On November 2, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh Masis Mayilian met with Majed El Shafie, human rights advocate and founder of the One Free World International (OFWI) human rights organization and Birgir Thórarinsson, MP and member of the Centre Party of Iceland.
During the meeting, the Foreign Minister presented the current situation resulting from the armed aggression of Azerbaijan ongoing since September 27 with the direct participation of Turkey and international terrorists that it had relocated from the Middle East to the conflict zone.
Masis Mayilyan noted that the current military offensive was the third act of aggression against the Republic of Artsakh over the past 30 years and formed part of Azerbaijan’s state policy to exterminate the civilian population of Artsakh. The Foreign Minister emphasized in particular that the Azerbaijani armed forces were employing prohibited means and methods of warfare, namely, wilful killing of prisoners of war and captured civilians, use of prohibited weapons, including cluster and phosphorus munitions, and deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian objects.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs recalled that during Azerbaijan’s armed aggression against Artsakh in 1991-1994 and in April 2016, the Azerbaijani armed forces also resorted to similar methods of warfare. He also stressed that impunity for the crimes committed by Azerbaijani servicemen led to an increase in the scale and degree of cruelty of these crimes, as it gave the Azerbaijani authorities confidence that they will further be able to avoid responsibility for the committed acts of violence.
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The Foreign Minister noted that the widespread and systematic violations of the collective and individual rights of the people of Artsakh and war crimes committed by Azerbaijan over the past three decades were nothing more than a crime against humanity directed against the civilian population of Artsakh.
In this context, Masis Mayilian stressed that the most optimal and effective way out of the current situation was the international recognition of the Republic of Artsakh, which, coupled with collective and individual sanctions against Azerbaijan and its military-political leadership, would demonstrate the determination of the international community to prevent the commission of crimes against humanity.
Artsakh MFA Press Service