Ombudsman Sabina Aliyeva conducts Fact-Finding Mission to Ganja city

On October 17, at around 01:00 pm, Armenia once again committed a war crime and fired rockets at Ganja, the second largest city in Azerbaijan, located far from the frontline. The attack was committed with use of the banned weapons, resulted in numerous casualties and serious damage.

So, Armenia demonstrates open disrespect for the agreement on humanitarian ceasefire declared on 10 October 2020 that followed also by the breaches of the UN Charter, general rules of international law, IHL and international human rights law.

Ombudsman Ms. Sabina Aliyeva has undertaken another Fact-Finding Mission on Ganja city to discover facts of serious human rights violations and civilian casualties, occurred due to artillery shelling of the Armenian armed forces as well as to evaluate the collateral damage in the frame of international law and to inform the international community about another terror act committed there.

During the Mission, the Ombudsman met with the relatives of the died, also with wounded and the residents who became victims of this brutal act and made an investigation in the destructed area of houses and other civilian infrastructure. The Ombudsman also visited a child, whose parents went missing and were under the rubbles. All necessary measures to solve the existed problems have been taken jointly with the competent bodies. 

Armenia this time too intentionally targeted civilians, and civilian buildings, where children, women, the elderly and persons with disabilities were living, and as a result of what including 3 children, 13 persons were killed and 52 were severely injured. There was no any news about the fate of 2 minors. The rescue operations are still underway to evacuate those under the rubbles.  

These another unimaginable cruelty and intended terror acts of Armenia against civilians of Azerbaijan should be strongly condemned by the international community as war crimes and crimes against humanity, and those who commit those criminal acts must be held legally liable. The supporters of the acts of terrorism of Armenia must draw conclusions from these events and not remain silent.  

This should be noted the Ombudsman, in a view to draw attention of international community to the crime of vandalism of Armenia against peaceful citizens, issued another statement and will send a Report to international organizations based on the findings of the Mission conducted.