Armed Attacks Accompanied by Targeted Assaults on Civilian Population, Tatoyan

At today’s session of the National Assembly’s Permanent Committee on Regional and Eurasian Integration, both open and closed meetings took place to discuss the wartime situation. The Human Rights Defender, Arman Tatoyan, presented a main report on the crimes committed against the peaceful population of Artsakh by Azerbaijan and Turkey, as well as Azerbaijan's legal accountability. He outlined the current situation and their actions, emphasizing key findings.

“Armed attacks are accompanied by targeted assaults on the civilian population. These are indiscriminate attacks executed using prohibited cluster munitions, banned because they not only cause death but also life-altering injuries, and are prohibited by international norms. The involvement of jihadists is also a well-established fact internationally. We have evidence and highlight three key points: first, there are terrorists involved in armed attacks against Artsakh; second, they commit war crimes; third, they state in videos that they will continue terrorist actions in other countries as well,” Tatoyan stated.

He indicated that among all these factors, there is another element: hate speech, which has been present from day one. “It is evident that there has been state-supported hatred in Azerbaijan, and this is organized. The social media pages, groups, and users involved have an institutional character. By spreading scenes of violence and targeting children and the elderly, they create fertile ground for further atrocities.”

He pointed out that all of this should be viewed as components of a single cohesive chain. The analysis shows that this refers to ethnic cleansing against the populations of Armenia and Artsakh. “Why Armenia? Because since September 27, strikes have also been carried out against the towns and villages of the Republic of Armenia—Sotk, Shatvan, Mets Masrik, Kut, etc. Due to Azerbaijani UAVs, we had to suspend fact-finding activities and then continue,” Tatoyan added.