Political

Chairman of the Legal Analysis and Research Public Union Ramil İsgandarli has appealed to the International Confederation of Red Cross, UN, OSCE, EU. COE and other international organizations and celebrities, clients of the international companies using products made out of resources in the occupied area of Azerbaijan by Armenia, APA reports.

The appeal reads: "Since the beginning of the conflict at the end of the 1980s and its escalation into the full-fledged war in the beginning of 1990s, Armenia has embarked on a policy of conducting illegal economic activity and unlawful exploration of the natural resources in occupied territories, through the creation of settlements and other illegal activities in the occupied territories.

In 1993, the UN Security Council adopted resolutions 822 (1993), 853 (1993), 874 (1993) and 884 (1993), condemning the use of force against Azerbaijan and occupation of its territories and reaffirming the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the inviolability of its internationally recognized borders. In those resolutions, the Security Council reaffirmed that the Nagorno-Karabakh region is part of Azerbaijan and demanded immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces from all the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

The documents of international organizations also make explicit reference to serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law committed during the conflict.

Ruthless exploitation of gold, silver and other resources in Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia is a part of its war against Azerbaijan going for 30 years.

According to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry published a report called "Illegal economic and other activities in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan” of 2016, that situation particularly brings into operation the law of occupation which is essentially laid down in three instruments, being the Regulations annexed to Hague Convention IV, Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land 1907 (“the Hague Regulations”); Geneva Convention IV on the Protection of Civilians in Time of War 1949 (“Geneva Convention IV”) and Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts 1977 (“Additional Protocol I”).

However, illegal settlements and economic activities, in occupied areas of Azerbaijan, also constitutes a breach of UN Resolution of 2005 about “the Situation in occupied territories of Azerbaijan”, as well as Resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 24 March 2016. The fact of existence of illegal settlements in 7 rayons occupied by Armenian along with the Nagorno Karabakh is officially proved by the Report of the OSCE Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) to the Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan Surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) of 2005.

One of the most famous international watch brand which “benefits” from illegal exploration of gold resources in Karabakh is the “Frank Muller Group”. Co-founder and CEO of the Franck Muller Group, Vartan Sirmakes was born in Istanbul in 1956, in a family of Armenian jewelers. Vartan Sirmakes is one of the most active investors to Armenia and occupied Nagorno Karabakh, controlled by the separatist Armenian regime. As it was reported by Hetq.am in 2014 Vartan Sirmakes, chairman and co-owner of luxury watch brand Franck Muller, was planning to finance the “Hin Yerevan” (Old Yerevan) construction project slated for downtown Yerevan that is estimated to cost between US$120-130 million.

In 2015 it was reported that Sirmakes is the investor behind the black caviar production company Golden Fish in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh.

According to the Azerbaijan's State Agency for Management of Mineral Resource, “Gold, silver, copper, molybdenum, mercury deposits prevail in the territories of Kalbajar, Lachin, Tartar, Aghdam, iron and chromium deposits cover the territory of Jabrayil, Kalbajar, Lachin, sulfur deposits are located in the territories of Tartar, Kalbajar, Aghdam, Fizuli and Jabrayil districts. Moreover, illegal prospecting and mining of deposits of gravel, sand, clay and other minerals are conducted in the districts.”

We appeal to international organizations and foreign companies and celebrities, to immediately stop using products made out of illegal activities in the occupied territories."

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