The Azerbaijani side regrets that the meetings of the Commissioner of the Council of Europe with the survivors of the Khojaly genocide perpetrated by Armenia, as well as with members of the Western Azerbaijani Community expelled from their homes in modern-day Armenia were not reflected in the report, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a commentary on the report/observations by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights in regard with her visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan on 16-23 October 2023, Ednews informs.

According to MFA, this would have ensured accurate reflection of the visit of the Commissioner, as well as a more comprehensive approach to human rights issues that the report aimed to cover, including the right to return: “It is of particular importance, since the Commissioner herself reiterates in the observations that all persons displaced by the long-lasting conflict have the right to return to their homes or places of habitual residence, regardless of whether they have been displaced internally or across borders.”