The Yerevan-based International and Comparative Law Center, in cooperation with the Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human Rights, has submitted a communication to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief on the serious and ongoing violations of the religious rights and freedoms of Armenians forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of the military offensive by Azerbaijan in September 2023.

The communication contains thirty-seven confirmed cases in which displaced Armenians are deprived of the opportunity to practice their basic religious rituals.

According to Armenian religious and cultural traditions, family members visit the graves of their relatives on the seventh and fortieth days after the funeral and once a year.

Due to ethnic cleansing and forced displacement, Armenians have been deprived of the opportunity to practice their religious rituals. The desecration of Armenian graves, which could occur at any time, will deprive families of the opportunity to mourn the death of their loved ones with dignity and to observe important religious customs.

The violations documented in the communication occurred following a large-scale military offensive launched by Azerbaijan on September 19, 2023, which resulted in civilian deaths and the forced displacement of more than 120,000 ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Since then, displaced families have been unable to return, recover remains, or ensure a dignified reburial of their deceased relatives.