Hypocrisy amid state terrorist attacks Armenia neglects shelling of Ganja

An interesting article by Grigori Saiyan entitled “International convention on the prohibition of missile attacks on cities should be adopted” has been published in “Voice of Armenia” newspaper, financed by the former Karabakh clan, notorious for its rabid anti-Azerbaijani propaganda. In this article, the author noticed “parallels” in incidents in Karabakh, Israel and Palestine.

According to the article, “the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe during missile attacks on cities should be qualified as a deliberate mass destruction of the population as civilians mainly suffer during hostilities”.

Except for one point, such reasoning is logical and would even deserve approval. The paradox is that such a sermon is broadcast in the media of Armenia which for many years has been an aggressor and occupier, which has repeatedly attacked cities of a neighbouring country, killing innocent children, old people, and women.

The Armenian army used Smerch artillery rocket systems and Scud-B ballistic missiles to attack Azerbaijan’s Ganja, Barda, Mingachevir and Tartar cities. Therefore, it would be logical to apply this international convention banning missile strikes on cities as a method of mass murder of civilians to Armenia itself.

While mentioning the shelling of Ukrainian cities and the population in the Gaza Strip, the author states that all these illegal actions of the opposite side are not justified either from a legal or moral point of view. No one doubts that missile attacks on residential areas are a war crime for which any country that has flagrantly violated international law must be punished, regardless of its status in international relations or a position in regional politics.

However, not only the Armenian journalist, but also the international community is silent about Armenia’s war crimes against Azerbaijani civilians. Armenia killed Azerbaijani civilians and unfortunately, this has not been legally assessed at the international level yet. However, Baku has enough evidence regarding the criminal order of the Armenian military-political leadership and the leaders of the puppet regime which has been eliminated. Baku has already begun the process of holding the perpetrators of missile attacks accountable.

Thus, former leader of the separatists in Karabakh Arayik Harutyunyan who ordered to attack Azerbaijani cities, has already been prosecuted in accordance with Azerbaijani legislation. The rest Armenian former, incumbent officials and politicians who made criminal orders will be also prosecuted.

Saiyan and his colleagues should read the article published by the Norwegian Nyheter Idag (News Today) newspaper, which confirms Armenia’s brutal atrocities in 2020 against the Azerbaijani civilians. According to the newspaper, 98 Azerbaijani civilians were killed, 414 were wounded, more than 3,000 houses and 100 apartment buildings were destroyed or damaged during the 44-day second Karabakh war in 2020.

The article cites the words of director of the Europe and Central Asia Division at the Human Rights Watch humanitarian organization Hugh Williamson. Williamson stressed that Armenian forces have repeatedly launched various types of missiles, including unguided ones, and attacked the Azerbaijani cities and villages by using heavy artillery guns in violation of the laws of war.

“Civilians were killed and their houses were destroyed during the six-week war and this must be impartially investigated,” Williamson emphasised.

Without repenting to the Azerbaijani people, does Armenia dare to demand the adoption of an international convention banning missile attacks on cities? Is not this hypocrisy? Surely yes and this has not surprised Azerbaijan anymore.