Azerbaijan Awaiting Response On Fate Of 4K Missing Ones: Yet International Organisations Remain Silent

(MENAFN- AzerNews) Fatima Latifova Read more

August 30 is recognized by the UN as the International Day of the victims of Enforced Disappearances. The purpose of this day is to protect the rights of missing persons, seek information about their fate, and draw public attention to prevent such cases. It is essential to highlight the situation of up to 4,000 Azerbaijani citizens who went missing as a result of Armenian terror. Determining their fate is a serious humanitarian issue for both their families and the Azerbaijani government. The Armenian government continues to display its inhumane nature, as it did 30 years ago, by avoiding providing information about the missing Azerbaijanis.

Considering the Khojaly and Meshali massacres, it is evident that the Armenians did not humanely treat Azerbaijani prisoners as required in the International Human Rights Standards Protecting Prisoners. It is no coincidence that Armenia, which always plays victim before international institutions, does not want its past with full of crimes to come to light.

However, the testimonies of survivors who witnessed the horrors in Garabagh and the mass graves uncovered in areas liberated by the Azerbaijani army reveal the actions Armenians try to conceal. It has been repeatedly proven that Azerbaijanis were brutally tortured and killed in large numbers by Armenians. Yet, those guilty of crimes against humanity are not punished by the Armenian government and are even hailed as heroes.

Interestingly, while the global community remains silent about such genocide and crimes, it harshly condemns the anti-terror measures conducted by the Azerbaijan Army in 2023 and accuses Azerbaijan of "ethnic cleansing" against Armenians.

It should be noted that the Azerbaijani military did not fire a single bullet at the Armenians resettled in Azerbaijani territories, and the Azerbaijani police showed exceptional humanism towards Armenians returning to Armenia.

Rewinding history of 30 years

The winter season at night was the most favourable time for Armenian troops to attack civilians in Garabagh at a period when Azerbaijan was most vulnerable. Unarmed and often without proper clothing, people were targeted by Armenian militants and, at best, were shot without regard for women, children, or the elderly. Azerbaijani survivors who tried to hide in the forests faced even more terrifying fates, as ruthless Armenians waiting in the dark forests subjected them to various tortures and perhaps never to be heard from again.

The tragedies in Garabagh continued until 1 million Azerbaijanis became internally displaced persons. Those who survived would remain haunted by the horrors they witnessed for the rest of their lives, mourning the loss of family members. Nearly 4,000 Azerbaijanis remain missing to this day.

Letters, statements, and calls have been sent to international organisations repeatedly regarding this issue. But now, "human rights defenders" protecting Armenian rights ignore these facts.

Anti-terror measures left no injury of Armenian civilians

Armenian provocations that continued with intensity until 2020 were suppressed by counter-offensive operations of the Azerbaijani Army. In just 44 days, Garabagh was liberated from Armenian occupation. In September 2023, separatist elements in the region were neutralised.

Despite all the provocations, Azerbaijan did not stop its humanism - on the contrary, it offered citizenship to the Armenians who remained in Karabakh. However, it was up to Yerevan to decide not to accept it, which insisted on their return to Armenia.

Photos from that moment, especially in the picture where an Azerbaijani police officer politely treats Armenians, prove that no operation of "ethnic cleansing" was conducted.

However, some international organisations, pro-Armenian elements within the European Union, and the Armenian lobby established in the US continue to cover up Armenia's criminal history and make baseless accusations against Azerbaijan.

It should be reiterated that the fate of nearly 4,000 Azerbaijanis remains unknown today. Information about their current status, whether alive or killed, is still being withheld. Families are waiting for the bodies of their loved ones so they can at least give them a proper burial. Today, Azerbaijan continues to demand justice for the missing Azerbaijanis, while the public continues to support the fabricated Armenian genocide narrative.

Azerbaijan, while accepting the principles and values of existing international legal documents that regulate or prohibit the use of mines and cluster munitions, including the "Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction" (the "Ottawa Convention") and the "Convention on Cluster Munitions" (the "Oslo Convention"), simultaneously encourages everyone, including official institutions and political circles that seek to defend Armenia, to take steps towards the official adherence to these laws.

Why are the maps of the Armenian landmines, which are still hidden underground in Garabagh and recognised as the most dangerous enemy that continues to claim lives, not being handed over to Azerbaijan? At the same time, the lack of serious influence from international organisations on this matter remains evident. For 30 years, Armenia polluted Azerbaijani territories with mines, and during the Patriotic War, the rockets it fired on the cities of Ganja and Barda, along with the resulting civilian deaths, did not concern anyone. Unfortunately, it still doesn't. Yet, many organisations supporting Armenia shamelessly continue to use the term "ethnic cleansing" in their false statements about Garabagh.

It is evident that the defence of human rights is carried out merely according to the political interests of certain countries. The crimes that were committed against Azerbaijanis, the nation of a country situated in one of the world's most strategically important location, and the Armenia's ignorance of international law, continue to be overlooked. Despite being the aggressor, the Armenian government portrays itself as the victim. However, Azerbaijan will no longer tolerate this disrespect and injustice. In this case, the steps taken by the pro-Armenian politicians, who exchanged their honor and identity for a bribe, will remain useless.

The main thing is that Azerbaijan will be able to fight to the end to make the organizations that have witnessed these crimes and are silent one day speak out.

MENAFN30082024000195011045ID1108620454