Criminal Case Initiated Regarding Act of Military Aggression by Azerbaijan Against Armenia

On November 16, 2021, around 1:00 PM, the military-political leadership of the Republic of Azerbaijan, grossly violating Article 4 of the UN Charter and provisions of Resolution 3314 "a", "b", and "c" of the 29th session of the UN General Assembly, as well as Article 8-bis of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court adopted on June 17, 1998, carried out an act of aggression against the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia. This act was conducted through the use of prohibited means and methods of warfare with national hatred motives, and in a manner dangerous to many lives, involving the unlawful deprivation of life of two or more persons and intentional destruction of property through explosions, utilizing armed forces, artillery means, armored vehicles, and firearms of various calibers.

This information was reported by the Prosecutor's Office of Armenia. The Azerbaijani armed forces aimed to achieve military supremacy while grossly violating the provisions of the 1949 Geneva Conventions on the Protection of War Victims, specifically Articles 48, 51(2), 52(2), 51(4)(3), and 85(5) of the 1977 Additional Protocol I, as well as norms of international humanitarian law including Articles 1, 7, 11, 12, and 54.

The military-political leadership of the Republic of Azerbaijan, allowing for serious violations of international humanitarian law norms, has turned the military forces of the Republic of Armenia into targets of systematic, premeditated, and deliberate attacks in the combat positions of the Syunik and Vayots Dzor regions during the aggressive warfare. During these combat actions, several servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia were killed, sustained varying degrees of bodily injuries, and some were even subjected to torture while being taken captive.

Considering the elements of crimes related to murder, attempted murder, destruction or damage of property in particularly large amounts, unleashing or conducting aggressive warfare, serious violations of international humanitarian law during armed conflicts, and issuing criminal orders during armed confrontations, a criminal case has been initiated under Articles 104 (2)(1, 6, 7, 13), 34-104 (2)(1, 6, 7, 13), 185 (3)(1), 384 (2), and 390 (1)(1, 2), and 391 (3) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia. The preliminary investigation of the criminal case has been entrusted to the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia.