Ombudsman
Press Statement of Ombudsman on shelling of Barda city
Since 08:00 a.m. on October 26, 2020, the Armenian armed forces have repeatedly violated the agreement on humanitarian ceasefire and are continued committing war crimes. Thus, the densely populated neighborhoods and civilian infrastructure of Azerbaijan in the area of active hostilities and in places, located far beyond, are bombarded with the use of widely prohibited munitions, operational and tactical rocket systems and heavy artillery.
The continued use of widely banned cluster munitions in heavily populated areas of Barda city by the Armenian military two days straight, which resulted in mass human loss and severe damages, shows flagrant disregard for international law.
Unfortunately, as a result of rocket strikes over the crowded civilian place and busy commercial area in Barda at 1 p.m. on October 28, 2020, 21 civilians were killed and around 70 were wounded. The blast caused severe damage to civilian infrastructure in the city and civilian vehicles.
An occupying Armenia has not still deterred from its policy of aggression, war crimes, crimes against peace and humanity. Thus, by committing the repeated act of terror against civilians it does not adhere to international law, including international humanitarian law norms, 1949 Geneva Conventions and particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention as well as the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child.
One of the key factors why Armenia is getting more bridled and being encouraged to commit new severe criminal acts against peace and humanity, is that leading international organizations have not taken any serious legal sanctions against this occupying State within the past period of time for its war crimes and acts of terror. In addition, those organizations don’t take any effective actions for the enforcement of the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, recognizing our territorial integrity and demanding unconditional withdrawal of occupying forces from our occupied areas and also defining the legal principles for returning our refugees and internally displaced persons to their homelands.
We once more urge international community not to be indifferent to the continued cruel, inhumane acts and to demand from occupant Armenia that committed international war crimes, to adhere international law norms, including the UN Charter, to refrain from criminal acts causing serious threat to the lives and health of civilians, to unconditionally withdraw its armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, and in the sake of justice and humanity, to call for taking decisive punishment measures for those who bear responsibility for the crimes against peaceful civilians.