official position, says Ehsan Movahedian
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YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. Iran’s official position regarding Nagorno-Karabakh has already been presented by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to which the Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh have the right to return to their homes, and their rights, life and property must be respected and maintained, Ehsan Movahedian, international relations specialist, lecturer and Caucasus expert at the Tehran ATU University has said.
In an interview with Armenpress, Movahedian, touching upon the 2023 Azerbaijani attack in Nagorno-Karabakh and the subsequent forced displacement of the 120,000 local Armenian population, recalled Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s statement that the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh have the right to return to their homes and their rights must be respected.
“This is what we believe in, however, nevertheless we don’t have the tools to implement it. And I think it is the obligation of the government of Armenia to protect these people, for example, apply to international courts, utilize international law and rules, file complaints, force the Azerbaijani government to respect the rights of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian population. This is Iran’s position,” Movahedian said.
The vast majority of the forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh have settled in Armenia. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan previously said that in current conditions he doesn’t consider the return of NK Armenians to be realistic.