Azerbaijan is Committing Another Crime Against Humanity, While International Organizations Remain Silent: Tovmasyan

The Chair of the National Assembly's Committee on Defense and Security, and a member of the "I Have Honor" faction, Taguhi Tovmasyan, addressed the military aggression carried out by Azerbaijan, which has resulted in the violent disappearance of compatriots, on her Facebook page today, International Day of the Disappeared.

Tovmasyan emphasized the importance of an appropriate response to this fact.

“August 30 is International Day of the Disappeared. The UN General Assembly's resolution adopted in 1992 established that any act of enforced disappearance is an affront to human dignity, and it is condemned as a severe and blatant violation of human rights as stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Moreover, the international convention adopted by the Assembly in 2006 states clearly that even in a wartime situation, enforced disappearance cannot be justified, and the widespread or systematic practice of such acts is considered a crime against humanity.”

“In violation of the fundamental principles of refraining from the use of force or the threat thereof, and peaceful resolution of disputes, Azerbaijan carried out military aggression against Artsakh on September 27, 2020, with the direct support of Turkey and the involvement of mercenary terrorists. This aggression was directed against the peaceful population of Artsakh, including children, women, and the elderly, resulting in casualties, injuries, and the abduction and violent disappearance of compatriots.”

“In its 2021 report following the war mandated by Azerbaijan, the UN Secretary-General expressed concern that enforced disappearance continues to be used worldwide as a method of coercion and terror, and that together we can and must put an end to enforced disappearances. Indeed, it is necessary to fight this evil with joint and effective actions.”

“However, the international community, international organizations, and human rights organizations, which emphasize the importance of protecting human rights at such a declarative level, do not condemn Azerbaijan's unacceptable behavior of denying the fact of the imprisonment of our compatriots, hiding information about their fate or whereabouts in front of the eyes of the entire international community.”

“As a result, Azerbaijan is committing another crime against humanity, while international institutions remain patiently silent,” Tovmasyan wrote.