A group of human rights activists and civil society representatives have issued a statement regarding the unacceptability of Craig Oliphant’s participation in the Yerevan Dialogue forum.

“We, the undersigned human rights activists and civil society representatives, strongly condemn the visit to Armenia of Craig Oliphant, who participated in the Azerbaijani forum in [the Azerbaijani] occupied [Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) capital] Stepanakert in April of this year, within the framework of the Yerevan Dialogue forum being organized by the RA [i.e. the Republic of Armenia] Ministry of Foreign Affairs [MFA].

Craig Oliphant, as Senior Adviser at the UK’s Foreign Policy Centre, participated as a speaker in the 7th political forum of the Azerbaijani Ada University on April 7-10, which was held in occupied Stepanakert, in the building of Artsakh State University.

While Armenian human rights activists and members of civil society are making every effort to strongly condemn the visit of such individuals to ethnically cleansed Artsakh and, even more so, the holding of such events there, the RA MFA itself invites these individuals to [Armenian capital] Yerevan, silently accepting and welcoming the permissibility of such visits.

We demand that the RA MFA provide a clear explanation as to why the person in question was invited to the Yerevan Dialogue forum, as well as immediately cancel the person's participation in the noted event.

Siranush Sahakyan, “Center for International and Comparative Law” NGO,

Araqs Melkonyan, “Protection of Rights Without Borders” NGO,

Ara Ghazaryan, attorney,

Arpi Avetisyan, human rights defender,

Arman Tatoyan, “Tatoyan Foundation for Law and Justice,”

Gegham Stepanyan, Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Artsakh

Karnig Kerkonian, “Armenian Legal Front”

Artak Beglaryan, “Artsakh Union” NGO

The statement is open for signature, "the statement reads.