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The right to life of Armenians in Artsakh is impossible under the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the anniversary of the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against the ‘Artsakh on September 27.
“Armenia will systematically defend the restoration and protection of the rights of the people of Artsakh and do everything possible to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, guarantee the right of the Armenians of Artsakh to live freely and safely. live in dignity in their homeland, â€the ministry said.
Below is the full text of the declaration:
On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan, with the direct support and involvement of Turkey and with the participation of foreign terrorist fighters from the Middle East, launched a full-scale war against the Republic of Artsakh with the aim of deprive the people of Artsakh of the right to live free and secure in their homeland and to control their own destiny.
Today we bow and pay homage to the memory of our heroes of all the wars of Artsakh, who fell for the cause of freedom and in the protection of the dignity and the right to life of their compatriots.
The 44-day war, launched on September 27, was accompanied by large-scale violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, war crimes and other mass atrocities committed by Azerbaijan. During hostilities, the Azerbaijani armed forces deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure and peaceful settlements, including the capital Stepanakert, with artillery and airstrikes, including with prohibited weapons, which resulted in civilian casualties and destruction. . The mass crimes committed have been thoroughly documented and presented to international organizations and specialized international bodies. Work in this direction will continue in various international platforms.
The 44-day war was a pre-planned and prepared military aggression aimed at removing the Nagorno-Karabakh issue from the international agenda through the use of force and the annihilation of the Armenian population. This is evidenced by the actions of Azerbaijan in the pre-war period, as well as the policy adopted by Azerbaijan after the war. The Armenophobic policy and the constant threats of the use of force pursued by the Azerbaijani leadership for years, the rejection of the proposals of the international mediators to resolve the conflict and strengthen the ceasefire, the systematic and regular violations of the ceasefire -fire, excessive accumulation of weapons in violation of international obligations and periodic offensive military exercises along the line of contact, refusal to join the UN Secretary General’s call for a ceasefire the global fire, as well as the post-war declarations denying the very existence of Nagorno-Karabakh, demonstrate that Azerbaijan was never interested in a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
Azerbaijan has consistently hampered the efforts of the international community, especially the countries of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, to establish a humanitarian ceasefire, following which the three ceasefires agreed to at ministerial level at the initiative of Russia, France and the United States have not been implemented. The trilateral ceasefire declaration initiated by the President of Russia on November 9, followed by the entry of Russian peacekeepers into Nagorno-Karabakh, ended Azerbaijani aggression and created the conditions to ensure the overall security of the population in Artsakh.
Following the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression against Artsakh, the Armenians of Artsakh encountered many humanitarian problems: more than 90,000 Armenians of Artsakh were forced to leave their permanent residences, the majority of whom are currently returned to Artsakh. More than 40,000 people have been deprived of their homes and belongings, vital infrastructure has been destroyed, including schools and hospitals. In this regard, the Republic of Armenia attaches great importance to the free access of international humanitarian organizations and other specialized bodies in Artsakh, which is of vital importance in the context of a comprehensive and effective solution to the resulting humanitarian crisis. of the war.
After about a year, Azerbaijan still holds a number of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians taken hostage, in violation of its obligations under both the November 9 Trilateral Declaration and international humanitarian law.
The Azerbaijani authorities not only continue their hostile policy towards the people of Artsakh, but also rename the Armenian settlements in the territories that have fallen under their control, destroy and desecrate religious shrines and cultural heritage. These actions and the complete ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population once again reveal that guaranteeing the physical security and the right to life of Armenians in Artsakh is impossible under the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan.
Realities shaped on the basis of the use of force, massive violations of human rights, as well as constant actions of a similar nature by Azerbaijan after the war, cannot create a lasting basis for peace. and regional security. The comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict presupposes the determination of the status of Artsakh taking into account the realization of the inalienable right to self-determination, guaranteeing the security of the people of Artsakh, the safe and dignified return of the people. displaced population in their settlements throughout Nagorno-Karabakh, preservation of Armenian cultural and religious heritage in the territories fallen under Azerbaijani control.
Only agreements reached within the framework of the peace process can open a new page for peace, security and development in the region.
The Republic of Armenia supports the full launch of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict peace process within the framework and mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair. At the same time, the urgent resolution of humanitarian issues, including the repatriation of all prisoners of war, captured civilians and the handling of cases of enforced disappearances, is of the utmost importance.
Armenia will systematically defend the restoration and protection of the rights of the people of Artsakh and do everything possible to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, guarantee the right of Armenians in Artsakh to a life free and secure with dignity in their homeland.
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