“Armenia rejects peace and chooses war” Canadian Azerbaijanis hold rally in Toronto

An information campaign of the Azerbaijani community was held in the Canadian city of Toronto, aimed at supporting the peaceful efforts of Azerbaijan.

During the action held at the famous Yonge and Dundas Square in the centre of Toronto and at the intersection of Yonge and Bloor, a corner called "Karabakh is Azerbaijan!" was created, Caliber.Az reports, citing the press service of the Azerbaijani State Committee for Work with Diaspora.

The corner contains photo materials with slogans such as "Azerbaijan wants peace and Armenia wants war", "Armenia rejects peace and chooses war", "Armenia, sign the peace agreement!", "Stop the illegal activities of Armenian separatists!", "Armenia, stop mining our lands! ", "Armenian mines kill civilians!", "Release Azerbaijani hostages!", "Demand justice for mine victims!", "Stop environmental terror by Armenia!", "We demand justice for the destruction of the ecological environment of Karabakh!" and so on.

The community activists handed out brochures to Toronto residents entitled "A Call for Urgent Action: Addressing Critical Issues in Azerbaijan", which reflect detailed information about Armenia's war and environmental crimes. The brochures say that as a result of Armenia's 30-year policy of conquest, the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan has turned into ruins and that the pressing problems left over from the 2020 war have not yet been resolved.

It was noted that the mines laid by the Armenian armed forces in the territories of Azerbaijan threaten people's lives. After the 2020 war, the number of mine victims in Azerbaijan reached 303 people and the refusal of official Iravan to provide accurate maps of minefields grossly violates human rights.

Moreover, the dissemination by the Armenian media of scattered evidence related to the mistreatment of Azerbaijanis is contrary to the III Geneva Convention, the community said, adding that several Azerbaijani soldiers taken hostage were subjected to physical and moral torture and insults.

It was emphasized that over 60,000 hectares of forest area were destroyed, the rivers were contaminated, and illicit gold and copper mining was taking place in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region.

Azerbaijan, which has proved its commitment to regional cooperation on the example of neighbouring Georgia, is trying to maintain sovereignty on its territory, including over transport and communication routes, in accordance with international law, and the Khankandi-Lachin road remains open, the community said

The Azerbaijani community called on the Canadian public and international organizations not to give in to Armenian speculations at this critical and important stage, to support Azerbaijan's peace-loving policy in practice and to assist in promoting constructive dialogue between the sides.