Scottish MP Reveals How Azerbaijani Soldiers Removed an Armenian Woman's Eyes and Replaced Them with Stones – Armenian Ambassador to the UK

The Armenian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Varuzhan Nersesyan, published an article in the Telegraph and Economist, citing the atrocities committed by Azerbaijani soldiers as presented by a representative of the Scottish National Party. The Armenian-language translation of the article titled 'Can there be a just peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan?' is fully presented by Armenpress.

On September 22, Scottish National Party member Chris Law, while speaking in the UK House of Commons, shared a horrifying story about an elderly man who had been beheaded and a female soldier whose eyes had been removed and replaced with stones. The victims he described were Armenians killed by Azerbaijanis during unprovoked military aggression. Hundreds of people have lost their lives during Azerbaijani aggression.

Critical infrastructure, schools, and hospitals in the deep territories of Armenia have also been targeted. More evidence of atrocities has emerged, including videos of the extrajudicial killings of Armenian soldiers. These actions reflect the operations of Daesh in Syria, which were rapidly and unequivocally condemned internationally, leading to calls for investigations into war crimes. Yet, Azerbaijan speaks of peace. But what kind of peace do they strive for? This latest aggression speaks of a pattern.

In 2021, Azerbaijan seized 42 square kilometers of Armenia's sovereign territory, and since the 2022 attack, that number has nearly tripled. The authoritarian leader of Azerbaijan praised the seizure of new lands and reaffirmed his expansionist perception towards Armenia, reiterating that 'no one and nothing can stop him' in achieving his ambitions. Two years after the ceasefire, Azerbaijan still holds dozens of Armenian prisoners of war hostage.

The Azerbaijani government has announced its intention to erase Armenian artifacts from religious sites that it captured during the 2020 war over Nagorno-Karabakh. The tragedy in Ukraine has been a convenient distraction for Azerbaijan. Nevertheless, this is also a lesson that we all need to pay attention to. Vigilance against further military escalation is necessary, and it must be acknowledged that a clear path to achieving comprehensive peace has already been established.

Since the end of the war in 2020, the Armenian government has adopted a 'peace agenda,' committing to open a new era of peaceful development in the South Caucasus. Last month, during his speech at the UN General Assembly, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan clearly stated that mutual recognition of internationally recognized borders between states 'would mean that we can sign a peace treaty,' but he also warned that without such recognition, it would be a 'phantom agreement,' which Azerbaijan could misuse to push for new territorial claims and occupation.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister reaffirmed that Armenia's road network would open for Azerbaijan to connect with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, but it would not serve as a corridor for new aggression against Armenia. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cannot be resolved by force. Azerbaijan must engage in direct negotiations with authorities there within the framework of existing international mechanisms to address issues related to final status, security, and human rights.

There is also some cautious optimism. At the beginning of October, Prime Minister Pashinyan met with President Aliyev in Prague, mediated by the EU and France, where an agreement was reached to deploy an EU observational mission at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border—an initiative our Government has repeatedly called for. Armenia welcomes the attention shown to our region at this crucial moment.

We are a small country with a viable democracy and pose no threat to any of our neighbors. We have independent media. Our Government has undergone two free elections in four years. Freedom House finds that independent media 'provides diverse information that challenges state broadcasters' narratives.' CSOs operate freely in Armenia. In contrast, according to Human Rights Watch, the space for critical journalism and opposition political activity in Azerbaijan has 'essentially been eradicated.'

Last month, during a visit to Yerevan, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated, 'America is committed to the security of Armenia, to democracy, and stands with Armenia in these difficult times.' She also mentioned President Biden's invitation to Armenia to participate in his first Summit for Democracy, emphasizing that 'democracy is not accidental, and we must defend it.'

Armenia is ready for compromises to pave the way for real and lasting peace with neighboring countries. Its territorial integrity cannot be subject to trade, and Azerbaijani forces must withdraw from territories occupied since May 12, 2021. The war in Ukraine and the energy crisis will not suffice to mask Azerbaijan’s further aggression. Only constructive engagement, political will, and mutual concessions will lead to peace for both countries,” stated the Ambassador in his article.