Nov 25, 2014

Representatives from the Lezghin Minority Group Advocate for the Protection of their Rights at European Union Institutions


Mr Enver Kisriev, Mr Arif Kerimov and Ms Tatyana Chubrikova at a meeting with Mr Csaba Sogor (MEP) and his team

 

Three days of meetings in Brussels from 18th – 20th November 2014 have enabled representatives of the Federal Lezghin National and Cultural Autonomy (FLNCA) to discuss the current situation of the Lezghin, an indigenous people living in southern Dagestan (Russia) and north-eastern Azerbaijan, and to advocate for the support of about 1.5 million Lezghins in the region.

UNPO accompanied Mr Arif Kerimov, President of the FLNCA, Mr Enver Kisriev, Head of the Department for the Caucasus, Centre for Regional and Civilization Studies at the Russian Academy of Science, and Ms Tatyana Chubrikova, translator and coordinator at FLNCA, who discussed minority rights violations, in particular the situation of educational and cultural rights in Azerbaijan and Dagestan, and explored ways of promoting the Lezghins’ rights peacefully and democratically.

There has been a crackdown on ethnic Lezghin activities and minority rights, particularly in the aftermath of last year’s presidential elections in Azerbaijan. Specifically, Lezghins have no means of expressing their ethnic identity, and because the central Azerbaijani government is not investing in the Lezghin areas’ infrastructure and economy, the community is growing increasingly weakened and fragmented. The Lezghin language is being similarly neglected, with little education offered, and no initiatives to boost or even preserve it.

An excellent result from the meetings was the request to provide EU institutions with information from which they can develop an accurate understanding of clear minority and human rights abuses in Dagestan and Azerbaijan, and to follow up with actions that will raise awareness about the Lezghins’ struggle in Brussels.  

EU representatives expressed the need and commitment to protect human and minority rights, and to promote democracy and the rule of law in Eastern Partnership countries such as Azerbaijan. The delegation greatly appreciated the positive outcomes of the meetings, and UNPO hopes that it signifies a clear basis for future cooperation and actions to protect the Lezghins’ rights not only at the European level, but more importantly in Dagestan and Azerbaijan.