The next fact-finding mission of the Azerbaijani Ombudsman in Ganja city

Ganja, the second largest and densely populated city of Azerbaijan, which is located more than 100 km far from the frontline was again subjected to missile strikes by the Armenian armed forces around 02:00 a.m. on October 11, 2020.  

Hence force, an occupant Armenia ignores not only the UN Charter and the established norms and principles of international law and humanitarian law, but also the rules of the humanitarian ceasefire, proclaimed since 12:00 p.m. on  October 10, 2020. Consequently, nine residents, including 4 women, were killed and 34 people, including 16 women and 6 children were injured in multiply apartment buildings, inhabited by children, women and older people. Many civilian infrastructures were severely damaged. Therefore, the Ombudsman, Ms. Sabina Aliyeva immediately visited Ganja with a fact-finding mission.

The facts of serious violations of human rights of the people, who were killed and injured or those, whose property was destroyed as a result of missile attacks by Armenia’s Army were monitored on-site. The Ombudsman is developing the next report to bring the truth to the attention of international organizations.

Ombudsman, during the fact-finding mission, made investigations in the territory of the buildings and other public facilities, destroyed by Armenia’s rocket fire and met with the relatives of the dead, injured and victims of this attack in a view to getting familiarize with the situation on the spot, appropriate measures have been taken together with the relevant agencies to solve the existing problems on the spot.

These military provocations of the aggressor Armenia, by deliberately targeting the civilians of Azerbaijan, is an act of terrorism, a war crime and crimes against humanity, which should be condemned by international organizations and world states as the gravest crimes in international law, the perpetrators of these crime must be brought to justice under international law.

This should be noted that the Ombudsman also addressed the statement to international organizations and world states, NHRIs on October 11, 2020. The Ombudsman’s Statement draws attention to the fact that Armenia targets civilians by using special rocket systems in flagrant violation of Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, particularly, the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Convention, CRC and other international human rights legal documents.   

In the Statement the Ombudsman made a call to demand from the occupant Armenia, which continues to commit acts of terrorism grossly violating the norms and principles of international law, resulting in the killing and injury of civilians, to immediately put an end to war crimes against humanity and to take decisive steps to establish international legal responsibility.