Armenia’s chief prosecutor presents data on involvement of terrorist militants in Artsakh hostilities to int'l partners

Armenia's Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan, in addition to the letters dated 7 October 2020, turned to the prosecutors general of the CIS member states, the prosecutor general of Iran, the chairman of the Consultative Council of European Prosecutors and the partners of the prosecutor's offices of the CoE member states informing about the facts of gross violations of fundamental human and humanitarian rights, targeting of peaceful civilians and settlements with the use of weapons prohibited by international conventions, displacement of many people, torture of many captives, prisoners of war as well as the bodies of dead soldiers committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces during the hostilities unleashed against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and Armenia since September 27.

The chief prosecutor expressed his deep concern over Turkey's direct involvement in the aggression carried out by Azerbaijan, as well as over the recruitment of foreign terrorists by the latter and involvement of them in the hostilities by the Azerbaijani military, which apart from deepening the conflict pose a serious threat for regional and international security, Davtyan’s office reported.

Noting that a criminal case on the fact of international terrorism has been initiated by the competent authorities of Armenia, Artur Davtyan informed that the involvement of mercenaries of terrorist groups by Turkey in the hostilities was confirmed by evidence and factual data obtained in the course of the preliminary investigation of the criminal case, adding that according to the information received from open sources the process of transferring new terrorist groups to the conflict zone continues.

Davtyan drew the attention of his partners to the fact that the silence and indifference maintained by the international community and the competent bodies of the respective countries towards these facts are considered by Azerbaijan and Turkey as a permit to continue the aggression started in violation of international law. The latter not only leads to the continuation of the unleashed aggressive war, but also threatens to turn the region into one of the main hotbeds of international terrorism.

Attached to the letters were presented data available to the competent Armenian authorities on the involvement of terrorists in hostilities.

With reference to the subject mentioned above, the prosecutor general proposed to deepen the cooperation in the fight against international terrorism in the region, both in bilateral and multilateral formats, conveying the readiness of the Republic of Armenia to support it by all possible means.