Azerbaijani Aggression is Part of the Plan for the Extermination of the Population of Artsakh: Artsakh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh has released a statement regarding Azerbaijan's ongoing war crimes.

“Despite the additional agreements reached on October 30 in Geneva under the mediation of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group stating that the parties will not deliberately target civilian objects, Azerbaijani armed forces continue to strike settlements in the Republic of Artsakh with missile and artillery fire. On the night of November 5 to 6 and throughout the day of November 6, settlements, particularly the capital city Stepanakert and the cultural center Shushi, have been subjected to especially intense shelling. One of the missiles fired by Azerbaijan hit a residential building, resulting in the death of three civilians.

Since the very first day of armed attack on the Republic of Artsakh on September 27, the Azerbaijani side has been shelling the settlements of the Republic using “Smerch” multiple launch rocket systems. The use of such weaponry against the civilian population of the Republic of Artsakh indicates a deliberate intent on the part of Azerbaijan to cause excessive casualties among civilians and maximum damage to civilian objects, which grossly violates international humanitarian law and constitutes a war crime.

Despite numerous attempts by the co-chair countries of the Minsk Group to establish a ceasefire, the continuation of military actions by Azerbaijan, accompanied by all possible war crimes, demonstrates the intention of the authorities in Baku to deprive Artsakh of its civilian population.

In this context, collective and individual sanctions against Azerbaijan's military-political leadership are the most effective means of forcing official Baku to fulfill its commitments and hold it accountable for the crimes committed. The military aggression against the Republic of Artsakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan’s plan to exterminate the civilian population of Artsakh, which has been attempted over the past 30 years. Deliberate violence and war crimes against the peaceful population and servicemen of Artsakh have occurred both during the 1991-1994 war and during the armed aggression of Azerbaijan against the Republic of Artsakh in April 2016.

During relatively peaceful periods, Azerbaijan uses its entire political arsenal to obstruct the realization of fundamental rights by the people of Artsakh. In light of large-scale and systematic violations of the rights of peoples and the threat of their extermination, the international community has developed and evolved practices for the prevention of crimes against humanity, ensuring the international recognition of these peoples' right to independence for their salvation. The international recognition of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh is just such a timely step with which the international community will put an end to Azerbaijan's criminal policy.”