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By Aynur Karimova

Armenia bears the responsibility for unleashing the war and using force against Azerbaijan, occupying its territories, carrying out ethnic cleansing on a massive scale and committing other serious crimes.

Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry made the remark while commenting on the illegal economic activity in the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

He said that in flagrant violation of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, it’s appropriate laws and the norms and principles of international law, individuals or companies in transactions with Armenia, its organs, natural and legal persons as well as with its subordinate separatist regime in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh region and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan run risk of facing appropriate legal proceedings, including in the form of administrative or criminal prosecution.

“The Republic of Azerbaijan is the only country possessing the internationally recognized sovereignty over its occupied territories,” he said. “Like any other military occupation, the occupation of Azerbaijan’s territories is temporary as well.”

Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions of Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly one million were displaced as a result of the war.

Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994, but Armenia continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal. Peace talks mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. have produced no results so far.

Hajiyev further said that despite the ongoing negotiations towards the solution of the conflict based on the principles of international law and the UN Security Council Resolutions 822(1993), 853(1993), 874(1993) and 884 (1993), the policy and practice of Armenia in the occupied territories, including installation of artificial settlements by transferring people from abroad into those areas, destruction of cultural heritage of Azerbaijani people and altering their origin, illegal commercial activities and preventing the Azerbaijani internally displaced population from returning to their homes testify to Yerevan’s intention to secure the annexation of these territories.

“Under international law such activities in the occupied territories may be qualified as war crimes that entail criminal liability,” he said. “Additionally, the natural and legal persons also in breach of corporate social responsibility and business ethics code, contribute to the continuation of Armenia’s occupation against Azerbaijan and violation of fundamental rights, including rights of return and rights of property of over million Azerbaijani IDPs, who were subject of ethnic cleansing."

Unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied regions of Azerbaijan are considered illegal and individuals who pay such visits are included in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s “black list”.

“As a result of preventive actions and rising of awareness about legal consequences, the activities of many foreign companies have been ceased in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan,” he said.

“In the meantime, the criminal proceedings have been taken in relation to German Sterligov, citizen of Russian Federation for his illegal actions in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan,” he said. “The necessary operative-investigative actions are being continued in this regard. The illegal economic activities in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan are also put into the agenda of joint Governmental Commissions and are subject of discussions with the appropriate States.”

Hajiyev said that in accordance with their obligations under the international law all states shall do all necessary to refrain their natural and legal persons from unlawful visits to and other activities in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and prohibit export of any products produced in these areas to their markets.

“The Republic of Azerbaijan will continue to take all legal and political measures at the national and international levels to prevent such illegal activities in its occupied sovereign territories,” he stated.

Baku has repeatedly warned foreign officials and diplomats against unauthorized visits to territories under Armenian occupation, stating that such visits violate international law. The country urges all foreign nationals to refrain from traveling to the occupied territories in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova

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