HRC 57th Session: Item 5. General Debate

02 October, 2024

Delivered by Ms. Nelli Petrosyan, Human Rights Officer

President,

The Treaty Bodies and Special Procedures are indispensable instruments of the UN human rights machinery’s early warning capacity. The effective cooperation with them greatly contributes to further enhancement of promotion and protection of human rights and prevention efforts. Armenia emphasizes the importance of constructive engagement with the human rights bodies and mechanisms to this end.

It is unfortunate when the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the UN human rights machinery do not receive the required attention and follow up actions, including in the cases of recorded patterns of violations. We have such a notorious case in our region and we are aware that the continuous negligence to the reports and communications and persistent non-compliance with the concerns contained therein can stand as serious early warning signs for the grave violations of human rights, risking further abuses of international law.

Moreover, Armenia is gravely concerned about intimidation and reprisals against the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, especially those who report about the atrocities in conflict situations. Any attempts to attack or silence them only further demonstrate the perpetrators’ intent to commit new crimes.

I thank you

President,

Armenia exercises its right of reply to Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan committed widespread atrocities during its unjustified and unprovoked aggressions against Nagorno-Karabakh and the Republic of Armenia.

The UN Committee Against Torture (CAT) expressed deep concern regarding “reports of severe and grave violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law committed by Azerbaijani military forces against prisoners of war and other protected persons of Armenian ethnic or national origin, including extrajudicial killings, torture and other ill-treatment, and the recording and dissemination of videos that appear to depict horrifying acts involving beheadings of living individuals, the desecration and mutilation of corpses and acknowledgment on camera by the perpetrators of responsibility for such abuses in a manner that strongly suggests that they did not fear being held accountable.”

Human Rights Watch reported that "scores of videos showing Azerbaijani officers apparently ill-treating Armenian prisoners of war have been posted on social media."

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights described one video, depicting the extrajudicial execution of two detained Armenians, as amounting to war crime. Additionally, five UN Special Procedure Mandate Holders highlighted another video showing the execution of at least eight unarmed Armenian prisoners of war.

Amnesty International reported that “older people who stayed behind in towns or villages were arbitrarily detained,” and “many faced torture or other ill-treatment in detention.”.

Despite these egregious acts, no one has been charged in Azerbaijan for what the UN CERD has labeled "severe and grave human rights violations." The Committee recommended that Azerbaijan "ensure accountability and end impunity" for these crimes. It also expressed "deep concern" that Armenian prisoners of war and protected persons have been subjected to "arbitrary detention." The UN CAT echoed this sentiment, particularly regarding the ongoing detention of 23 Armenians in Azerbaijan.

The European Parliament has demanded "the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian prisoners" and urged Azerbaijan to "refrain from making arbitrary detentions in the future." The U.S. State Department has found that Azerbaijan “prosecuted detained Armenian civilians and servicemen in public trials that lacked elements of due process.”

This was done in violation of the ICJ order to “ensure their security and equality before the law.”

In the absence of independent national human rights institutions, Azerbaijan continues to use mock trials and prolonged imprisonments as a tools of blackmail.

Thank you.

MFA RA
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