Baku, October 17, AZERTAC

In the aftermath of yet another act of terror Armenia committed in Ganja on 17 October 2020, the political parties operating in Azerbaijan sent an appeal to the United Nations, permanent members of the UN Security Council, the Non-Aligned Movement, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC) , the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN Agency for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the League of Arab States (LAS), the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), the National Democratic Institute, the International Human Rights Society, the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the World Islamic Congress, the EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly, the International Refugee Organization, Human Rights Watch, Transparency International, Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders and Doctors Without Borders organizations.

AZERTAC presents the text of the appeal.

The appeal says: “To the attention of the peace-loving world community that does not recognize war as a means, humane people demanding not to kill civilians, children and babies, as well as states and international organizations!

Armenia's serious armament over the past 30 years posed a fundamental threat to the region and international security. These weapons were mainly aimed at Azerbaijan and the occupation of new territories.

Resolutions No. 822, 853, 874 and 884 adopted by the UN Security Council as the main guarantor of international peace and security in connection with the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 1993 set out a clear demand for a complete and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. These resolutions condemn Armenia’s aggressive steps against Azerbaijan, express words of protection of civilians who are not parties to the conflict, and emphasize the inadmissibility of the use of force to acquire territories. At the same time, they reaffirm the territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan.

For 30 years now, Armenia has not complied with the requirements of these resolutions, pursued a militaristic policy and tried to occupy new territories of Azerbaijan.

In April 2016, in violation of the ceasefire, Armenia launched a military operations, bombarded civilian villages and settlements with heavy weapons.

Armenia, a country that does not comply with the conditions of the ceasefire agreement and has set itself the goal of occupying new territories of Azerbaijan, violated the ceasefire on the section of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border in the direction of Tovuz district on 12 July of this year, launched a large-scale military operation and, after receiving a fitting rebuff from the Azerbaijani Army, was forced to retreat.

On 27 September 2020, the Armenian army launched large-scale military operations against Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh, which it holds under occupation. This time, it was large cities of Azerbaijan and civilian production facilities of our country that were subjected to bombardment.

In the period from 27 September to 17 October, Armenian armed forces regularly fired on the cities of Ganja and Mingachevir, the settlements of Absheron, Khizi, Barda, Beylagan, Aghjabadi, Zardab, Goranboy, Goygol, Tartar and Yevlakh districts, which are located far from the combat zone, and committed war crimes against civilians.

Even though a humanitarian ceasefire agreement was reached with the mediation of Russia on 10 October, at 2 am on 11 October, the Armenian armed forces bombarded the second largest city of Azerbaijan Ganja, with “ELBRUS (SCUD)” ballistic missiles from its own territory. As a result, 10 people died, including five women, 34 people were injured, including 16 women and six children. In addition, three buildings were completely destroyed, more than 10 apartment buildings and more than 100 other facilities were damaged.

At 10:44 on 15 October, Armenian armed forces launched an operational-tactical missile on Ordubad district of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic from the territory of the occupied Kalbajar district.

Despite international protests, Armenia has committed yet another war crime. A third horrific attack on the second largest city of Azerbaijan Ganja, which is located very far from the frontline, was carried out by the Armenians at about 1 am on 17 October 2020. It has led to the death of a large number of civilians. The attack killed 13 people, including two children. More than 45 were seriously injured. Irreparable damage has been inflicted on a large number of civilian infrastructure facilities and vehicles. The probability of an increase in the number of deaths and injuries as a result of this crime is quite high.

Ballistic missile shelling of civilians in the city of Ganja is a flagrant violation of human rights and freedoms, the norms and principles of international law, including the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their additional protocols, decisions and resolutions of the UN Security Council. These atrocities committed against civilians are war crimes and must be legally recognized as such at the international level.

Thus, Armenia has once again demonstrated that it is an incorrigible country of terror. Yerevan proves that it makes no sense to negotiate with it. While civilians of Ganja were sleeping, the enemy took aim at them.

We, the political parties functioning in Azerbaijan, strongly condemn the terrorist act committed by Armenia against the civilian population, demand punishment for the terrorist state and declare:

We strongly support the policy of the President of Azerbaijan and Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev during the Patriotic War, bring this to the attention of Armenia and the world community, and are rallied around our leader together with the Azerbaijani people like an iron fist.

The deliberate killing of civilians, the gross violation of the norms and principles of international law, including international humanitarian law, as well as the humanitarian ceasefire adopted in Moscow on 10 October, is a war crime and a crime against humanity. The military-political leadership of Armenia bears full responsibility for these crimes.

Armenia’s ongoing military aggression and brutal attacks on civilians must be stopped immediately, the international community must not turn a blind eye to these inhuman actions of Armenia against the Azerbaijani people.

The states selling arms to Armenia must immediately stop doing that so that they do not become accomplices in crimes against women, children and babies as a result of the bombing of cities and regions of Azerbaijan.

The military-political leadership of Armenia, which has turned terrorism into an instrument of state policy, bears responsibility for its decision to fire rockets on civilians. Criminals must be brought to justice using national and international legal mechanisms.

1. New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) – Ali Ahmadov

2. Civil Solidarity Party – Sabir Rustamkhanli

3. Ana Vatan (Motherland) Party – Fazail Aghamali

4. Great Establishment Party – Fazil Mustafa

5. Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party – Gudrat Hasanguliyev

6. Party of Democratic Reforms – Asim Mollazade

7. Unity Party – Tahir Karimli

8. Citizen Unity Party – Sabir Hajiyev

9. Azerbaijan Democratic Enlightenment Party – Elshan Musayev

10. National Front Party – Razi Nurullayev

11. ReAL party – Ilgar Mammadov

12. Azerbaijan Hope Party - Igbal Aghazade

13. National Revival Movement Party – Faraj Guliyev

14. Azerbaijan Democratic Party – Sardar Jalaloglu

15. Azerbaijan People's Party - Panah Huseyn

16. Justice Party – Ilyas Ismayilov

17. Classic Popular Front Party – Mirmahmud Fattayev

18. Free Democrats Party - Sulhaddin Akbar

19. Azerbaijan Liberal Party – Avaz Temirkhan

20. Azerbaijan National Independence Party – Arzukhan Alizade

21. Aydinlar Party – Gulamhuseyn Alibayli

22. Republican Party of Azerbaijan – Subut Asadov

23. Azerbaijan Social Democratic Party – Araz Alizade

24. Azerbaijan Social Welfare Party – Asli Kazimova

25. Great Azerbaijan Party – Elshad Musayev

26. National Unity Party – Yunus Oghuz

27. AG Party – Tural Abbasli

28. Modern Musavat Party – Hafiz Hajiyev

29. Liberal Democratic Party of Azerbaijan – Fuad Aliyev

30. Compatriot Party of Azerbaijan – Mais Safarli

31. Freedom Party – Ahmad Orujov

32. Alliance Party for the Sake of Azerbaijan – Abutalib Samadov

33. Free Republican Party of Azerbaijan – Kamil Seyidov

34. Republican People's Party – Badraddin Guliyev

35. National Solidarity Party - Alisahib Huseynov

36. Yeni Zaman Party – Musa Aghayev

37. Citizen and Development Party – Ali Aliyev

38. People's Democratic Party of Azerbaijan – Rafig Turabkhan

39. Azerbaijan Communist Party – Haji Hajiyev and Rauf Gurbanov

40. National Congress Party – Ikhtiyar Shirinov

41. Independent People's Party – Aflan Ibrahimov

42. United Azerbaijan National Unity Party – Hajibaba Azimov

43. National Democratic Party of Azerbaijan – Tufan Karimov

44. Azerbaijan Evolution Party – Teyyub Aliyev

45. Unity Party – Khudadat Khudiyev

46. Future Azerbaijan Party – Aghasif Shakiroglu

47. Azerbaijan National Movement Party - Samir Jafarov

48. Azerbaijani Fighters Party – Aghadur Muslumov

49. Gorgud Party - Firudin Karimov

50. National Democratic Party of Cognition - Osman Afandiyev

This appeal will be sent to each of the 30 above-mentioned organizations.