CANBERRA: On Wednesday, 20 March 2024, Federal Member for Deakin, Michael Sukkar MP rose in the Australian House of Representatives, slamming Azerbaijan's dictatorship on its treatment of journalists, opposition leaders and indigenous Armenians from Artsakh, as well as the ‘green-washing’ of its atrocities through COP29 and other prestigious events, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).
Following a meeting with a former political prisoner of Azerbaijan, Alexander Lapshin, facilitated by the Armenian National Committee of Australia, Sukkar felt compelled to bring Azerbaijan’s corruption and brutality to the public’s attention, detailing how Lapshin was held in solitary confinement for seven months until finally being released following a botched assassination attempt.
Sukkar also noted the Azerbaijani regime's ignorance of international law and refusal to adhere to the rulings of both the European Court of Human Rights and the United Nations Human Rights Committee with regard to the unlawful imprisonment of Lapshin.
“There is no doubt that Azerbaijan is one of the world's most brutal and criminal regimes, on par with that of Iran and Russia,” Sukkar said.
“Azerbaijan’s litany of crimes know no bounds. From bombing Armenian churches to imprisoning journalists and opposition activists, the regime's brutality is truly staggering.”
Watch Mr Sukkar’s full statement here.
Sukkar, a member of the Australian Friends of Artsakh network, also utilised the opportunity to denounce what he rightly called the “ethnic cleansing” of indigenous Armenians in Artsakh, noting the over 100,000 people left homeless as a result of Azerbaijan’s aggression as well as the imprisonment of government officials from the Republic of Artsakh.
During his statement, Sukkar also called out Victorian Member of the Legislative Assembly Natalie Suleyman, for aligning herself with the interests of the Azerbaijani dictatorship and “proudly hosting its [Azerbaijan’s] representatives despite their egregious and well-documented human rights abuses.”
Sukkar concluded his five-minute private member's statement with a call to the Australian Government to sanction Azerbaijan for its persecution of journalists, opposition activists and Armenians, as well as calling all Australians to boycott COP29 in light of Azerbaijan’s atrocities.
“No Australian should step foot on the soil of a regime that is covered in the blood of Armenians and journalists. Any visit to this regime would simply represent a despicable act,” Sukkar added.
Armenian National Committee of Australia Executive Director, Michael Kolokossian thanked Sukkar for his riveting remarks and said it was one of the most powerful messages he has heard in the Federal Parliament in support of the interests of the Armenian-Australian community.
