Armenian mine terror and propaganda Charents’ words ring true

The evidence that Armenian propaganda has far surpassed even Goebbels in cynicism and immorality is overwhelming. We received another confirmation of this undeniable fact on August 2, when mines planted by the Armenian side exploded in the village of Gizilhajili in the Gazakh region. This area had been returned to Azerbaijan under the border delimitation agreement of April 19, 2024.

According to a joint statement from the General Prosecutor’s Office, the State Border Service (SBS), and the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA), an anti-personnel mine explosion resulted in injuries to SBS Warrant Officer Khayal Ahadli and ANAMA employee Afig Mehdizade, both in their feet. Additionally, ANAMA staff members Elchin Alekperov and Yaver Mirzayev sustained shrapnel injuries. The incident occurred during a mine clearance operation.

It seems clear that this incident is another example of Azerbaijanis falling victim to mine terror, a signature of modern Armenia. Yet, Armenian media, following directives from their authorities, have claimed that "this involves a former section of the border where mines were laid by both sides." They then feign outrage, suggesting that "Azerbaijan is now portraying these as 'mines planted by Armenia' and using the incident to provoke and accuse." The immorality of Armenian media representatives is truly boundless.

Such situations highlight how right Armenian poet Yeghishe Charents was when he wrote about his countrymen: "…hypocrisy is manifested in the womb of the mother." How else can one interpret the primitive, vile, and immoral justifications for these blatant crimes by the Armenian side? It is evident that this is another attempt to shift the blame from a sick head to a healthy one.

Moreover, the Armenian side offers no substantive arguments to support its claims. For instance, they do not explain how any Armenians might have been injured in the village of Gizilhajili in the Gazakh region, a scenario that should align with the false "logic" of Armenian propaganda. This fact alone reveals the crude nature of the Armenian media's deception.

This is further evidenced by the statistics released by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to their data, by the end of the 44-day war, mine explosions had resulted in a total of 376 casualties, including 69 fatalities. Since the onset of Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan, over 3,400 Azerbaijani citizens have been affected by mines, including 358 children and 38 women. These figures were highlighted in Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s address at the International Conference held in May in Zangilan on "Mitigating Environmental Impact of Landmines: Resource Mobilization for Safe and Green Future."

Since then, this tragic list of victims of Armenian mine terror has continued to grow. According to the deceitful and twisted “logic” of Armenian propaganda, Azerbaijan would somehow be to blame for all of this. I wouldn't be surprised if such an accusation were to emerge from the Armenian side. The reality is that the current Armenian leadership is personally responsible for the high number of mine terror victims. In this context, it is relevant to recall a statement made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the recent Second Shusha Global Media Forum. The President noted that the mine maps provided by Armenia to Azerbaijan were entirely useless and inaccurate. “In the beginning, when we asked them to provide us with the maps of mines, they said they didn't have them; their prime minister told me this. But then they had to acknowledge that they did have them. But what they gave us is absolutely useless,” President Ilham Aliyev stated during his speech in Shusha.

This is a truth that even Armenian propagandists, despite their lack of principles, cannot refute. As the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs rightly points out, the increasing number of victims underscores the urgent need for the international community to take effective action against this threat. The first step in this process should have been the imposition of sanctions on Armenia. Armenia has earned this due to its policy of mine terror and its prolonged occupation of 20% of Azerbaijani territory for over a quarter of a century.

Akbar Hasanov