BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsperson) of Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva sent an appeal to international organizations in connection with international environmental crimes committed by Armenia, Trend reports.
“Armenia has not only committed war crimes against humanity and peace while occupying Azerbaijani territory for 30 years, but it has also seriously endangered ecological security of the area and is still doing so. The destruction agricultural lands, water basins, atmosphere, forest fund, flora and fauna, mineral resources, and energy sources caused the ecological balance to be disrupted not just in Azerbaijan, but also across the rest of the region," the appeal said.
All the above, according to the appeal, once again proves that Armenia commits environmental crimes and does not fulfill its obligations under international conventions on ecology and environment, which it joined.
"However, we are deeply disappointed that international organizations and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) working in the field of environmental protection have remained mute on the situation that Armenia has created, which is a source of risk," the appeal noted.
One of the major challenges that exist ahead is preventing crimes that endanger the ecological balance, punishing perpetrators, and ensuring that each state complies with the requirements of the relevant international and national legislative acts, the appeal further said.
"Nevertheless, existing contradictions, international organizations' silence, and the prevailing impunity enable Armenia to continue its crimes that generate global and regional environmental concerns," the appeal pointed out. "One of Armenia's new initiatives that may create a regional environmental problem is the desire to build a large metallurgical plant worth $70 million with an annual production capacity of 180,000 tons on an area of 16,500 square meters in the village of Arazdayan in the region border with Azerbaijan and very close to border with Türkiye."
According to the appeal, the construction of such a new plant in that area and the discharge of waste into the Araz River, the second largest river of the South Caucasus, may lead to pollute not only this river, but also Arpachay river.
"The toxic gas released into the air as a result of the operation of the plant will have a serious impact on flora and fauna. Moreover, if the metallurgical plant begins to operate, it will cause environmental and ecosystem damage," the appeal said. "With this, Armenia again violates the norms and principles of international law, especially the provisions of the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (ESPOO) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe."
According to the provisions of this convention, which Armenia is also a member, if the large-scale economic activity planned by the participating states in their territory has a negative environmental impact on the territory of other countries, it should be agreed with the relevant institutions of that country, and a document on environmental impact assessment should be prepared, the appeal noted.
The appeal also highlighted that the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), which continues to operate in Armenia despite having reached the end of life, poses a serious threat to the entire South Caucasus region, not just to Azerbaijan and Armenia.
"As the Ombudsperson of Azerbaijan, back on January 27, 2021, I made the Statement "On the potential danger of the Metsamor NPP for the entire region", which called international organizations to immediately close the plant, safely terminate its work, and take immediate measures on the transfer of radioactive waste to strict international control in accordance with the requirements of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management of the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as PACE Resolution No. 1588 of 2007 under strict international control in order to prevent the next disaster similar to Chernobyl and Fukushima," Aliyeva reminded.
"However, Armenia prolonged operation term of the Metsamor NPP until 2026 and beyond, not even paying attention to concerns," she added.
Furthermore, the appeal said that the discharge of chemically-containing water from Armenia's large mining enterprises - the Gajaran copper-molybdenum plant and the Gafan ore processing plant, as well as from the Ley-Lichkivaz gold deposits - into the cross-border river Okchuchay for many years has a negative effect on the quality of all water resources in the region, which directly threatens people's rights to live and live in a healthy environment.
The Sarsang reservoir [located in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, where a part of Armenian armed forces still remains contrary to trilateral statement signed by Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war] which provides irrigation for agricultural areas, is one of the facts of Armenia's deliberate pollution of water sources, the appeal said.
"In resolution No. 2085 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe dated January 26, 2016, it was noted that the contradiction of the Sarsang reservoir in terms of technical parameters poses a threat to people's lives and health, as well as a serious disaster, and Armenia's actions lead to global environmental problems," the appeal also pointed out.
According to the appeal, studies show that it takes many years and plenty of funds to restore the destroyed ecosystem in the liberated lands from occupation.
"The current landmine problem, which has become an urgent issue for our country and has caused numerous casualties and injuries, delays the safe return of thousands of former internally displaced persons to their homelands, and creates an obstacle to peace and large-scale construction work in the liberated territories," Aliyeva said. "Although we regularly appeal to international organizations and relevant institutions regarding the transfer of accurate maps of mined areas, including mass graves, to our country, unfortunately, the Armenian government still does not take any real steps towards the transfer of accurate mine maps."
"On the contrary, Armenia, encouraged by the fact that it has not been subjected to any pressure at the international level, continues the process of mining, which creates danger for life and health of people and for environment, through sabotage groups in the territories of Azerbaijan, liberated from occupation, recognized by the United Nations (UN)," the appeal noted.
This, according to the appeal, first of all concerns the 1976 Convention "On the Prohibition of the Use of Any Military or Hostile Means of Impact on the Environment", the 1989 Basel Convention "On the Control of Cross-Border Transportation and Disposal of Hazardous Waste," and the 1992 Convention "On the Prohibition of the Use of Any Military or Hostile Means of Impact on the Environment", which once again demonstrates that Armenia deliberately doesn't comply with its responsibilities under other international agreements.
In the appeal the Ombudsperson called on international organizations working in the field of environmental protection, international non-governmental organizations, and civil society institutions to take resolute measures for resolving global and regional environmental problems caused as a result of environmental crimes committed by Armenia, exert pressure on it for fulfilling obligations arising from existing international documents in the field of environmental protection, and for preventing occurrence of such actions in the future.
Previously, Azerbaijani environmental activists sent an open letter to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, mentioning enterprises of Armenia polluting environment. The letter noted that degradation of the ecosystem as a result of ongoing mining operations is not only a threat to Armenia's environment, but also a great threat to the neighboring countries, and demanded Armenia to immediately stop the work in the mining industry that threatens the region and the planet as a whole.
In addition, the letter pointed out that the construction of a new metallurgical plant in Arazdayan, which is being built against the requirements of environmental norms and international conventions, should also be stopped.
According to the letter, the potential impacts of toxic chemical waste from this metallurgical plant on the local ecosystem could be enormous.
The discharge of waste into the Araz river means a tragedy for the creatures living in the river and for the large farms that use the Araz water for irrigation. This impact on drinking water supplies can also lead to the spread of infectious diseases in border areas. This will create a serious public health crisis for both Azerbaijan and Armenia, the letter added.