UN Sends Accusatory Letters to Azerbaijan and Turkey

The United Nations has sent accusations to Azerbaijan and Turkey for involving mercenaries in the war unleashed against Artsakh in 2020. This was stated by members of the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries during a press conference, addressing questions from reporters.

The group's mandate has been established at the initiative of the UN Human Rights Council. The mandate is broad, encompassing the involvement of mercenaries and the use of private military and security companies in terms of human rights violations. As part of this mandate, the working group conducts visits to countries, and the visit to Armenia is one of them. The group receives reports from various sources regarding alleged human rights violations.

“Our group has already received reports regarding the use of mercenaries in 2020. At that time, we responded and acted, submitting an appropriate report,” said group member Elena Aparak, who is from Croatia.

The group’s visit to Armenia has been in preparation for quite some time in collaboration with Armenian authorities. “The information we have received at this time primarily concerns two mercenaries who have been captured, who have faced charges, and for whom judicial processes have begun, hearings have taken place. We are still gathering information concerning all of this,” she added.

The group operates based on the information provided to it, which can come from NGOs or any other sources. Documentation occurs through official processes, meaning the information is obtained from official sources, and based on that information, they can determine who is responsible for the events. Working group member Ravindran Daniel emphasized that they cannot act on information that has not been provided by official sources.

“We have this tool called an 'accusatory letter,' which was utilized in 2020. We present this to states and non-state actors,” noted Elena Aparak. When asked for clarification regarding whether accusatory letters have been sent to Azerbaijan and Turkey, she confirmed positively.

The working group noted in its thematic reports for 2020 that globally, the use of mercenaries and private security companies is on the rise. Concerning the consequences of the accusatory letters, unfortunately, the working group's mandate is quite limited in that regard. “We can receive responses. Those responses are public. Then other interested parties should utilize our accusatory letters, responses, and act based on them, whether they are NGOs, international organizations, or other states,” added Elena Aparak.

Ravindran Daniel noted that the issues become more visible as a result of their work, which was evident in 2020. The working group members positively assess that Armenia has ratified the UN's International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries. The working group has submitted an application for a visit to Azerbaijan but has yet to receive a response.