BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct. 11
Trend:
The General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan obtained very important proof regarding Armenia involving foreign mercenaries in various crimes against the civilian population of Azerbaijan, Trend reports referring to the office.
In connection with the events, the Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev appealed to his colleagues directly and through diplomatic channels.
“Since September 27, the military-political leadership of Armenia, grossly violating its obligations under the Geneva Conventions and international law in general, continued its provocative actions, subjecting the densely populated territories of Azerbaijan, as well as Ganja and other cities where strategic objects pass or are located (including Hydropower Plant in Mingachevir city, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline’s section in Yevlakh city), as well as Absheron and Khizi districts located far from the hostilities zone, to destructive shelling,” he said.
“As a result of the military aggression of Armenia, 31 civilians have died, including three children and nine women, 164 civilians were seriously injured, 1054 houses, 142 civilian objects and 45 apartment buildings were destroyed,” he noted. “In order to prevent the Armenian military aggression and ensure the safety of the civilian population, the armed forces of Azerbaijan took adequate counter-offensive measures in full compliance with international humanitarian law.”
According to the prosecutor general, as a result of effective retaliatory measures, the Armenian Armed Forces suffered significant losses, and therefore, at the call of the leadership of Armenia, members of the Armenian diaspora in foreign countries are organizing the transport of mercenaries to Nagorno Karabakh to participate in hostilities against the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan.
“These actions contradict the norms of international law, and are also considered a crime both under the Azerbaijani and national laws of other countries, being an alarming factor in the threat of international security,” Aliyev pointed out.
“On two similar facts the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan has already raised criminal cases under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code. At present, operational and investigative measures are underway, and requests for legal assistance have been sent to the competent authorities of the countries, which these persons are citizens of,” he emphasized.
“Moreover, the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan continues criminal-legal measures against persons engaged in illegal economic and other activities in the territories of Azerbaijan occupied by the Armed Forces of Armenia,” he further said. “In this connection, I reiterate and warn that with regard to those who arrived at the call of the leadership of Armenia, its armed forces, organizations of the diaspora and the puppet regime operating abroad, who took part in the hostilities of mercenaries, as well as physical and legal entities engaged in illegal economic and other activities in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, all necessary measures will be taken within the framework of the norms of international law and the national legislation of Azerbaijan.”
“I strongly urge the competent authorities of foreign countries to take effective, preventive and emergency measures to prevent such unlawful actions," the prosecutor summed up.
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.