Europeans for Artsakh movement urges International Olympic Committee to take a stand against Azerbaijan’s participation in the Olympic Games – Paris 2024
Brussels, February 13, 2024 – Europeans for Artsakh movement sent a letter to the President of the International Olympic Committee (ICIO) regarding Azerbaijan’s participation in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and called for concrete measures. The letter was also sent to the French National Olympic Committee, the Organizing Committee of the French Olympic Games, the City of Paris, the President of the French Republic and the Minister of Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Citing the ongoing conflict and ethnic cleansing committed by Azerbaijan against the Armenian population of Upper Karabakh/Artsakh, the “Europeans for Artsakh” movement urged the IOC to ban Azerbaijan from being represented as a state at the upcoming Olympics and to allow Azerbaijani athletes to participate only under neutral banner This call follows Azerbaijan’s genocidal policy and ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh, leading, in September, to the forced displacement of 120,000 Armenians uprooted from their ancestral lands and homeland.
Only the French National Olympic Committee responded to the letter addressed, recognizing the situation and indicating that it was in line with the French government and its diplomacy, while stating that “in the face of such a catastrophe, we cannot remain insensitive.”
The Europeans for Artsakh movement expects a clear position from the International Olympic Committee, considering that a non-response would harm the integrity of the Olympic Games and open the way for war-riding states.
The movement will continue to press for integrity and justice in this regard.
About the Movement “Europeans for Artsakh”
Europeans for Artsakh is a pan-European movement bringing together the representative bodies of 15 Armenian communities in Europe. It was the initiative of a Call addressed to the leaders of the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament as well as the leaders of the Member States of the Council of Europe in support of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh, which was co-signed by more than 500 European associations.
The mission of this movement is to mobilize citizens, and to engage the necessary actions so that the fundamental rights of the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh/Upper-Karabakh can be exercised and guaranteed. Europeans for Artsakh is leading actions to raise awareness of this issue in the political, social and cultural spheres of Europe.