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“This is just ridiculous, absurd and paradoxical for Armenia, that is incapable to assimilate the progressive values of humanity and the name of which is associated with the notions of occupation policy and state terrorism, to speak about the protection of human rights and freedoms”, the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of Azerbaijan, Ms. Sabina Aliyeva told APA.

Referring to the issue of readiness of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia to meet with his Azerbaijani counterpart and his comment regarding the necessity of “Ombudsman” of the so-called separatist regime participation in any discussions regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh”, Ms. Aliyeva stressed that such a statement is a direct disrespect for the international legal norms and principles, as well as the disregard for the principle of inviolability of territorial integrity and support for separatism.

She underlined, “Armenia has occupied 20 percent of the territories of Azerbaijan, realized ethnic cleansing policy, as a result of which over one million of our compatriots became refugees and internally displaced persons and encountered with humanitarian crisis. In addition to this, this occupant state committed Khojaly Genocide, which is one of the most horrible tragedies of the twentieth century, a crime against humanity, and among the bloodiest memories of the policy of aggression and genocide by Armenian nationalists against our people.

If the Ombudsman of Armenia is interested in human rights protection, he must recall these facts and have a look at the realities in question. The world community is aware of the fact that all fundamental rights of our compatriots, who were forced to leave their historical lands as a result of this occupation, including the right to life, property, education, suffrage (to municipalities) etc. have been severely violated. In general, crimes against humanity and Khojaly Genocide committed in the light of the ongoing military aggression by Armenia against Azerbaijan is a gross violation of international human rights and humanitarian law, particularly, Geneva Conventions of 1949, Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Convention on the Rights of the Child and European Convention on Human Rights. Therefore, sanctions must be imposed on Armenia that keeps the Azerbaijani territories under the occupation and committed numerous acts of genocide as a part of its policy of aggression, the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and violation of the fundamental rights of our refugee and IDP compatriots must be restored, as well as the perpetrators of the crimes where innocent people have been murdered must be brought to justice and punished as soon as possible.”

The Commissioner Sabina Aliyeva also added that if the Ombudsman of Armenia wants to discuss the issues on protection of human rights, first, the requirements of four UN Security Council Resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) should be immediately and unconditionally fulfilled, the Armenian armed forces should be withdrawn from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijanis, who became refugees and IDPs should be returned to their historical lands: “ Everyday, I receive many appeals from our compatriots, whose fundamental rights have been violated as a result of this occupation. They, at the same time, applied to the European Court of Human Rights in this regard. So, in this case, the idea of the Ombudsman of Armenia to talk about the protection of human rights in the historical territories of Azerbaijan is not just nonsense, but also an insult to humanity and attempt to deceive the international community.”

With regard to the statement of the Ombudsman of Armenia with regard to the participation of the “Ombudsman” of the separatist the regime in any discussions related to Nagorno-Karabakh, the Commissioner also noted: “So-called “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic” is a separatist regime based on the occupation and terror. It has no legal status and has not been recognized by the international community. Thus, therefore, it has no right to be engaged neither in the OSCE Minsk Group talks on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, nor in any discussions in this regard. The fiasco of the so-called “elections” recently held in the occupied region of Azerbaijan- Nagorno-Karabakh, and Armenia’s internationally unrecognized attempts to legitimize the so-called separatist regime should be a lesson to the occupants, also to the Armenian Human Rights Defender, who politically manipulates the legal issues and organizes cheap show with primitive methods.”

“Only after the occupation ends and the violated fundamental rights of our compatriots are restored, we can discuss the human rights with the Ombudsman of Armenia”, the Azerbaijani Commissioner added.

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