16:56, 1 June 2004

Armenian turncoats cannot get refugee status

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was absolutely right to deny refugee status to two Armenian turncoats who had arrived in Baku. This is an opinion of Svetlana Gannushkina, a board member of the Human Rights Center Memorial and member of the Russian President's Human Rights Commission. Ms Gannushkina voiced it in Stepanakert. She noted that the turncoats' request did not meet the 1951 UN Refugee Convention since these people were not subjected to ethnic discrimination in Armenia. Ms Gannushkina thinks these people tried to move to a third country using refugee status. Azerbaijan refers to such people while spreading false information being fully aware of its falsity and doing it with propaganda purposes, the Russian human rights activist noted.

Editors note: See also the article "Azerbaijan rights activists concerned about situation with Armenian turncoats".

Author: Naira Ayrumian, CK correspondent

Source: Caucasian Knot