Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.11
By Ilkin Izzet - Trend:
European Azerbaijanis Congress (EAC) has appealed to the European Parliament in connection with the Azerbaijanis taken hostage by the Armenians, the press service of the State Committee for Work with Diaspora told Trend Dec.11.
EAC sent an appeal to the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nile Mujzhnieks. The appeal, sent in connection with Human Rights Day, provides information about the Azerbaijani hostages - Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov, taken hostage by Armenians on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, as well as the illegal trial, arranged over them by the separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The appeal said that 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory is occupied by Armenia, and also mentioned the UN resolutions on the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh. It is reported that the Azerbaijani hostages Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov were taken hostage on July 12 by Armenian Special Forces on the territory of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenians - Kelbajar district and Hasan Hasanov was killed.
The appeal said that the lawsuit regarding Azerbaijani hostages initiated by the separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh is illegal.
EAC called on the European public not to remain indifferent to human rights violations. In his appeal, the congress said that the life of Azerbaijani hostages is constantly under threat, and demanded assistance in the restoration of violated rights of Azerbaijani hostages.
"We urge the international community, within the framework of international legal norms and avoiding double standards, to express its attitude to the aggressive policy of Armenia, and to demonstrate a united and objective position to restore and protect the human rights violations," said the statement.
Previously, Armenian media reported that the Armenian forces, during an operation in the occupied Kalbajar region's Shaplar village on July 11, killed an Azerbaijani - Hasan Hasanov, and detained two other Azerbaijanis - Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov.
A criminal case was filed against them.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
