in Armenian – https://aga-tribunal.info/hy/petition-nov-2020-hy/

in Russian – https://aga-tribunal.info/petition-nov-2020/

In November 2020 famous Armenian and foreign figures of art and science have initiated an online petition aimed at dismissing First Vice-President of Azerbaijan, Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva from her title of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Canadian-Armenian actress Arsinee Khanjian. As on February 18, 2021 more than 36300 have signed this petition. Below is a text and the names of 101 famous public figures, who signed the petition first.

Though few months passed from starting this online petition it is still actual since Azerbaijan refuses to allow UNESCO mission to come to the place.

Online Petition can be signed here – https://www.change.org/p/unesco-dismiss-mrs-mehriban-aliyeva-from-her-title-of-unesco-goodwill-ambassador-dismissmehriban

To: Madame Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO General Director
The UNESCO office of Goodwill Ambassadors

Dear Mrs․ Azoulay,

Since its inception in 1945, guided by the belief that peace could not be maintained without the power of education and culture, UNESCO has been aiming at building a more peaceful world through constructing defenses of peace in the minds of men and women. We reiterate Armenia’s full support to the noble mission of UNESCO and it is out of respect towards the legacy of this organization that we, the undersigned individuals and organizations, appeal to you with this open letter.

On November 8th, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva made a public statement directly contradicting the core values of her mission, showing her continuous support for military solutions to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, calling the negotiations aimed for peaceful resolution of the conflict “meaningless”. In particular, she wrote: “I have said many times that, despite all the statements, there are military solutions to this conflict – the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and today we are proving it on the battlefield. Nearly 30 years of meaningless negotiations did not bring us to any conclusion.”

We believe that the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan, Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva – representative of one of the most corrupt, violent, and oppressive regimes of our times, should not remain a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, as a politician who bears full responsibility for countless human rights violations, encouragement and implementation of the hate policy against Armenians on the state level, as well as for the numerous war crimes committed by the Azerbaijani leadership against Armenians․ 

UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors are an outstanding group of celebrity advocates, spreading the ideals of UNESCO through their name and fame and making an important contribution towards the organization’s objectives: building peace through international cooperation in Education, Sciences, Culture, Communication, and Information. Thus, cases of engagement of a Goodwill Ambassador in activities incompatible with their status or with the purposes and principles of the organization, must be assessed accordingly, resulting in an immediate termination of the Ambassador’s designation.

We believe, that it is inconceivable that the honorary position conferred by the title of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador be awarded to the First Vice-President of a state which not only stands out for its miserable position in the ranking for Press Freedom (168th – Reporters Without Borders Index, 2019) and Human Freedom (126th – Amnesty International Ranks), but for the Armenophobia indoctrinated on the state level during the ruling of the Aliyev family and the continuous crimes committed by Azerbaijan against the Armenian people and cultural heritage in Artsakh and in the territories currently under Azerbaijani jurisdiction.

Since the beginning of the recent war unleashed by Azerbaijan against the peaceful people of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) and Armenia on the 27th of September, Azerbaijani armed forces have been deliberately deploying artillery, missiles, military aviation against peaceful civilians in more than 130 cities and villages of Artsakh, including the capital city of Stepanakert, using internationally banned cluster bombs [1], as well as phosphorus munitions [2], which are undeniable war crimes themselves.

On October 8, Azerbaijan launched two intentional airstrikes on the masterpiece of Armenian architecture – the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral [3], located in the cultural capital of Artsakh, Shushi, causing significant damages. This horrifying news was presented in the Azerbaijani media as a heroic act and acknowledged so by President Aliyev. 

Other major sites of cultural heritage have been targeted and damaged severely, including the Gohar Mosque of Shushi, buildings of the Cultural Center and the National Gallery of Shushi, Tigranakert archaeological site (1st century BC).These acts inarguably are the continuation of the genocidal policy of Azerbaijan against Armenian culture, earlier manifested itself in the destruction of the valley of medieval cross-stones in Nakhijevan [4].  

Following the shelling of Martakert hospital, the Maternity hospital of Stepanakert was attacked on October 28th, heavily damaging the civilian infrastructure [5].

Over 60 schools have been deliberately shelled and destroyed, along with numerous other educational institutions. Targeting students, teachers, and institutions in gross violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law is unacceptable under any circumstances and should be strongly condemned. Attacks do not just destroy the school buildings, but the hopes and ambitions of a whole generation of children, depriving them of their right for education and a prosperous future.

These outrageous crimes committed against the civilian population of Artsakh have already resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe causing 50 cases of casualties, thousand cases of injuries, and displacement of almost 60% of the peaceful population.

These crimes are committed amid a surging second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic, forcing a vulnerable population into crowded, poorly-ventilated basements to shelter from the bombing. This has resulted in extremely high numbers of COVID-19 cases in Artsakh and Armenia, applying overwhelming pressure on the healthcare system struggling to serve the COVID-19 patients and the wounded soldiers and civilians at the same time.  

Moreover, it has been confirmed from several official sources that Turkey is providing military support to the government of Azerbaijan in this war deploying infamous Syrian mercenaries to Azerbaijan [6] and thus threatening the entire region with further destabilization. A government allying with mercenaries, whose disastrous actions towards the civilians and cultural heritage in the Middle East speak for themselves, can in no way stand in line with an organization protecting the people and culture of the world from the terror of the same groups. Many horrifying cases of war crimes committed against the Armenian POWs and captured civilians have already been reported by international media outlets [7].

The blatant disregard of Azerbaijan’s leadership for human rights does not honor Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva, the First Vice-President of the country, UNESCO title of the Goodwill Ambassador. Furthermore, the hate speech towards Armenians coming from her husband and president of Azerbaijan provokes active intentions to exterminate ethnic Armenians and any trace of their cultural heritage from the region among the Azerbaijani society. [8]

Since the recent ceasefire established on November 10th, Azerbaijani forces have committed acts of vandalism against the Armenian Christian cultural heritage sites located in the areas captured by Azerbaijan, including destructions of cross-stones monuments, attacks on churches, proudly filmed and shared on social media [9]. 

The International Association of Genocide Scholars and the Genocide Watch have identified genocidal intent in the actions of Azerbaijan considering it “to be at Stage 9: Extermination and Stage 10: Denial” [10].

We believe that the leadership of Azerbaijan must be kept accountable for all the violence, human rights violations, cultural terrorism, and war crimes committed against the Armenian people of Artsakh and Armenia. And we expect UNESCO to stay committed to its mission and act upon the condemnation and punishment of the criminal actions of the leadership of Azerbaijan.

Thus we, the undersigned, urge you to take meaningful action and dismiss Mrs․ Mehriban Aliyeva from her title of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

#DismissMehriban  #UNESCO

[1] Human Rights Watch. Azerbaijan: Cluster Munitions Used in Nagorno-Karabakh. https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/10/23/azerbaijan-cluster-munitions-used-nagorno-karabakh

[2] Human Rights Defender of Armenia confirms use of Phosphorus Projectiles by Azerbaijan.

Human Rights Defeder of Armenia confirms use of phosphorus projectiles by Azerbaijan

[3] Human Rights Defender of Artsakh: AD HOC Public Report. https://artsakhombuds.am/en/document/740

[4] The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/mar/01/monumental-loss-azerbaijan-cultural-genocide-khachkars

[5] Human Rights Defender of Artsakh. https://artsakhombuds.am/en/news/474

[6] Mercenaries in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone must be withdrawn – UN experts https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26494&LangID=E

The Investigative Journal. https://investigativejournal.org/turkeys-syrian-mercenaries-in-azerbaijan-feel-tricked-as-bodies-pile-up/

The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/02/syrian-recruit-describes-role-of-foreign-fighters-in-nagorno-karabakh

[7] BBC World News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54645254

[8] VOX News. [quote from Ilham Aliyev “We are chasing them like dogs”] https://www.vox.com/21502327/armenia-azerbaijan-nagorno-karabakh-war-explained

[9] Kanach Zham church partially destroyed in Shushi: https://fip.am/en/13788

Video of Armenian churches in Artsakh vandalized after being captured by Azerbaijani forces:  https://twitter.com/tbalayan/status/1327676346315706369?s=20

[10] Genocide Watch NGO. https://www.genocidewatch.com/single-post/genocide-emergency-azerbaijan-s-attack-in-artsakh

Sincerely yours,

(101 signers)

Atom Egoyan, Filmmaker / Canada
Serj Tankian, Musician / USA
Arsinee Khanjian, Actress, Producer, Playwright / Canada
Claire Denis, Filmmaker / France
Amos Gitaï, Filmmaker, Artist / France / Israel
Caroline Benjo, Producer, Distributor / France

Philippe-Alain Michaud, Conservator/Curator, Centre Pompidou / France
Serge Avedikian, Actor, Director / France
Simon Abkarian, Actor, Director / France
Eric Esrailian, Producer & Physician / USA
Pippo Delbono, Filmmaker, Actor / Italy
Russell Banks, Writer/ Canada
Mychael Danna, Academy Award Winner, Composer / USA
Chris Bohjalian, Novelist / USA
Eric Bogosian, Actor / USA
Theodore Bogosian, Content Creator, Filmmaker / USA
Eric Nazarian, Filmmaker / USA
Ahmad Abdalla, Filmmaker / Egypt
François Girard, Film and Theater Director / Canada
Elle Flanders, Public Studio, Filmmaker / Canada
Françoise Romand, Filmmaker / France
Phillip Barker, Phillip Barker Films, Director / Canada
Moze Mossanen, Mossanen Productions, Filmmaker / Canada
Norayr Kasper, Cinematographer, Visual Artist / Canada
Peter Balakian, Colgate University, Professor, Writer / USA
Matthew Jocelyn, Writer / Canada
Shermin Langhoff, Gorki Theater, Director / Germany
Andréa Picard, Toronto International Film Festival, Curator, Writer / Canada
Kim Collier, Director, Writer / Canada
Fabienne Babe, Actress / France
Patricia Rozema, Crucial Things Inc, Director & President / Canada
Benjamin August, Ahoy Hanoi Inc, President / USA

Gaianè Casnati, Europa Nostra pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage, Council Member / Italy
Marie Clarté O’Neill, International Council of Museums, President of the Committee for Education and Cultural Action / France
Ani Avagyan, ICOM National Committee of Armenian Museums, Chair / Armenia
Gagik Gyurjyan, ICOMOS / Armenia National Committee, President / Armenia
Suren Manukyan, UNESCO Chair in Prevention of Genocide and Other Atrocity Crimes, Head / Armenia
Seda Grigoryan, Creative Europe Desk Armenia, Head of the Desk / Armenia

Gegham Gevorgyan, Yerevan State University, Rector / Armenia
Yeghiazar Vardanyan, National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia, Rector / Armenia
Armen  Muradyan, Yerevan State Medical University, Rector / Armenia
Vardan Urutyan, Armenian National Agrarian University, Rector / Armenia
Karine Harutyunyan, V. Brusov State Linguistic University, Rector / Armenia
Aram Isabekyan, State Academy of Fine Arts of Armenia, Rector / Armenia
Valentina Calzolari, University of Geneva, Professor, President of the International Association of Armenian Studies, Switzerland
Berge Minassian, University of Texas Southwestern, Head of Pediatric Neurology / USA
Alexander Markarov, Yerevan State University, Head of ICO / Armenia
Malgorzata Smorag-Goldberg, Sorbonne Université, Professor / France
Varouj Aivazian, University of Toronto, Professor of Economics / Canada
Anna Avetisyan, California State University, Lecturer / USA
James Schamus, Columbia University, Professor / USA
Ann Karagozian, University of California, Director, The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA / USA
Sebouh David Aslanian, University of California, Professor of History Richard Hovannisian Chair in Modern Armenian History / USA
Francesco Augelli, Politecnico di Milano, Associate Professor / Italy
Dr. Pavel Avetisyan, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography NAS RA, Director / Armenia
Dr. Arsen Bobokhyan, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Vice-Director / Armenia

Nancy Kricorian, Writer / USA
Isabel Bayrakdarian, Opera Singer / Canada
Ewan Morrison, Author / United Kingdom
Albert Wiederspiel, Filmfestleiter / Germany
Charles Officer, Canesugar Mediaworks, Founder, Creative Director / Canada
Kass Banning, Cinema Studies Institute, University of Toronto, Professor / Canada
Cagla Ilk, Curator / Germany
Jennifer Weiss, The Film Farm Inc., Director / Canada
Birgit Schreyer Duarte, Theater Director / Canada / Germany
Silvina Der Meguerditchian, Artist / Argentin
Vahé Tachjian, Houshamadyan, Director / Germany
Mary Kouyoumdjian, Composer, Documentarian / USA
John Greysn, York University, Filmmaker, Professor / Canada
Salah Bachir, Order of Canada, Philanthropist, Media Executive / Canada
Paul Chaderjian, Journalist / USA
Varvara Hovhannisyan, Golden Apricot International Film Festival, Head of International Department / Armenia
Linda Ganjian, Visual Artist / USA
Jamie Manning, Night Market, Film Producer / Canada
Diana Markosian, Photographer / USA
Nairy Hampikian, Hampikian for Archotecture and Heritage Management, Owner and director / Egypt
Simon Hasserjian, The Simon and Maral Hasserjian Foundation, Director / Canada
Dr. Nick Winterbotham, Winterbotham Associates, Director / United Kingdom
Larisa Hovhannisian, Teach for Armenia, Founder & CEO / Armenia
Arusyak Harutyunyan, ISEC NAS RA, Head of Foreign Affairs Department / Armenia
Robert Ghazaryan, Institute of Oriental Studies of NAS RA, Acting Director / Armenia
Karine Bazeyan, Service For The Protection Of Historical Environment And Cultural Museum-Reservations SNCO, Head of the Scientific Department / Armenia
Aida Topuzyan, Armenian State Pedagogical University after Kh. Abovyan, Head of the Chair of Pedagogy / Armenia
Armen Sargsyan, Yerevan State University, Head of Educational Process Control unit of Educational-Methodological department / Armenia
Kristina Tsaturyan, Brusov State Linguistic University, Head of International Relations / Armenia
Vahram Ter-Matevosyan, American University of Armenia, Program Chair / Armenia
Dr. Hripsime Pikichian, Yerevan State University, Assistant Professor at the Department of Cultural Studies / Armenia
Susan Bernofsky, Columbia University, Associate Professor / USA
Ausonio Ronchi, Pavia University, Professor / Canada
Elisa Shahbazian, Université de Montréal, Centre de Recherches Mathématiques, Associate Industrial Member, Canada
Dr. Levon Abrahamian, Institute of Archaeology & Ethnography, Head of Dept. of Contemporary Anthropological Studies / Armenia
Artur Petrosyan, National Academy of Sciences of RA, Archaeologist, Researcher / Armenia
Henry C. Theriault, Scholar/ USA
Stefano Volta, Musical Artist / Italy
Nazaret Karoyan, ICA Yerevan, Founder / Armenia
Mikayel Ohanjanyan, Artist / Italy
Vigen Galstyan, National Cinema Centre of Armenia, Director of Film Heritage Department / Armenia
Tigran Amiryan, Cultural & Social Narratives Laboratory NGO, President / Armenia
Nvard Yerkanian, WHY Graphic Design Festival, Artist, Curator / Italy 
Adrineh Gregorian, Sose’s Women NGO, Creative Director / USA 
Alisa Ghukasyan, Brusov State Linguistic University, Professor / Armenia