Azeri envoy protests UK reporter’s visit to Karabakh

The Guardian has published a letter of protest by the Azerbaijani ambassador to UK, Faxraddin Qurbanov, against British photojournalist Anastasia Taylor-Lind’s visit to Nagorno-Karabakh.

The letter says: “I am writing to express concern regarding your interview with Anastasia Taylor-Lind about her photo of a wedding in Nagorno-Karabakh (My best shot, G2, 24 January). Arts, including photography, can potentially play an important role in bringing communities together, but people who use the arts need to be objective, unbiased and aim to highlight the plight of all people affected by conflicts. When reading the article, it is sad to see how visiting and reporting about Nagorno-Karabakh can play into the PR efforts of the separatist regime that exists there. Ms Taylor-Lind should, rather, visit Azerbaijan to witness the plight of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons who were forced to flee their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh. I am afraid reporting on someone's happiness that exists at the expense of someone else's misfortune does not help the efforts to bring peace and stability to the region.

May I also stress that all unauthorized visits to the region of Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan are illegal. Nagorno-Karabakh is an internationally recognized part of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and as such foreigners aiming to visit Nagorno-Karabakh should do so through relevant Azerbaijani authorities. All visitors going to Nagorno-Karabakh without authorization from the Republic of Azerbaijan are banned from visiting Azerbaijan and will find it difficult to receive proper consular assistance from the UK diplomatic missions in the region.”

Armenians captured nearly 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally-recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts, in a war after the Soviet Union’s breakup in 1991.

About 12,000 Azerbaijani nationals were killed and 1 million displaced before Russia brokered a ceasefire in 1994.

The sides have yet to sign a peace agreement despite more than 20 years of talks mediated by the US, Russia and France.

ANN.Az