We, as representatives of a group of NGOs operating in the direction of "the protection and promotion of Azerbaijan’s national interests in foreign countries and international platforms”, condemn the attack of radical religious people on the embassy of Azerbaijan in London on 4 August 2022 and the act of vandalism committed by them and declare that the actions taken against our flag, embassy staff and building are both damaging to the image of UK and contrary to international and diplomatic law, which is an integral part of it.

Despite the fact that more than 1 week has passed since the incident, the British Embassy in Azerbaijan made a statement on August 5. The UK "condemns the actions of those protestors” that entered the Embassy of Azerbaijan in London and a full investigation is ongoing", the statement said. In this statement made a day after the incident, the British government still "could not determine” who caused the incident and simply called them "protesters”. Presenting the perpetrators as "protesters” when the incident was an "act of vandalism”, committed against the Azerbaijani flag and in front of the police raises many questions. Although the warning about the incident was brought to the attention of the relevant institutions of Great Britain by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan through diplomatic channels, the British government has not yet made a serious statement. For information, according to Article 22 of the "Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations” adopted on 18 April 1961, "The premises of the mission shall be inviolable. The receiving State is under a special duty to take all appropriate steps to protect the premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the mission or impairment of its dignity”.

As representatives of the Azerbaijani civil society, we believe that the UK should accept the responsibility of the attack on our country's embassy as a state, understand the concerns of the Azerbaijani people, seriously investigate the incident, organize the finding and punishment of those responsible, and inform the government and people of Azerbaijan about the results.