Ombudsman delivered a speech at the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation

The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ms. Sabina Aliyeva delivered a speech at the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation Security Dialogue on the topic “Compliance with international humanitarian law and protection of civilians” held under the Chairmanship of Azerbaijan via videoconferencing.

Ms. Aliyeva as a first speaker of the Forum stressed the importance of compliance with the core principles of human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL), obligations of the States under the related treaties, the implementation of the humanitarian norms, and the role of national human rights institutions in an independent investigation into the violations of those norms.    

Underlining that about 30 years Azerbaijan dealt with the issues related to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) as one of the global humanitarian crisis, the Ombudsman reiterated that nearly one million Azerbaijanis, who were forcibly displaced as a result of the Armenian occupation policy, were deprived of their fundamental rights, including the prohibition of torture, the right to life, property, and fair trial.    

It was stated that after the Second Karabakh War, the State has been undertaking complex measures in the liberated areas for the return of the IDPs, smart urban and rural projects were implemented, a new international airport was built in Fuzuli and road-transport infrastructure was reconstructed.    

Furthermore, it was also stated the IDPs have not still returned to their homes due to total destruction of all residential buildings and other social objects, and placement of mines and other explosive devices in those areas. Then, giving the statistics of the civilian toll as a result of mine blasts during the post-conflict period, the Ombudsman said that due to the failure of Armenia to share accurate and full minefield maps, a number of civilians and servicemen have been killed.   

The Ombudsman also reiterated the activities of the Ombudsman Institution, carried out starting on 27 September 2020 to investigate the violations of IHL by Armenia. It was also stated that the mission reports about the civilian casualties that occurred as a result of indiscriminate attacks on the non-combat zones by the Armenian side in violation of the principle of distinction have been submitted to the competent international organizations.  

The Ombudsman also gave broad information about persons, who were accounted for missing persons since the period of the First Karabakh War, and underlined that until present there have not yet been given any information about the fate of the 3890 missing Azerbaijani persons.

In conclusion of her report, by giving special attention to the role of NHRIs in the promotion and implementation of the IHL norms, the Ombudsman stressed the significance of developing cooperation in this field in order to prevent human rights violations.  

Later, other participants took the floor.  

It also should be noted that during the Forum, the Azerbaijani Ombudsman reasonably responded to the groundless allegations of the member of the Armenian delegation, bringing the evidence of war crimes, numerous IHL, and human rights violations committed by Armenia.