Prosecutor-General's Office: Armenia aimed to kill as many civilians as possible
By Sabina Mammadli
The goal of the military-political leadership of Armenia, when striking at the densely populated areas during the 2020 second Karabakh war, was to kill as many people as possible, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor-General's Office said in a statement.
The statement was issued in connection with missile attacks committed by Armenians on Barda city on October 27, 2020.
"The Armenian Armed Forces, violating the norms and principles of international law, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols, the demands for a humanitarian ceasefire achieved during the Second Karabakh War that began on September 27, 2020, amid their own crushing defeats on the battlefield, inflicted strikes on civilian infrastructure facilities in cities and regions of Azerbaijan located far from the conflict zone and the frontline zone - on residential buildings, hospitals, other medical centers, school buildings, kindergartens, administrative buildings of state institutions, agricultural land using various types of weapons, ballistic missiles, including prohibited artillery," the statement read.
Further, the office brought attention to the first missile attack on Barda city, located outside the combat zone on October 5, 2020, committed by Armenia. As a result of the attack, two people were killed and seven injured, the statement highlighted.
Notably, the second missile attack launched on October 8, 2020, left eight civilians injured. On October 27, Qarayusifli village of Barda district was subjected to a missile attack as a result of which five people were killed, including one child, and 14 people, seven of them – children, were injured.
The Prosecutor-General's Office appealed to international organizations to ensure the rule of international law by taking measures of legal responsibility against Armenia, which committed crimes against peace and humanity, as well as war crimes that resulted in the killing of the civilian population of Azerbaijan.
"Prosecutor-General's office of Azerbaijan condemns crimes against peace and humanity and honors the memory of those who died with deep sorrow!" the statement finalized.
The Karabakh war resumed after Armenia shelled Azerbaijani civilians and military positions along the border line on September 27, 2020. The war ended on November 10, 2020, with the signing of a trilateral ceasefire deal by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders.
The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it had been occupied since the early 1990s.
In the war unleashed by Armenia, Azerbaijan's Ganja, Barda, Yevlakh, Beylagan, Tartar, Gabala, Goranboy, Aghjabadi, Khizi, and other cities and districts far from the theater of war operations, came under Armenia's missile and artillery fire.
International human rights watchdogs Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch verified the use of banned cluster bombs and missiles by Armenia in its attacks against Azerbaijani cities.
As a result, 100 Azerbaijani civilians were killed, including 12 children and 27 women. As many as 454 people were injured, including 35 children. Some 181 children lost one parent, five children lost both parents, and one family died. In total, 12,292 residential and non-residential buildings and 288 vehicles were damaged.
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Sabina Mammadli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SabinaMmdl
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