Int’l community urged to condemn Armenian aggression against Azerbaijani civilians
By Rashid Shirinov
The Armenian side has once again showed its unwillingness to peace by raising hands against the civilian population of Azerbaijan. The intense firing of the Azerbaijani positions and settlements on August 7 by Armenian militaries resulted in the injury of 13-year-old Ramin Yusifov.
Armenia carries full responsibility for the actions that Azerbaijan will be forced to take in a way of deterrence and prevention of the Armenia’s provocations and attacks, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said commenting on the incident.
The Armenian leadership should be prosecuted in connection with the shelling of the civilian population of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Moldovan Public Chamber, politician Aurelia Grigoriu told Trend on August 8, commenting on the recent attack of the Armenian armed forces against the civilian population of Azerbaijan.
“I believe that the OSCE Minsk Group, first of all, should speak out and condemn these actions. They should make a warning to the side that violates the ceasefire,” Grigoriu said.
She added that the world community should also condemn this incident, stressing that the shelling of the civilian population should not be left without the attention of the world community.
Grigoriu noted that the people who commit such unlawful acts must be brought to international criminal responsibility. “It is also necessary to raise the issue of criminal responsibility against the leadership of Armenia, as such actions of the Armenian armed forces are carried out only with the permission of the commander-in-chief,” she added.
Natalie Goulet, French senator and vice-chair of the Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee, in turn, emphasized the necessity for a firm condemnation of Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan and imposing of sanctions against Armenia.
“Civilians are killed every day in a lot of conflicts. It is unbearable. The Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is one of them,” she told Trend.
“We need now a peace process and probably international forces to keep the ceasefire. We also need a serious will of the international community,” Goulet said, adding that there is no need for another war, especially in the South Caucasus.
Ivo Vajgl, Member of the European Parliament from Slovenia, shares the views. “International community, first of all, the UN and the European Union should not tolerate continuous violation of international law in Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region occupied by Armenia,” he told Trend.
“Obviously, the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cannot be solved by military means, but a diplomatic negligence and passivity does not lead to a mutually agreed peaceful solution, based upon the principles of international law,” Vajgl said, adding that as long as such solution is not found, murder of innocent civilians will continue.
Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims. Since the 1990s war, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal, but they have not been enforced to this day.
Azerbaijan has long ago stated it is ready to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through direct negotiations with Armenia with mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. However, the Armenian side is constantly trying to make up reasons to avoid a constructive dialogue, to preserve the unacceptable status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh. Thus, the aggressor country continues to daily violate the ceasefire with Azerbaijan and to shell Azerbaijani military positions and civilian population in frontline settlements.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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