Azerbaijan's Use of Military Equipment Intensifies During School and Kindergarten Hours, Ombudsman Reports

The monitoring by the Ombudsman’s office and the examination of gathered facts reveal that from September 13-14, 2022, the civilian population and essential public infrastructure, including educational institutions in the Syunik, Gegharkunik, and Vayots Dzor regions, were under the indiscriminate targeting of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, violating a number of rights guaranteed by international legal norms for civilians, including children.

According to information from the Ombudsman’s office, the children’s rights to life, health, living in a safe and secure environment, living in a family and community, personal development and protection have been violated due to the Azerbaijani attacks in the regions of Syunik, Vayots Dzor, and Gegharkunik. It is particularly emphasized that the use of various military equipment by the Azerbaijani armed forces has been especially intense during the hours when children attend school and kindergarten.

In the prevailing situation, children from displaced communities are deprived of the opportunities to realize their right to education. In some cases, schools and kindergartens are directly under the targeting of Azerbaijani armed forces. The data collected by the Ombudsman’s office indicates the use of different types of military equipment against educational institutions. For instance, an educational establishment in the Sotk community of the Gegharkunik region has been damaged.

In this context, it is necessary to note that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child explicitly stipulates that special measures should be taken for the care and protection of children affected by armed conflict. Furthermore, the Convention requires that member states are obliged to respect international humanitarian law concerning the rights of children in armed conflicts.

In this context, it is crucial to once again emphasize that the rights of children not participating in hostilities during an armed conflict or military situation are guaranteed by the 1949 Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons, along with the Additional Protocol I of June 8, 1977. The Committee on the Rights of the Child, as well as documents adopted by the UN Security Council, General Assembly, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, emphasize not only the inadmissibility of violations of children’s rights during military operations but also the imperative to prevent the consequences that are necessary for ensuring the daily lives and the mental and physical development of children. Attacks and targeting of educational institutions and facilities responsible for the care and protection of children have also been repeatedly condemned by these entities.

The Ombudsman reiterates that children are under special protection. Accordingly, the Ombudsman calls on international organizations engaged in the protection of children’s rights to respond clearly to the gross violations of the rights of children in Vayots Dzor, Syunik, and Gegharkunik as a result of the Azerbaijani armed forces' attacks and to take practical steps towards their urgent rectification.