Media Statement of the Ombudsman

The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva addressed the world community, international organizations, NHRIs, as well as various religious communities and confessions with a video message demonstrating the facts of damages to ancient religious and cultural monuments in Ganja city caused as a result of the shelling by the Armenian armed forces.

The released video message provided the information about launching ballistic missiles by aggressor Armenia on the ancient city of Ganja, the historical and cultural heritage center of Azerbaijan underlining the facts that by doing so, this occupant state targets not only Azerbaijan, but also religious and cultural monuments, shrines and universal values of the world cultural heritage. The message also emphasizes that the occupying Armenia seriously violates the international humanitarian law, including 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, and the 1972 UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, IV Geneva Convention, the 1992 European Convention for the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage and other international law norms. 

At the end of the message the international community was called to take serious measures for bringing the occupying Armenia into international criminal responsibility for its national and religious terror policy, vandal acts aimed at intentional damage to historical, religious and material and cultural monuments of Azerbaijan, in gross violation also of the freedom of religion, which occupies an important place in the human rights system.

You can watch video message at the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s5gmu1VVz8&feature=emb_title