BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 10. Members of the Azerbaijani parliament's working group on Azerbaijan-Sweden inter-parliamentary relations sent a letter to the members of the Sweden-Armenia friendship group in the Swedish parliament, a source in the parliament told Trend.
The letter strongly rejects the groundless, biased, and prejudiced statement adopted by the Sweden-Armenia friendship group of the Swedish parliament on March 6 this year.
"This statement, full of lies and accusations, is a disgraceful attempt to distort reality, question the sovereignty of Azerbaijan, and justify the crimes of Armenian separatists and war criminals against the Azerbaijani people.
Being part of the Armenian lobby, you decided to ignore the 30-year occupation of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territories by Armenia, the countless war crimes against peaceful Azerbaijani citizens, ethnic cleansing, and mass gross violations of human rights. You deliberately chose to turn a blind eye to the atrocities committed by Armenian armed formations, the Khojaly genocide, and the atrocious killing of innocent people, including children, women, and the elderly, subjected to unbearable torture.
According to international law, Azerbaijan, having restored its territorial integrity and sovereignty, has the full legal right to prosecute individuals who committed serious crimes, including separatism, crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, as well as terrorist acts against the Azerbaijani state and its citizens.
The accusations of 'unlawful imprisonment of Armenian prisoners, including political figures and civilians, physical and psychological torture, as well as political persecution against them' and other similar fabricated accusations are nothing more than fiction aimed at diverting attention from the crimes of those responsible for the occupation of Azerbaijani lands, the destruction of our cities and villages, ethnic cleansing, which led to 750,000 Azerbaijanis expelled from their homeland, as well as the systematic destruction of Azerbaijan's national cultural and historical heritage.
The hypocrisy of the members of the Sweden-Armenia friendship group is also manifested in the disregard for the fate of thousands of Azerbaijani civilians who suffered from the persecution of Armenian military formations during the 30-year occupation period, including the 4,000 missing persons, whose fate is still unknown. The approach based on double standards, selectivity, and bias demonstrates the true intentions of the members of the group, which are political manipulations aimed at defaming Azerbaijan.
In their statement, presenting war criminals and separatists as 'innocent political figures and civilians' is a shameless distortion of facts. These individuals are not prisoners of war, but criminals who violated the laws of Azerbaijan and must be held accountable and punished through a fair and transparent judicial process for their actions. Azerbaijan's judicial system operates fully following international standards, and claims to the contrary are nothing more than slander.
We firmly condemn the shameful and biased statement aimed not at supporting peace and justice but at escalating tension and inciting hostility. Azerbaijan is committed to justice, international law, and the regional peace agenda. No external threats or interference can undermine our determination to uphold the rule of law and ensure accountability for crimes committed against our country.
Everyone must accept this reality: Azerbaijan acted and continues to act within its sovereign rights to protect its people and territory from unlawful occupation and separatism.
We, the members of the Azerbaijani parliament's working group of Azerbaijan on relations with the Swedish parliament, call on you to abandon unjustified and false accusations aimed at undermining justice. The period of impunity for war criminals is over, and all attempts to justify those who are guilty of crimes against our people and state will prove futile," the letter reads.
Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel