Details added (first version posted on 17:17)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 4
Trend:
The Azerbaijani Agency for State Support to NGOs has made a statement on the death and injury of media representatives while performing their duties following a mine explosion in Susuzlug village of Kalbajar district, Trend reports on June 4.
An emergency meeting was held at the Agency in connection with the incident. While speaking at the meeting, the members of the Supervisory Board expressed condolences to the families of the victims and wished speedy recovery to the wounded. At the same time, they sharply condemned the actions of the Armenian side because of the incident.
The statement, adopted at the end of the meeting, says that the vehicle in which the employees of TV channels and news agencies sent in connection with the official duties to Kalbajar district liberated from the Armenian occupation hit a mine while driving in the direction of Susuzlug village on June 4 at about 11:00 (GMT+4).
“As a result, three people, namely, cameraman of AzTV channel Siraj Abishov, an employee of AZERTAC news agency Maharram Ibrahimov, deputy representative of the executive power of Kalbajar district in the administrative-territorial district of Susuzlug village Arif Aliyev, were killed,” the statement said. “Four people were wounded and were hospitalized.”
“The Armenian Armed Forces, grossly violating the basic norms and principles of international humanitarian law, in particular, the requirements of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, refuse to give a map of minefields and continue to commit war crimes against the Azerbaijani citizens,” the statement said. “This incident not only is a war crime against the civilians but also an open terrorist act against media representatives engaged in professional activity.”
“The Armenian side, having abused the fact that Azerbaijan showed humanism and, at the request of the Armenian leadership, gave additional 10 days to liberate occupied Kalbajar district on November 10, 2020, intensively mined the liberated territories,” the statement said.
“Unfortunately, since the date of the end of hostilities in the liberated territories, as a result of the mine explosion, about 130 people died and were wounded, most of whom are civilians, including media representatives performing their official duties,” the statement said.
“While addressing the international organizations, media institutions, structures specializing in protecting the rights of journalists, we, members of the Supervisory Board, call on them to sharply condemn Armenia’s this war crime and urge this country to immediately give the maps of minefields," the statement said.