Press Conference was held in Ganja together with the delegation led by the Chairman of the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission

The delegation led by the Chairman of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which is on an official visit to our country at the invitation of the Ombudsman, to carry out a fact-finding mission, held a press conference in Ganja.

At the press conference, first, the memory of the martyrs who died for the territorial integrity and independence of our country was honored.Then, the war crimes committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan, the destruction of historical and cultural monuments and the consequences of the environmental terror were reported.

The head of the Ombudsman Office, Mr. Aydin Safikhanli, said that during the official visit of the OIC IPHRC to conduct fact-finding missions, on-site monitoring was carried out in liberated territories of Azerbaijan and also those territories that were subjected to artillery and rocket attacks. A. Safikhanli noted that the delegation had witnessed the looting and destruction of architectural, historical, and cultural monuments in Aghdam for a long time to destroy our national and religious heritage, as well as gross violations of human rights in general.Later, it was reported that the fact-finding mission continued in the city of Tartar, which was the most intensively fired during the Second Karabakh War, using prohibited weapons. The head of the Ombudsman Office also said that during the meeting with the habitants who suffered during those shelling in Tartar, the delegation received information about the loss of life and destruction from witnesses.

The head of the Ombudsman Office said it was not accidental that the fact-finding mission continued in Ganja adding that that several rocket attacks on the historic Azerbaijani city of Ganja during the Second Karabakh War resulted in severe damage and numerous casualties, including children, women and the elderly.He noted that he and the members of the delegation visited the areas where the wreckage was located, paid tribute to the memory of the civilians who lost their lives, laid flowers at the site of the ruins and he also thanked the members of the delegation.

Mr. Saeed Mohamed Abdulla OmairAlghfeli, Chairman of the OIC IPHRC, thanked Azerbaijani Ombudsman Ms. Sabina Aliyeva for the invitation and said that the purpose of the visit to Azerbaijan was to carry out a fact-finding mission on the destruction and looting of historical, cultural and religious literature in the liberated territories and to prepare a report reflecting the facts and evidence collected.Noting that a fruitful meeting was held with the Ombudsman Ms. Sabina Aliyeva, the Chairman of the Commission said that meetings were held in the Milli Majlis, the Mine Action Agency and other government agencies and there was an exchange of views on the objectives of the fact-finding mission.He noted that the members of his delegation had witnessed war crimes against civilians and the population in the liberated territories, as well as in the cities of Tartar and Ganja, and the facts they documented will be reflected in the mission’s report.

OIC IPHRC Deputy Chairman, Mr. Haji Ali Achikgul stressed that the fate of the missing Azerbaijanis is still unknown, and Armenia is responsible for it, noting that Azerbaijan has taken important steps to establish peace in the region and the need to join efforts in this direction.

During the press conference there was also discussed the monitoring of acts of vandalism against social facilities, cultural and historical monuments in the liberated territories, as well as the results of the fact-finding mission and the evidence collected.

At the end of the press conference, a statement was adopted on the results of the fact-finding mission.