Azernews.Az

By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijan has welcomed a ruling of the International Court of Justice issued against Armenia on December 7.

In a statement posted on its website on December 7, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said: "Azerbaijan welcomes the Court’s order, which are essential to prevent the irreparable harm to the rights of Azerbaijan and the human rights of Azerbaijanis pending a decision on the merits of Azerbaijan’s claims. We urge Armenia to immediately comply with the Court’s order."

The ministry reiterated that on December 7, 2021, the International Court of Justice granted Azerbaijan’s request for provisional measures in relation to Armenia’s incitement and promotion of racial hatred, including by hate groups operating in Armenia’s territory targeting Azerbaijanis.

The court has rightly ordered Armenia to urgently take action to prevent irreparable harm to the human rights of Azerbaijanis. These decisions follow the court hearings on October 14-19, 2021.

"With respect to the court’s indication of provisional measures requested by Armenia, we note that the measures related to the repatriation of detainees, as well as the closure of the Trophy Park in Baku, requested by Armenia, have been rightfully rejected by the court," the statement said.

The ministry stressed that "Azerbaijan will comply with the measures indicated by the court related to preventing racial discrimination, which reaffirms existing treaty obligations that Azerbaijan takes seriously and is committed to upholding".

The Foreign Ministry pledged that Azerbaijan will continue to uphold the rights of all people under international law and to hold Armenia to account for its ongoing and historic grave violations of human rights.

It should be noted that the UN International Court of Justice rejected Armenia's main lawsuit on the immediate return of the so-called prisoners of war.

The court also rejected Armenia's lawsuit to close the Military Trophy Park in Baku, Azerbaijan.

At the same time, Armenia's claim on the investigation of war crimes by Azerbaijan was not approved.

The court also ruled that the Armenian state should take urgent measures against groups and individuals making violent calls on ethnic grounds in Armenia.

The failure to satisfy Armenia's claim on these three issues stems from the timely and substantiated submission of evidence to the court by the Azerbaijani side.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established by the United Nations Charter in June 1945 and began its activities in April 1946.

The court is composed of 15 judges elected for a nine-year term by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).

The court has a twofold role: first, to settle, in accordance with international law, through judgments which have binding force and are without appeal for the parties concerned, legal disputes submitted to it by States; and, second, to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized UN organs and agencies of the system.

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