BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 4
Trend:
Azerbaijan has submitted an intergovernmental complaint to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) over Armenia's refusal to provide relevant maps of landmines creating hazard for life of people in the liberated (from Armenian occupation) territories, Trend reports on June 4.
This is the second such complaint on Armenia, which will contribute to the increase of pressure on this country to fulfill its obligations under the international law.
Since the signing of the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, which put an end to Armenian-Azerbaijani military operations, Azerbaijan has repeatedly demanded from Armenia to provide maps of mined territories. In February 2021, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov appealed to the UN Secretary General with a request to support the call to Armenia to provide information on mined areas.
“Armenia’s refusal to provide maps of mined territories has no strategic, legal or moral grounds, and its only goal is to encroach on the lives of the Azerbaijani population. Armenia’s actions also threaten and the lives of Armenians who live in the liberated territories,” Azerbaijan’s Permanent Representative to the ECHR Chingiz Asgarov said, commenting on this issue.
“We once again demand from Armenia to provide maps of mined territories and other relevant information, as well as to comply with obligations under international law. We call on the ECHR to intervene, since Armenia is not taking any steps," he noted.
Armenia's refusal to provide maps of minefields and other necessary information that can help Azerbaijan save lives is a serious violation of the rights of the Azerbaijani population in accordance with Articles 2 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Protocol No. 1 to it and Articles 2 (1) and 3 (2) Protocol No. 4.
Since the day of the signing of the trilateral declaration, mines set by Armenia have resulted in the death and injury of more than 120 people. Despite the fact that in 200 days after the signing of the declaration on an area of about 100 million square meters in the liberated territories, more than 35,000 mines were cleared, the number of their victims continues to grow.
Armenia's refusal to provide maps of mined areas has hampered efforts to return to their homes, almost 30 years later, internally displaced persons who left their homes following Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijani lands.