The Milli Majlis has sent letters to Heads of Inter-Parliamentary Relations Working Groups and Chairs of International Committees of overseas Parliaments as well as to the International Parliamentary Organisations concerning the current court trials in Azerbaijan of the persons charged with war crimes.

It is indicated in the letters that Azerbaijan is facing an unfounded smear campaign intended as an attempt to undermine the trial of several individuals accused of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, military aggression, acts of genocide, torture and other grave crimes as part of Armenia’s 30-year-long military aggression against Azerbaijan.

The false allegations regarding the matter in hand aim to call into question the legitimacy of the trials; the war criminals are called ‘prisoners of war’ and their release are called for – either through a lack of knowledge or deliberate ignorance of substance and gravity of the situation.

The crimes against the Azerbaijani state and people of which the defendants are suspected are brought to the attention of the recipients of the letters. It is emphasised that individuals who currently stand trial in Azerbaijan, are among those who planned and executed the military aggression against, and the occupation of Azerbaijani territories and perpetrated war crimes and crimes against humanity. Not a single person in Armenia has so far been brought to account for those war crimes and crimes against humanity. On the contrary, Armenia continues painting those criminals as heroes, the letters stress. During the investigation, significant facts were revealed concerning the responsibility of Armenia and its military-political leadership for military aggression and occupation.

Furthermore, the letters state that despite unfounded allegations by some politicians, parliamentarians and media representatives, the right of these individuals to have an attorney is ensured, they have never complained of any ill-treatment and the judicial proceedings are conducted in a transparent manner.

In the end, it is emphasised that those who speak against the fair trial of war criminals in Azerbaijan openly support ethnic cleansing, occupation and aggression. There is no peace without justice, and justice can only prevail if the impunity is ended.

The 2019 ‘Report on War Crimes in the Occupied Territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia’s Responsibility’, published as an official document of the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council (A/74/676 – S/2020/90) and detailing the information on war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by Armenian during its occupation of Azerbaijani territories, is also attended to the letters. (https://www.mfa.gov.az/files/report-on-the-war-crimes-in-the-occupied-territories-of-the-republic-of-azerbaijan-and-the-republic-of-armenias-responsibility.pdf).