Message by the Ombudsman to the international community on the death of a civilian killed by the explosion of submunitions used by Armenia during the hostilities

The shelling by the Armenian armed forces with heavy artillery installations and prohibited weapons since September 27, 2020, resulted in serious damage to the densely populated settlements, social facilities, historical and cultural sites, as well as objects of the strategic importance of Azerbaijan, and killing or wounding of many people.

On October 6, 2020, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Main Export Oil Pipeline passing through the densely populated Yevlakh district of Azerbaijan, located far from the zone of hostilities, was attacked by cluster munitions.

With regret, we have to report that on February 1, 2022, at late hours Ismayil Mikayilov, a civilian born in 1996 and engaged in agriculture, died of numerous shrapnel wounds as a result of the explosion of submunitions in Yevlakh. 

The bitter consequences of the numerous war crimes committed by Armenia during the military operations are still rankling the civilian population. Armenia's refusal to provide full and accurate maps of areas contaminated with unexploded ordnance, mines, and explosive remnants of war causes more casualties and remains a serious threat to human rights.

In this regard, I call on international organizations, foreign ombudspersons, and national human rights institutions to express their attitude towards violations of human rights by Armenia and take decisive measures in accordance with the norms and principles of international law.

Sabina Aliyeva

The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman)

of the Republic of Azerbaijan