BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov.4
By Samir Ali – Trend:
The monitoring group of Azerbaijani human rights organizations named some of the war crimes committed by Armenian Armed Forces against civilians in the settlements of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Public Association for Humanitarian Research Avaz Hasanov said.
Hasanov made the remark at a briefing on the public presentation of the respective report, Trend reports on Nov. 4.
According to him, the report stressed that the shelling of settlements outside the conflict zone by the Armenian Armed Forces is one of the most serious crimes in the ongoing war. In gross violation of the provisions of the 3rd clause of the IV Geneva Convention of 1949, the Armenian side fired at the settlements of Azerbaijan located far from the conflict zone using prohibited ammunition, thereby committing war crimes against humanity.
He noted that as a result of the aggression of the Armenian side against civilians, the following crimes were committed:
1. At various times, 13 cities of Azerbaijan outside the conflict zone were subjected to attacks from the Smerch and Grad missile launch systems.
2. The city of Tartar and 36 villages of the Tartar district were inflicted heavy damage.
3. Targeting of important energy projects and oil pipelines that ensure the energy security of the EU countries.
4. School buildings, hospitals, and other social facilities have been destroyed and damaged as a result of missile attacks on peaceful cities.
5. As a result of the Armenian aggression, 91 people were killed, including 18 women and 14 children.
6. Over 400 people were injured, including 69 women and 32 children.
Armenian Armed Forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27.
Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbaijani troops liberated a number of territories previously occupied by Armenia, as well as take important, strategic heights under control.
The fighting continued into October 2020, in the early days of which Armenia has launched missile attacks on Azerbaijani cities of Ganja, Mingachevir, Khizi as well as Absheron district.
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, the 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.