BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16
Trend:
The Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan has issued a statement on the anniversary of the ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Trend reports on May 16.
May 12 marked the 26th anniversary of the ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Addressing the international community on this anniversary, the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan focuses on the deplorable state of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijani internally displaced persons (IDPs) who are still awaiting the restoration of their fundamental rights and freedoms, said the statement.
The military aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan led to the occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts, which make up about one fifth of the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.
“The occupation policy of Armenia doomed every tenth citizen of Azerbaijan to live the life of IDP or refugee. Hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis, including the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, were expelled from their homes, deprived of property, and their fundamental human rights have not been restored for many years,” the statement noted.
By a decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Chiragov and Others v. Armenia court case dated 2015, it was once again confirmed that Armenia is directly responsible for the violation of human rights in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
“The international community has consistently condemned the military aggression against Azerbaijan and the occupation of Azerbaijani territories. In 1993, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) condemning the use of force against Azerbaijan, the occupation of its territories, as well as recognizing its sovereignty and territorial integrity, thereby confirming the inviolability of its internationally recognized borders. In these resolutions, the UNSC reaffirmed that the Nagorno-Karabakh region is an integral part of Azerbaijan, and demanded the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of occupying forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan.”
“But despite the fact that the ceasefire agreement provides for the cessation of all hostilities and the political settlement of the conflict with the withdrawal of Armenian troops from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the conflict remains unresolved. The main factor hindering the settlement of the conflict is that the illegal occupation of Azerbaijani territories by the Armenian armed forces still continues. As the OSCE has confirmed, the ceasefire has reduced the scale of active hostilities, but no progress has been made in resolving the conflict. Armenia’s lack of political will continues to impede the development of the process,” said the statement.
“Moreover, another factor directly impeding the peace process is the regular violation of the ceasefire by the Armenian armed forces. The positions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on the contact line and on the border with Armenia, as well as the settlements of Azerbaijan are regularly bombarded by Armenia.”
“Armenia’s policies and actions in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan during the ceasefire, attempts to distort physical and demographic data, to artificially change the cultural heritage of these territories, illegal resettlement of residents of Armenia and other countries on these territories show that Armenia is not interested in observing the ceasefire, and plans to annex the occupied territories.
"Amid the foregoing, various documents continue to be distributed on behalf of the illegal regime created in the occupied territories, but these steps have no legal basis and legal force. This is nothing more than attempts to evade responsibility for the illegal occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia and atrocities committed against the Azerbaijani civilian population," the statement reads.
“Armenia must realize that it will not be possible to achieve any peace contrary to the Constitution of Azerbaijan, the norms and principles of international law. The fact of military occupation of Azerbaijani territories will not allow Armenia to achieve the desired political result. The legal basis for resolving the conflict is enshrined in the relevant resolutions of the UNSC.”
“Peace, security and stability can only be achieved if the Armenian armed forces are immediately and unconditionally withdrawn from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the right of all Azerbaijani IDPs to return to their homes is ensured, and the internationally recognized territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is fully restored,” said the statement.
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, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.