HRC 54st Session Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non- recurrence

13 September, 2023

President,

Armenia warmly welcomes SR Fabian Salvioli and thanks for the reports.

We commend the SR for his participation and contribution to the Fourth Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide convened in Armenia.

We concur with the SR that States have the obligation to ensure that perpetrators of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law are prosecuted. Failure to do so leads to impunity.

We further agree that a breach of these obligations may not be justified by the invocation of provisions of internal law. Amnesty provisions and other rules aimed at impeding prosecutions for grave human rights violations are contrary to international law.

We would like to draw your attention that this is exactly the situation in Azerbaijan, which grossly breached the IHL and IHRL during and after the invasions in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. These include extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances, arbitrary detentions of PoWs, torture, blockade and other violations that are well documented, including by the Special Procedure Mandate Holders.

No one has been prosecuted for these crimes in Azerbaijan. No one investigates the fate of around 1000 missing persons and mass graves. On the contrary, Azerbaijan announced an amnesty for all those who participated in the wars against Nagorno-Karabakh conveniently putting to rest even theoretical possibilities for accountability.

Thank you.

MFA RA
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