Report reveals Armenian war crimes against Azerbaijan

“During our visit to Azerbaijan, we conducted our inspections in areas particularly outside the war fronts, in civilian settlements such as Ganja, Tartar, Goranboy, Aghdam and even the areas near Baku, which were all hit by Armenian missiles,” Malkoç said, adding that in these attacks, a total of 94 Azerbaijani civilians were killed, while 414 others were injured.

“Of course we all wish to not have any war at all. However, according to international law, either in self-defense or for other possible reasons, there might be wars sometimes on the fronts. However, deliberately hitting a civilian settlement area that is outside of the war front by 100-150 kilometers is a crime against humanity. It is against the basic rights that are referred to in the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as the Geneva Convention,” Malkoç continued.

Ganja has become one of the most targeted Azerbaijani towns of the most recent conflict. The first Armenian attack on the region took place on Oct. 4, when a missile hit the city and killed one while injuring 30 others. The second attack took place on Oct. 8 during which many residential buildings were damaged, however, no loss of life was incurred. Then, on Oct.10, only a day after Russia brokered a cease-fire between the warring sides, Armenia attacked for the third time.

An Armenian Scud missile hit an apartment complex in Ganja, completely destroying it. During this attack, the city’s infrastructure was heavily damaged as well. In the attack, 10 civilians were killed and 40 others were injured, including women and children. A total of 95 buildings were damaged, impacting the lives of approximately 205 people. The fourth and final attack took place on Oct.17. After the firing of the Armenian Scud missiles, three massive explosions rocked the city. These attacks were made in densely populated areas.

The attack damaged about 20 buildings and killed 15 civilians, while fifty-five civilians were also injured. The attacks have been strongly condemned by Azerbaijan and Turkey, while Armenia denied targeting civilian settlements in the city. Although countries such as Qatar, Malaysia, Switzerland and the U.K. expressed their condolences over the incident, the majority of the international community has remained mostly silent. Condemnation came from the EU regarding the fourth attack, while the U.N. referred to the incident as “unacceptable.”

Expressing that during their visit they had to witness the most brutal outcomes of the war, Malkoç said they conducted interviews with the relatives of the victims of the war.

“We talked with children who lost their parents. We saw the damaged schools, houses. We saw the damage that the sanctuaries had to suffer due to the attacks. We saw how the environment was damaged, and how the forbidden weapons, bombs were used. Our report explains all this,” Malkoç highlighted.