Islamabad: (Parliament Times) Expressing his country’s serious concerns over the killing of innocent civilians by the Armenian armed forces Hikmat Hajiyev, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has said that targeting innocent and unarmed civilians proves the “terrorist nature†of the state of Armenia.
Commenting on the situation Hikmat Hajiyev said, “These provocations of armed forces of Armenia, killing of elderly woman and her 2-years old granddaughter and wounding of another civilian and damaging of civilian objects is nothing other than the act of vandalism and once again proves the terrorist nature of the state of Armeniaâ€.
He said that as a result of targeted and deliberate attacking of civilians and civilian objects of the Alkhanlivillage of Fizuli region of Azerbaijan by armed forces of Armenia with 82 and 120 mm mortars and heavy grenade launchers Guliyeva Sahiba (born in 1967) and her 2 years old granddaughter Guliyeva Zahra were killed.
“Another civilian Guliyeva Sarvinaz (born in 1965) was wounded and civilian objects sustained damagesâ€, he said. Expressing his heartfelt condolences to the families and relatives of victims the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan wished speedy recovery to the wounded.
He said, “Armenia has been conducting systematic, deliberate and targeted attacks on civilian population encompassing inter alia women, children and elderly residing in the densely populated areas adjacent to the frontline [border area]â€.
“Armenia’s direct and deliberate attacks against the Azerbaijani civilian population and civilian objects, constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, in particular the 1949 Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol I thereto, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedomsâ€, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan said.
“After the visit of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to the region, when Co-Chairs and the international organizations call for changing the status quo of occupation by substantive and serious negotiations, Armenia resorts to baseless and nefarious provocations aimed at deliberate and targeted killing of civilians, including childrenâ€, he noted.
Azerbaijan he said has repeatedly brought to the attention of the international community that the primary reason of the tension and incidents in the frontline and major impediment to the resolution of the conflict is the unlawful presence of the armed forces of Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
“Response of Armenia’s political-military leadership to the calls of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the international organizations to re-engage in substantive talks for resolution of the conflict by brutal killing and wounding of civilians once again demonstrates the necessity that the Co-Chairs must demand from Armenia to withdraw its troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in accordance with the norms and principles of international law and relevant decisions and resolutions of the international organizations and change the status quo of occupationâ€, Hikmat Hajiyev, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan said in his statement that is available at MFA website.
The responsibility for the current situation, he said, completely falls on the political-military leadership of Armenia.
