The RA Investigative Committee continues the preliminary investigation of the criminal case initiated on the facts of unleashing and waging an aggressive war by the military-political leadership of the Republic of Azerbaijan along the entire line of contact with the Republic of Artsakh, serious violations of international humanitarian law (paragraph 4 of Article 2 of the UN Charter of June 26, 1945, paragraph “a”, “b”, “d” of Resolution 3314 of the XXIX session of the UN General Assembly of December 14, 1974, Article 8-bis of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (hereinafter ICC) of June 17, 1998, the provisions of Articles 48, 51 (2), 52 (2), paragraph 3 of article 51 (4) and paragraph 5 of article 85 of the first Geneva Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, concerning the protection of victims of international armed conflicts, rules 1, 7, 11, 12, 54 of customary international humanitarian law (that is, the practice of states determines responsibility, regardless of the circumstance, whether the given Сtate is a party of the 1st Additional Protocol or the ICC Statute)), the issuance of a criminal order, mercenary activities, within the framework of which the employees of the RA Investigative Committee cooperate with the employees of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Artsakh.
As a result of large-scale investigative and procedural measures carried out in cooperation with the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia and the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Artsakh, it was found out that from September 27 to October 12, 2020, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan chose to be a target for systematic, deliberate and intentional attacks the civilian population from over 120 civilian settlements. In particular, a total of 25 civilians were killed, of which 1 was a small child, 8 women and 16 men. Cases of murder were recorded in the cities of Stepanakert (7 persons), Martuni (6 persons), Hadrut (6 persons), Martakert (3 persons), settlements of Martakert region – Alashan (1 person), in a place adjacent to the Mets Shen community (1 person), in the Aygestan community of Askeran region (1 person).
A total of more than 100 civilians were injured, of whom more than 80 were seriously injured.
The Azerbaijani armed forces grossly violated the requirements of Article 25 of the Convention “On the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict” adopted in The Hague on May 14, 2006, turning churches, monuments, and cemeteries of special historical and cultural value into a target of intense attacks. The attacks damaged the most important civil infrastructures, private property, in particular – 5800 units of private property (residential buildings, shops, etc.), more than 520 cars, about 960 infrastructure, public and industrial facilities.
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The preliminary investigation established that the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan against the civilian population of the Republic of Artsakh widely used and continue to use heavy and long-range missile and aircraft weapons, some of them are of cluster nature, which is prohibited by international humanitarian law.
The preliminary investigation obtained information that by the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan grossly violated the norms of the UN General Assembly Declaration 49/60 “On Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism”, with the aim of destabilizing the internal situation in the Republic of Artsakh by explosions, arson, organizing and carrying out other criminal actions aimed at destroying people and inflicting bodily harm on them, destroying or damaging structures, buildings, roads, means of communication or other property, the groups of international terrorists were involved in the armed conflict. The obtained factual data have become subject of investigation and due legal assessment will be given to them.
As part of a criminal case, large-scale investigative and procedural actions are being carried out; we will regularly provide information about the results.
RA Investigative Committee
