Azernews.Az

BAKU – Azerbaijani Ombudsperson Elmira Suleymanova has issued an appeal condemning Armenian troops' recent killing of an Azerbaijani child on the frontline, saying the brutal murder is directed against children of the whole world, her office said.

"We believe that reacting strongly, the international community will condemn this inhuman act culminating in the brutal murder of an innocent child and in fact being directed against the world's children, and will raise its voices in protest to prevent such incidents and take steps within its power," Suleymanova said in a statement.

It said the murder is an infringement upon international legal documents and necessitates imposing UN sanctions on Armenia.

"No one should be indifferent to such a ruthless, cruel and inhuman incident. Azerbaijani people want to live in a peaceful environment and restore their violated rights. Therefore, addressing the world community, we call on everyone to support our just cause," the statement says.

The nine-year-old resident of a village in the frontline Aghdam region was killed on Tuesday as a result of a ceasefire violation by Armenian troops. Fariz Badalov was shot in the head by a sniper while playing in the courtyard. The boy was rushed to a hospital but his life could not be saved.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict for two decades. Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory since a war in the early 1990s which claimed some 30,000 lives and displaced about a million Azerbaijanis. The ceasefire accord was signed in 1994, but efforts by international mediators have been largely fruitless so far, and sporadic clashes on the frontline continue.