{"id":32483,"date":"2020-09-11T07:34:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-11T03:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/prwb.am\/2020\/09\/11\/call-on-international-human-rights-community-to-raise-voice-against-atrocities-committed-by-azerbaijan\/"},"modified":"2022-12-19T14:40:49","modified_gmt":"2022-12-19T10:40:49","slug":"call-on-international-human-rights-community-to-raise-voice-against-atrocities-committed-by-azerbaijan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prwb.am\/en\/2020\/09\/11\/call-on-international-human-rights-community-to-raise-voice-against-atrocities-committed-by-azerbaijan\/","title":{"rendered":"Call on International Human Rights Community to raise voice against atrocities committed by Azerbaijan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Despite commitment to solve the conflict around\nNagorno-Karabakh in a peaceful manner, on 27 September 2020 Azerbaijan launched\na widespread aggression against the Artsakh Republic (the Nagorno-Karabakh\nRepublic). With Turkish military support and incitement[1]<\/a> –\nit is well established that Turkish F-16 fighter planes and Turkish military\npersonnel are in Azerbaijan[2]<\/a> as\nwell as thousands of jihadist terrorist mercenaries recruited by Turkey from\nSyria and transferred to Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani armed forces targeted densely\npopulated settlements, including such cities as cities Martuni, Martakert, Hadrut,\nShushi and the capital Stepanakert. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choice of means and methods of warfare by parties to\nan armed conflict is not unlimited. Each party to the conflict must take all\nfeasible precautions in the choice of means and methods of warfare with a view\nto avoiding, and in any event to minimizing, incidental loss of civilian life,\ninjury to civilians and damage to civilian objects. Indiscriminate attacks are\nprohibited both under treaty and customary international humanitarian law (IHL).\nAs documented by the Ombudspersons of Armenia and Artsakh as well as journalists\nof  numerous international and national\nmedia outlets working on the ground, Azerbaijani armed forces deployed weapons\nof indiscriminative nature as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)\ndeliberately targeting the civilian objects and population, Cluster munitions\nprohibited under IHL were used against civilian objects and the civil\npopulation, especially in Stepanakert, also contaminating the area with\nunexploded ordnance, and posing addition risks for the civil population.[3]<\/a>\nMore than 670 unexploded ordnance, including bomblets and submunitions, from\ncluster munitions were found only in Stepanakert and surrounding territories.[4]<\/a> Azerbaijan\narmed forces utilized heavy weaponry, such as multiple rocket launchers\n\u201cSmerch\u201d and \u201cGrad\u201d against the civilian objects and civilians. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Systematic indiscriminate shelling and direct strikes\nfrom UAVs, including use of cluster munitions, of Stepanakert and other\nsettlements resulted not only in human loss and people suffering life-changing\ninjuries, significant damage to civil and cultural objects, includingresidential\nbuilding and houses, schools, ambulance and hospitals, as well as\ninfrastructure vital for the survival of civilian population, but also\ndisplacement of significant part of the civil population of Artsakh. Even the\nHoly Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, the symbol of Shushi, was deliberately\nstruck with a precision strike twice on 8 October by the Azerbaijani armed\nforces causing significant destruction to the Cathedral.[5]<\/a> Destruction\nor willful damage done to institutions dedicated to religion, charity,\neducation, the arts and sciences, historic monuments and works of art and\nscience is prohibited under IHL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of 14 October 2020, 32 civilian persons were killed\nin Artsakh by the Azerbaijani armed forces, more than 100 civilians were\nwounded, including 86 with serious injuries. On 27 September 2020 a 2-year-old\nboy was injured while his 9-year-old sister died from drone strikes of Martini\ntown as well as a pregnant woman was injured from drone attack to a civilian\ncar fleeing from Mataghis village. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, at least 5 persons were killed after the\nhumanitarian ceasefire in force till 12:00pm of 10 October 2020 signed in\nMoscow between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Azerbaijan. As\nwas reported by the Ombudsman of the Artsakh Republic, Mr. Artak Beglaryan,\n\u201cmembers of a subversive group that invaded the Hadrut city killed at least\nfour civilians. Among them were a person with disability who was in no position\nto protect himself and his elderly mother[6]<\/a>. Under\nIHL, the elderly, disabled and infirm affected by armed conflict are entitled\nto special respect and protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Misha Movsisyan and his mother Anahit Movsisyan were\nshot to death in their house in Hadrut. The pictures of the dead body of Misha\nMovsisyan reveal signs of violence on his body, e.g. in his chest and abdomen.\nHis left hand palm was shot by a gun, supposedly raised to show he was unarmed\nat his home.[7]<\/strong><\/a>\n<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 14 October 2020, Azerbaijani armed forces launched indiscriminate\nattacks on Martakert town targeting the hospital  as well as on \u201cArtsakhenergo\u201d organization. As\na result, an employee of the organization, N. G., was killed. Medical units\nexclusively assigned to medical purposes must be respected and protected in all\ncircumstances. There is no evidence of the hospital being used, outside their\nhumanitarian function, to commit acts harmful to the enemy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 15 October 2020, two video clips were circulated on\nsocial media showing how two Armenian men surrender to the Azerbaijani armed\nforces, but in gross disrespect to the rules of international humanitarian law,\nwere humiliated and executed.[8]<\/strong><\/a>\nAccording to the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, the place\nand time of the execution was established. It was established that the executed\npersons were civilians, residents of Hadrut city, B. H (born on 1947), and\nresident of Tayk village Y. S. (born on 1995)[9]<\/strong><\/a>.\n<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, backed with Turkish support the Azerbaijani\narmed forces on a number of occasions targeted settlements on the territory of\nthe Republic of Armenia, including the town of Vardenis and surrounding\nvillages in Gegharkunik region, as well as village Artsvanik in Syunik region. On\n1 October 2020, one civilian was killed and two were injured, civilian houses\nwere destructed as a  result of direct\ndrone attack on Mets Masrik village in Gegharkunik region of Armenia.[10]<\/a> On\n14 October 2020, village Sotk of Gegharkunik region was targeted  and a 14-year-old child was heavily injured,\nhe is undergoing intensive treatment at the moment.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a number of occasions there were attacks by\nAzerbaijani armed forces directed at journalists who were clearly identifiable.\nOn 1 October 2020, a group of journalists suffered from shelling, as a result\nfour civilians were killed, and at least 11 civilians wounded, including French\nand Armenian journalists.[11]<\/a>\nOn 8 October 2020, in Shushi, two more journalists were wounded in the Shushi\ncathedral while documenting consequences of first attack on the cathedral\nearlier that day. Reported use of surveillance UAVs before the attacks where\njournalists were engaged in professional activities demonstrates deliberate\nnature of the attacks.[12]<\/a> Civilian\njournalists engaged in professional missions in areas of armed conflict must be\nrespected and protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The military aggression launched by Azerbaijan\ndisregarded the call of UN Secretary General Guterres call for global\ncease-fire in light of Covid-19 in March 2020 and subsequently, the UN\nresolution adopted in June severely burdening Armenian health care system and\nhampering the national efforts in response to Covid-19 and facilitating the\nspread of the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The military aggression against Artsakh and direct\nattacks against the civilian objects and civilian population fits into the\npolicy of Armenophobia and hatred against Armenians developed by Azerbaijani\ngovernment for decades aiming at destruction and extermination of Armenians\nfrom their homeland. The Armenophobic policy of Azerbaijan against Armenians\nand everything related to Armenians has been periodically stressed in ECRI\nreports[13]<\/sup><\/a>.\nThe fact of discriminatory policy and racism by Azerbaijan towards Armenians\nhas been pointed out also by the Advisory Committee on the Council of Europe\nFramework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. In its opinions\non Azerbaijan, the Advisory Committee pointed out the incidents of \u201chostility\nand discrimination\u201d against Armenians, existence of anti-Armenian sentiments in\nAzerbaijan and recommended Azerbaijan to take steps for eliminating the\ndiscriminatory attitude towards Armenians.[14]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The anti-Armenian policy of Azerbaijani Government was\nconfirmed also by the European Court of Human Rights in the latest case of Makuchyan and Minasyan v. Azerbaijan and\nHungary<\/em> related to release from life imprisonment and glorification by the\nAzerbaijani Government of Ramil Safarov, military officer of Azerbaijan, who\nhad murdered with an axe Gurgen Margaryan, an Armenian military officer, while asleep\nand attempting to kill another Armenian servicemen, during a NATO-organized\nevent.[15]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this respect, we call upon the international human\nrights community to demonstrate the leadership and commitment to universality\nof human rights and raise voice in protection of the Armenian people of\nNagorno-Karabakh Republic (Artsakh) and their fundamental rights and respect to\nthe core principles and values in the letter and spirit of the universal and\nregional human rights documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We urge the international human rights community to\ntake strong stand against violations of human rights and humanitarian law and against\nwar crimes committed by Azerbaijan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protection of Rights without Borders NGO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Open Society Foundations \u2013 Armenia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helsinki Citizens\u2019 Assembly-Vanadzor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analytical Centre on Globalization and Regional Cooperation <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Journalists\u2019 club \u201cAsparez\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Law Development and Protection Foundation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CPI Armenian Center<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helsinki\nAssociation for Human Rights NGO <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Europe in Law Association NGO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aleppo Compatriotic Charitable Organization<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKhoranard\u201d intellectual center NGO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTatevik\u201d NGO <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cArmenian Youth League\u201d NGO <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Centre\nof Economic Right” NGO <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human\nRights Power NGO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Country\nWater Partnership NGO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confederation\nof Trade Unions of Armenia <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social\nJustice NGO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peace\nDialogue NGO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unison\nNGO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freedom\nof Information Center<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women’s\nResource Center<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Union of\nInformed Citizens<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tumanyan\nlaw firm <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCommunity Center for Development\u201d  Territorial Cooperation NGO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“BLEJAN\u201d NGO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEcolur\u201d NGO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AYWA-Armenian Young Women\u2019s Association<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Urban Foundation for Sustainable Development<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children Assistance Fund<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armenian Progressive Youth NGO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Equal Rights NGO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Generation Humanitarian NGO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Veles NGO
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/a> The role of\nTurkey in this conflict has been recognized and flagged by the US, France,\nAustria, Canada etc. https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/armenia-azerbaijan-france-int-idUSKBN26L19T?fbclid=IwAR08GO4RceKZziA0nIKrekgFXsEzzP2524OX4eYkzWkhX5liy6eIZq_LmRg<\/a>, https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/politics\/nagorno-karabakh-turkey-armenia-azerbaijan-1.5762649?fbclid=IwAR0XqpCyCcaQcMHPvuIPXoEyWvn1JAPggxZm7AuIMZ_u4IhsqYiGzUQp910<\/a>, https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/politics\/nagorno-karabakh-canada-turkey-champagne-1.5758068?fbclid=IwAR3Ny7Yhh1OBuwYOdZEszTTigwnSzIr1gWc2c61t3USTjvnqVHMCGalppDI<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2]<\/a> Involvement of\nTurkey in the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh is confirmed by the European Court\nof Human Rights by the decision on the request for interim measure lodged by\nArmenia against Turkey calling on \u201call states directly or indirectly involved\nin the conflict, including Turkey, to refrain from actions that contribute to\nbreaches of the Convention rights of civilians, and to respect their\nobligations under the Convention, press release 276 (276), 06 October 2020 https:\/\/hudoc.echr.coe.int\/eng-press#{%22sort%22:[%22kpdate%20Descending%22]}<\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[3]<\/a>\nArmenia\/Azerbaijan: Civilians must be protected from use of banned cluster\nbombs, 5 October 2020, https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/latest\/news\/2020\/10\/armenia-azerbaijan-civilians-must-be-protected-from-use-of-banned-cluster-bombs\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[4]<\/a> Armenpress.am,\n673 unexploded bombs of Turkish and Israeli production found in Artsakh\u2019s\nStepanakert, 12 October 2020, https:\/\/armenpress.am\/eng\/news\/1031396.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[5]<\/a>Christianity\nToday, Symbolic Armenian Church was Shelled in Conflict with Azerbaijan, https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/news\/2020\/october\/armenian-cathedral-artsakh-nagorno-karabakh-ghazanchetsots.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[6]<\/a> See more at theArtsakh\nOmbudsman, Updated edition of the second interim report on the Azerbaijani\natrocities against the Artsakh population in September-October 2020, available\nat https:\/\/artsakhombuds.am\/en\/document\/735?fbclid=IwAR3Tg_nv4k48sGSWzbU7wQ8Fgrt9Nqc5TYpEr_sw6miPZTfkHwR8b2SPAuQ<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[7]<\/a> Artsakh\nOmbudsman Official Twitter account, https:\/\/twitter.com\/Artak_Beglaryan\/status\/1315581056075128832?s=20<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[8]<\/a>An execution in\nHadrut-Karabakh,  https:\/\/www.bellingcat.com\/news\/rest-of-world\/2020\/10\/15\/an-execution-in-hadrut-karabakh\/?fbclid=IwAR0rtIchQzDgSDSC7lkvLMxEiIUzRSgG5F-Fv0pxEd68s4GPFS1v7z7wD6Q<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[9]<\/a> Infocom.am, https:\/\/infocom.am\/Article\/38966?fbclid=IwAR2DH89TFDPehDuPt-3T07NA6YoTLE7F9Jzu4EFEfRL03WBfFgacdYEblOQ<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[10]<\/a> Human Rights\nDefender of Armenia, Ad Hoc Public Report on Azerbaijani Drones\u2019 Targeted\nAttacks <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[11]<\/a> https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-armenia-azerbaijan-journalists-condit\/two-french-journalists-seriously-wounded-after-shelling-in-nagorno-karabakh-idUSKBN26M5U7<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[12]<\/a> Journalist Yury Kotenok told\nabout the attack in Karabakh, https:\/\/www.kp.ru\/online\/news\/4042532\/<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

[13]<\/a> European\nCommission against Racism and Intolerance. \nCRI(2016)17. ECRI Report on Azerbaijan (fifth monitoring circle).\nAdopted on 17 March 2016. Published on 7 June 2016. At par. 25. The full text\nof the report is available at https:\/\/www.coe.int\/t\/dghl\/monitoring\/ecri\/Country-by-country\/Azerbaijan\/AZE-CbC-V-2016-017-ENG.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

European Commission against Racism\nand Intolerance, Report on Azerbaijan, Adopted on 28 June 2002, available in http:\/\/www.coe.int\/t\/dghl\/monitoring\/ecri\/Country-by-country\/Azerbaijan\/AZE-CbC-II-2003-003-ENG.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[14]<\/a>https:\/\/rm.coe.int\/4th-acfc-opinion-on-azerbaijan-english-language-version\/1680923201<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[15]<\/a> ECHR, Makuchyan\nand Minasyan v. Azerbaijan and Hungary, judgment of 26 May 2020, http:\/\/hudoc.echr.coe.int\/eng?i=001-202524<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Despite commitment to solve the conflict around Nagorno-Karabakh in a peaceful manner, on 27 September 2020 Azerbaijan launched a widespread aggression against the Artsakh Republic (the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic). With Turkish military support and incitement[1] – it is well established that Turkish F-16 fighter planes and Turkish military personnel are in Azerbaijan[2] as well as thousands […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9175,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,22,1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prwb.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32483"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prwb.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prwb.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prwb.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prwb.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32483"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/prwb.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32483\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34120,"href":"https:\/\/prwb.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32483\/revisions\/34120"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prwb.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prwb.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prwb.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prwb.am\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}