Reaction of the Ombudsman to Armenia’s next mine terror

Landmines buried in our liberated territories by Armenia continue to end the lives of our servicemen and civilians. 

On 19 September, the vehicle, carrying the staff members of the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads fell into an anti-tank mine buried by the sabotage group of the illegal armed groups of Armenia and exploded on the area passing through Khojavend district of the Ahmedbeyli-Fuzuli-Shusha road. Furthermore, the vehicle, which carried the police officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and was moving in the direction of the terrorist incident, also fell into the landmine planted by the sabotage group of the illegal armed groups of Armenia on the newly constructed tunnel road in Tagaverd village of Khojavend. As a result of these explosions, two civilians and four staff members of the Ministry were killed.   

The mine terror committed by the armed forces of Armenia and the sabotage group of the illegal armed groups seriously impede the implementation of transport-communicaton projects and the process of the return of former IDPs to their native lands, along with affecting the lives and health of civilians engaged in the building and construction works that are being carried out in the liberated territories.  

Though the Azerbaijani side has repeatedly demanded accurate maps of mines buried in our territories liberated from occupation, the failure of Armenia to provide these maps once again proves that this country is interested in the killing of innocent people and his disregard for the norms of international humanitarian law. 

As the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, I strongly condemn this provocation, which causes human deaths and harms the peace-building process in the region, and call on the international community to pressure Armenia to share accurate maps of minefields with our country and react to the mine terror committed by this country.   

Sabina Aliyeva

The Commissioner for Human Rights

 of the Republic of Azerbaijan 

(Ombudsman)

19 September 2023