Azerbaijan's Statement Was a Deception: Hunanyan on War Crimes

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia calls on international organizations to conduct an investigation into the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan. This was stated in a comment given to Armenpress by the spokesperson for the Armenian Foreign Minister, Vahan Hunanyan.

It is noteworthy that a recent letter from the UN mandate holders addressed to Azerbaijan demands explanations from the Azerbaijani government regarding the incidents of war crimes committed by its armed forces during the military aggression against Armenia launched on September 13, 2022. The letter also addresses the issue of not releasing prisoners of war after the ceasefire in November 2020.

"It is necessary to hold accountable those responsible for the crimes and their organizers, including through the application of international sanctions," said Hunanyan.

He also emphasized that Azerbaijan's statement last autumn claiming it would initiate an investigation into its own war crimes was a deception.

"The UN mandate holders have not received responses regarding Armenian prisoners of war and other detained individuals who have been unlawfully held in Azerbaijan since the 44-day war. They have also not received answers to their inquiries regarding cases of enforced disappearances. Azerbaijan, being a member of UN fundamental documents on human rights, is grossly violating them and disregarding the instructions given to it by UN bodies," noted the Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

According to him, it is imperative to ensure a proper international investigation into the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan and to hold the perpetrators and organizers accountable. Furthermore, the Foreign Ministry believes that the international community must increase pressure for the immediate repatriation of all Armenian prisoners of war and civilians unlawfully held in Azerbaijan, as well as for clarification of the fates of those who have been forcibly disappeared or gone missing.

Armenia also wishes to draw attention to the fact that recently Azerbaijan has been using intimidation and pressure on UN bodies to prevent them from publicly addressing cases of flagrant human rights violations by Azerbaijan.

Despite Azerbaijani actions, the Foreign Ministry remains confident that all UN bodies, particularly those dealing with human rights issues, will continue to carry out their work in accordance with the spirit and letter of the UN Charter.