Armenia's war crimes and the pursuit of justice in Azerbaijan Opinion by Taras Kuzio

Armenia has committed a number of war crimes against Azerbaijani civilians and prisoners of war, according to an article by Ukrainian political scientist Taras Kuzio published on the Eurasia Review website.

Caliber.Az quotes excerpts from the article.

"Armenia has pursued a policy of cultural genocide on a fifth of Azerbaijani territory, which it has illegally occupied for almost three decades," the political scientist writes.

The Armenian war crimes are to aspire to a "Greater Armenia" by occupying Azerbaijani lands, but Azerbaijan has put an end to Armenian ambitions.

In his article, the political scientist divides Armenia's war crimes against Azerbaijanis into several categories:

"Ethnic cleansing: three quarters of a million Azerbaijanis were forced to leave their homes during the First Karabakh War. One million people became internally displaced persons (IDPs) or refugees.

Children: of the 3,888 Azerbaijanis missing during the First Karabakh War, 71 children are presumed dead. Other children were killed during Armenian attacks on villages.

Extrajudicial executions: of the 3,888 Azerbaijanis missing, 3,170 were soldiers and 718 civilians. In 1992, over 600 civilians were killed in Khojaly.

Looting: Armenian troops looted occupied territories and stolen goods were taken to Armenia.

Cultural eradication: the Armenian occupation was aimed at destroying Azerbaijani national identity. Libraries, archives, museums, historical monuments, mosques, churches and homes were attacked and destroyed.

Mines: Karabakh is the most mined region in the world. These mines threaten the lives of returning IDPs and refugees and hinder economic revitalization. The demining process will take decades and require large public expenditures".

Armenia recently joined the ICC knowing that its crimes committed in the First Karabakh War could not be investigated. If the ICC had jurisdiction over war crimes committed in the First Karabakh War, former presidents and other Armenian nationalists from the Karabakh clan, which has dominated independent Armenia, would have been issued with arrest warrants. 

"Western governments and international organizations ignore the war crimes of Armenians against Azerbaijanis. The West's double standards regarding crimes committed against Muslim peoples are immoral; human rights are inviolable and international law should be applied to all countries," concludes Taras Kuzio.