Azerbaijan is included in the ICC’s “2023 Report of the World’s Worst Persecutors” for its ongoing persecution of Armenia.
The International Christian Concern (ICC), an organization tracking global Christian persecution, just released its “2023 Report of the World’s Worst Persecutors.”
Azerbaijan is one of the top 10 oppressive countries that are hostile to religious faith, along with Nigeria, North Korea, India, Iran, China, Pakistan, Eritrea, Algeria, and Indonesia.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have a longstanding conflict, and recently, Azerbaijan took control of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Christian population, broadly identifies as Armenian Apostolic. Ethnic Armenians previously governed it as the unrecognized Republic of Artsakh, internationally acknowledged as part of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan regained the region following the war in 2020, leaving it connected to Armenia only through the Lachin Corridor. From December 2022, Nagorno-Karabakh experienced different levels of blockade, culminating in a complete severance of Armenian supplies by mid-June, just before the September offensive.
The ICC report suggests that Azerbaijan’s ultimate aim is to eliminate Christianity from its borders, either by driving out Armenians or by destroying them and their historical sites.
Including the terms the Azerbajian President used, such as “Barbarians,” “rats,” and “vandals,” Aliyev made disparaging comments about Armenia, characterizing it as a colony and an outpost controlled from abroad in his tweet.
Although Armenia boasts the honor of being the world’s first Christian nation, the report indicates that there may be limited awareness within the international community regarding its profound ancient cultural legacy.
The report highlights that being Armenian often means being Christian, so attacks on Armenians and their religious sites are seen as attacks against Christianity.
Active 2: Around 200 ethnic Armenians lost their lives, 400 were injured, and a staggering 100,000 were forcibly displaced from the Christian-populated region as a result of the Azerbaijan September offensive. They were moved to other cities within Armenia or even to other countries.
In October, Armenia’s Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, expressed concerns to Azerbaijan about “ethnic cleansing” and the potential elimination of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh. The NCC expressed support for the Armenian Orthodox Church, causing worry worldwide. The NCC voiced concerns about a “continuation of genocide against the Armenian people,” characterized by “ethnic cleansing” and destruction of “critical infrastructure.”
The Armenian Genocide, where 1.5 million Armenian Christians died, is still disputed by Turkey. The U.S. government acknowledged it as a genocide after a long time.
