State Security Service
Head of the State Security Service met with Head of ICRC delegation
On October 12, 2020, Head of the State Security Service, Chairman of the State Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons Ali Naghiyev met with Ms Arian Bauer, Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Azerbaijan.
Chairman of the State Commission Ali Naghiyev noted that as a result of the military aggression of the Republic of Armenia against Azerbaijan, international humanitarian law was seriously violated, civilians were deliberately killed by Armenians on the basis of national, racial, religious hatred or enmity, and crimes of deliberate destruction of property were committed.
Ali Naghiyev pointed out that despite the agreement to observe the humanitarian ceasefire starting from 12.00 on October 10, 2020, reached as a result of the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Moscow, the Armenian armed forces continue to violate the agreement. Even a few hours after the ceasefire was established, a medical worker was seriously injured due to the shelling of an ambulance by the Armenian armed forces in the liberated Sugovushan area. Also, on the night of October 11, Ganja, the second largest city in Azerbaijan, located far beyond the frontline, was shelled by the Armenian armed forces as a result of which 10 civilians, including 5 women, were killed and a total of 34 people, including 10 women and 5 children, were injured. It was also noted that, since September 27 this year, as a result of heavy artillery and missile strikes by the Armenian armed forces on settlements outside the conflict and war zone of Azerbaijan 41 civilians were killed, 211 were injured and more than 1,200 private houses and civilian facilities were destroyed.
Chairman of the State Commission Ali Naghiyev also stated that the videos published and shared on social networks about the criminal actions of the Armenian military with the added insult of corpses of Azerbaijani servicemen testify to a serious violation of Articles 16 and 17 of the Geneva Convention. Despite Armenia's disregard for international humanitarian law, human rights, and the 1949 Geneva Conventions to which it is a party, the exchange of corpses and the release of captives and hostages have always been in the focus of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr Ilham Aliyev and the necessary instructions and tasks were given by the head of state.
In conclusion, the chairman of the Commission presented the facts of violation of international humanitarian law by Armenia to Ms Arian Bauer, and called on the ICRC to make an objective assessment of the violations of humanitarian law by Armenia.
Ms Arian Bauer stressed that the interaction between the ICRC and the State Commission was generally constructive and yielded concrete results, and expressed hope that effective cooperation would continue to develop.
The parties also exchanged views on other issues of interests and concerns at the meeting held in a spirit of mutual understanding.