AUSTRALIA: On Wednesday, 26 August 2026, members of the Australian Friends of Artsakh Network (FOA) convened for the second Australian Friends of Artsakh Virtual Conference, bringing together politicians from all levels of government, faith leaders and civic leaders to hear about the challenges currently facing the displaced people of Artsakh.
To address these issues, the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) invited Mr. Artak Beglaryan and Dr. Hamlet Petrosyan, two leading experts on the crisis facing the people of Artsakh, to share their expertise and firsthand insights.
Mr. Beglaryan served as the Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh from 2018 to 2020 before serving as Minister of State from 2021 to 2022. He now leads the Artsakh Union, an NGO dedicated to advocating for the human rights and interests of the displaced people of Artsakh.
Mr. Beglaryan provided a comprehensive update on the challenges facing Artsakh-Armenians, including poverty, statelessness, separation from their ancestral homeland and the continued detention of Artsakh-Armenian political prisoners and other detainees in Azerbaijan.
He also outlined concrete steps Australia can take to advance justice for the people of Artsakh, including pressing for the immediate release of Armenian detainees; insisting that any Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement include enforceable guarantees of a right of return; supporting accountability for the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage and residential areas; and, importantly, exercising Australia's responsibilities as a State Party to the Rome Statute by referring the situation to the International Criminal Court for investigation into the forced deportation of the people of Artsakh.
Dr. Petrosyan, a Doctor of Historical Sciences and Head of the Department of Cultural Studies at Yerevan State University, presented an extensive overview of Armenian monuments and cultural sites located throughout the territories of Artsakh now under Azerbaijani control.
With these sites facing an ongoing threat of destruction, alteration and erasure, Dr Petrosyan stressed the importance of enforcing international guarantees for their preservation. He emphasised that these monuments are not only an integral part of Armenian history and heritage, but form part of the cultural heritage of humanity as a whole.
The conference concluded with a vote of thanks from the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Artsakh to Australia, Mr Kaylar Michaelian, who emphasised the responsibility of Australian leaders to speak up for the people of Artsakh:
“Leadership is not measured by statements of regret after the damage is done. It is measured by the willingness to speak when silence is easier, to defend principle when expediency is tempting, and to act before injustice becomes irreversible.”Speaking on the importance of the conference, ANC-AU Political Affairs Director Sebastian Majarian said:
“The Conference was vital in ensuring that our elected representatives and those who lead the conversation in Australian society are across the challenges currently facing the people of Artsakh, while highlighting that there are concrete steps that can be taken in Australia to help resolve these issues.”He added:
“with the three-year anniversary of the Artsakh ethnic cleansing fast approaching, and Armenian detainees having now spent more than 1,000 days behind bars in Azerbaijan, it is increasingly important that Australians - and especially our community - remain engaged and active on this issue.”
