MADRID, Spain, December 11. The presentation of the photo magazine "Silent Echo: Untold Stories of Landmine Victims," created by renowned Spanish journalist-photographer Gervasio Sanchez and focused on Azerbaijan's landmine challenges, took place in Madrid in commemoration of World Human Rights Day, Trend reports.
The event, organized with the assistance of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Spain and initiated by Sanchez, a documentarian of war and armed conflict, featured a presentation of materials and photographs collected by Sanchez after personal interviews with approximately 30 landmine victims during his visit to Azerbaijan, including excursions to Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur, aimed at gathering information on landmine victims and raising awareness about the country's landmine crisis, showcased through the aforementioned magazine.
The magazine showcased more than 70 photographs captured by the journalist during the visit to Azerbaijan, encompassing landscapes, devastation in liberated areas, Azerbaijan’s comprehensive reconstruction initiatives, and portraits accompanied by personal narratives of individuals impacted by landmine detonations from the First and Second Karabakh Wars.
Sanchez's photographs showcased the groundbreaking efforts of
Azerbaijan's inaugural women-led demining teams and their exemplary
involvement in demining operations to the Spanish audience.
He is the inaugural European journalist to apprise the European
audience of the extensive mine contamination in Azerbaijan, which
constitutes a humanitarian tragedy that the country is endeavoring
to address with significant effort and resolve.
The event's official speakers included members of the Spanish Senate, Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, representative of the ruling Socialist Party Pere Joan Pons, Deputy Advisor of the People's Party group in the Senate, member of the Joint Commission on National Security and Defense, former President of the Government of Extremadura, lawyer José Antonio Monago, Coordinator of the Technical Office of the Director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) under the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain Pablo Gan Quesada.
Azerbaijani MP, head of the working group on inter-parliamentary relations with Spain, Sevil Mikayilova; a representative of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) Nariman Gasimov, and a professor in the field of international relations at the Ramon Llull University Jordi Xuclà, as invited speakers, provided detailed information to the participants about the mine problem in Azerbaijan.
Characterizing the scale of the mine problem in Azerbaijan, Sánchez noted that he has visited more than 30 countries facing mine threats and has never seen a mine threat of such magnitude anywhere else in the world.
According to him, war does not end on the date stated in "Wikipedia"; it ends when its consequences are fully eliminated.
He said Azerbaijan is clearing mines with its own resources, which will take years without international support.
Pons, noting that he has good awareness about security processes in the region and has visited Azerbaijan multiple times, emphasized that the mine problem is not only a humanitarian catastrophe but also has economic and environmental consequences.
Assessing the mine issue in Azerbaijan in the context of the environment, he noted that among countries directly affected by environmental impacts, those with mine problems rank first, and solving the mine issue could contribute to environmental protection.
Monago, speaking about his visit to Karabakh this year, noted that he became visually acquainted with the consequences of the mine problem in Azerbaijan.
He shared that during his visit to Azerbaijan's Aghdam city, he did not see a single intact building, and that the city demonstrates a bitter reality in the form of an open book or museum.
He stressed that, despite the end of the war, anti-personnel mines pose a constant threat to people and are a major obstacle to the return of internally displaced persons, as well as the development of the economy and infrastructure.
Monago, drawing on Spain's extensive experience with the mine problem, emphasized that mine-related activities in Azerbaijan extend beyond territorial clearance.
According to him, these activities also include elements such as creating hope for the future among people, preserving the memory of mine victims, and helping the injured rebuild their future lives.
In this context, highly praising the work of Sánchez in raising awareness about the mine problem, Monago stated that Sánchez documents not only the past but also calls all of us to collective responsibility, adding even more significance to the photojournal he has prepared.
He expressed his hope to witness the complete resolution of the mine issue during his next visit to Aghdam.
The coordinator for contacts with Ukraine, a representative of the AECID, noted that the mine problem currently facing Azerbaijan will also affect Ukraine in the future and emphasized the significance of international attention to mine-related humanitarian issues.
As the moderator of the event, Ana de Santos, a writer and public figure considered one of Spain's most renowned journalists, contributed to encouraging engaging discussions throughout the event.
She shared her thoughts that the mine problem is a humanitarian catastrophe, preventing thousands of Azerbaijani internally displaced persons from returning to their lands to this day.
The event participants also included leaders of the General Directorate for Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Pacific at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation of Spain, as well as high-ranking representatives of other government institutions and parliamentary chambers, MPs, representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations accredited in the country, ambassadors, officials from the Madrid City Hall, as well as researchers from various think tanks and academic circles, cultural figures, representatives of the business community, NGOs, and the media.
At the event's conclusion, Sánchez organized an electronic exhibition of his photos from Azerbaijan.
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