Matthias Boehning speaks in front of the Federal Chancellery
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear fellow campaigners,
I am very moved by the speeches at today’s vigil – thank you all for coming here today in front of the Federal Chancellery in Berlin!
My name is Matthias Boehning and I represent the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) in my capacity as ISHR Secretary General and thus also our German section, the Internationale Gesellschaft für Menschenrechte (IGFM).
First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the organizers and promoters of this vigil:
- Working Group for Recognition (AGA) – Against Genocide, for International Understanding e.V.
- Society for Threatened Peoples
- Central Council of Armenians in Germany
- Diocese of the Armenian Church in Germany
On behalf of the ISHR, we expressly support the aims of this vigil and show our solidarity with its cause.Unspeakable suffering has befallen the people of Nagorno-Karabakh in recent days as a result of Azerbaijan’s war of aggression, President Ilham Aliyev’s war of aggression. This causes us great consternation and I would like to invite us to begin by observing a minute’s silence for the victims of the past week.
As the International Society for Human Rights, which has a National Section in Armenia, we are monitoring the situation very closely. And we are appalled by the aggression of the last few days. Access for humanitarian aid, for food, medicine and fuel must be created NOW! There is a lack of everything in Nagorno-Karabakh at the moment.
I would also like to remind you that once before kamikaze drones with the inscription “dog hunter” automatically crashed on soldiers of the small Karabakh army. Accordingly, the people whose families were victims of the first systematic genocide of the 20th century were themselves victims of the first modern drone war of the 21st century. Sadly, this week we have once again watched history repeat itself.
The war rhetoric of one of the EU’s declared “reliable partners” is intolerable! It is not compatible with our values and convictions! To speak of restoring a constitutional order is cynical and inhuman.
We stand here because we stand for peace for Arzakh/Nagorno-Karabakh. The inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh are threatened with ethnic cleansing. All observers and international experts reckon with it. The fate of the Armenians in Arzakh seems to be sealed.
In our view, Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin Corridor are only the beginning of Azerbaijan’s planned land grab. Baku’s list also includes the Sangesur Corridor in southern Armenia. This embodies the realization of the old Pan-Turkish dream of a Turkish empire stretching from the Adriatic to China. It is not least Erdogan’s personal dream. At the same time, however, this means playing with fire, because a conflagration threatens the entire region.
Now is the time for the EU and Germany to take a firm stand and send a clear message to Baku. In this regard, I would like to expressly support the points made by Roman Kuehn of the Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV). This message is not only vital for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. This message is also important for the still young democracy in Armenia.
It is true that the EU has played an important mediating role in the recent past and has also become more involved than ever before with the observer mission. But now is the time to move from observation to action. The question is: Will the EU show itself to be a reliable partner? Or will it also leave Armenia alone, deepening a trauma Armenians have already lived through so many times? With its economic ties in the energy sector, the EU has considerable influence on Baku. A decisive signal could hit Azerbaijan at a sensitive point. The opportunity for a clear message is there!
The geopolitical connections and implications go far beyond Nagorno-Karabakh. We are aware of that. It is complicated. From the Ukraine war to the role of Belarus to Iran’s interests, there are many factors to consider. But as a human rights organization we point out: the most important factors are always and everywhere the people! And while we are demonstrating here, the suffering in Nagorno-Karabakh is unbearable.
Therefore, I repeat our demands to Chancellor Scholz: The right of existence and self-determination of the Armenian population in Arzakh/Nagorno-Karabakh must be enforced! We need effective sanctions against the Aliyev regime. There must be no double standards for human rights violations! And the German government must not remain silent once again on the Armenian genocide!
Today, we stand firmly by the side of the Armenians in Arzakh/Nagorno-Karabakh.
Thank you very much!
