DELAYED DEATH

Fifteenfifteen armenian saboteurs handed over to Armenia in exchange for maps of mine fields showing 97,000 (!) anti-tank and anti-personnel mines in the Aghdam district of Azerbaijan. Needless to say, Azerbaijan made this step, with the participation of the Georgian government, the US Secretary of State, President of the EU Council and the Swedish chairmanship of the OSCE, to save the lives of tens of thousands Azerbaijani nationals. So that no one else suffers the fate of the Azerbaijani journalists who became victims of mines in the Kelbajar district of Azerbaijan: cameraman of state-run AzTV channel Siraj Abishov, an employee of the Azerbaijan State News Agency (AzerTAG) Maharram Ibrahimov and the Deputy Chairman of Executive Power in the Susuzlug rural administrative-territorial district of Kelbajar.

No way!

People should not die after the war. When they are young, when the lives of their young children break down with the death of their parents. When they should live. When they are buried by their parents, when they are the agents of truth, when they are honest and carry out a noble mission. Painfully. Endless ‘whys’ are haunting. We didn’t start this war, we didn’t demanded someone else’s property, we didn’t destroy religious temples and entire cities, we didn’t kill the innocent, we didn’t drive people barefoot on the frozen ground, we didn’t sow the fields with mines for future use. It was not we! Is it fair? What is the working mechanism of justice? Why doesn't it work when it comes to tragedies in Azerbaijan and their real evidence? But this is not the first time we bury the victims of Garabagh, including media representatives. And how many more will the war take away? The tragedy in Kelbajr is one more proof of the international connivance at the criminal actions of Armenia. Do the numerous legal organizations of the world lack the political weight to call the authorities of Armenia to account with real sanctions? Not for the sake of expressing "deep concern" about the death of people? Why does PACE hold discussions on the Armenian saboteurs arrested in Azerbaijan after the end of the war, include this issue on the agenda together with various calls for Azerbaijan to hand them over to Armenia, but it does not say a word about the death of Azerbaijani journalists? While Azerbaijan submits a second interstate complaint to the ECHR in connection with Armenia's refusal to provide maps of minefields and unexploded weapons, the European Court refuses to consider Azerbaijan's appeal as a separate complaint and annexes it to the existing one. Without relying on the conscience and objectivity of international legal organizations, we are solving the issue of minefield maps by exchanging 15 prisoners of war for a guarantee of finding 97,000 deadly mines scattered all over the Aghdam district.

Third place in CIS

“Unfortunately, the calls of Azerbaijan to the OSCE Minsk Group member states, as well as to various international organizations to put pressure on Armenia to provide the maps of minefields were ineffective. International NGOs, positioning themselves as advocates of journalist rights, are still silent," First Vice President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva. 

Does the war end after the end of hostilities? No! Mines of various calibre continue to do their dirty work. Mostly civilians suffer from mine explosions, with children often becoming victims. The long-term legacy of inhuman mine activities is death, injury, human suffering. Exploding ammunition kills and incapacitates not only those who step on landmines, but also those who are nearby. Victims and their families have to live an incomplete life and constantly struggle with the bitter consequences of the incident. The mine danger makes huge areas of fertile land unusable, prevents the forced migrants from returning to their homes. Many countries, like Azerbaijan, have been suffering the consequences of landmines for decades. According to UN statistics, the earth's surface contains, according to various estimates, from 100 to 120 million units of various mines. All of them remain active from the past military conflicts. According to the same statistics, every month these mines kill or injure 500-800 people in the world, with every third victim being a child. Azerbaijan is no exception. Since 1992, 3,000 people have suffered from mines in our country, with 500 of them died. After the de-occupation of Azerbaijani territories in 2020 and the end of the war, more than 140 people stepped on mines planted by the Armenian occupiers, with 27 killed. Among the countries of Southern Caucasus, Azerbaijan accounts for the largest number of people affected by mine explosions. Thus, Azerbaijan, after Russia and Ukraine, ranks third among the CIS countries. But, apparently, these indicators are nothing for international legal organizations. After all, these tragedies happen in Azerbaijan. Accordingly, there is no adequate assessment of these incidents. We can imagine what scandal would have taken place all over the world if at least one European citizen had become a victim of a mine. 

"Responsibility for the death of the innocent people completely rests on military-political leadership of Armenia,” First Vice President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva. 

Being in a state of conflict and having a mine danger zone, Baku did not sign the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on their Destruction. But the Azerbaijani authorities have always demonstrated their support for the ideas of the convention, which was demonstrated by the establishment of the National Agency for Mine Clearance (ANAMA) in 1998 (now the Agency for Mine Action of the Republic of Azerbaijan) – a body under the Mine Action Program, which is a joint project of the Government of Azerbaijan and UNDP. Moreover, the demining of territories is an expensive process. Every year, donors represented by international financial institutions and developed countries (the United States being the largest donor) provide huge funds for mine clearance, but they are not enough for all countries. Part of the funds is also allocated by Azerbaijan. It also voluntarily submits an annual mine situation report to the International Campaign to Ban Anti-Personnel Mines. This testifies to the programs carried out by Azerbaijan as part of humanitarian mine action. In March 2021, ANAMA and UNDP signed a cooperation agreement to clear mines from the Daghlig Garabagh conflict zone. Thus, UNDP and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund will allocate $1 million for this program. UNDP staff will provide Azerbaijan with technical support, the necessary equipment, assistance in training sapper teams, and rebuild the infrastructure destroyed during the conflict. Azerbaijani sappers, ANAMA employees are among the best specialists in the world. Over the past 20 years, ANAMA and UNDP have jointly eliminated more than 800,000 mines and other explosive objects. After a 44-day war, demining operations were launched in the liberated areas. Cleaning of houses and yards continues in Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Zangilan, Gubadli, Aghdam, Terter, Khojavend districts, as well as in Shusha. Almost 2,051 hectares of territory have been cleared. During the operations, 18,648 mines and unexploded ordnance were found and cleared. Demining works have been completed at 16 sites. 10 km of the Sugovushan highway, the territory hosting the power lines Fuzuli-Hadrut and Fuzuli-Shusha. Currently, operations are under way on 19 projects, including roads and railways. In particular, the Barda-Agdam railway, the Fuzuli-Zangilan power line. The cleaning of the Fuzuli-Shusha highway is underway. The Victory Road was cleaned and put into operation.

What is Armenia doing?

All these years, it’s been ‘sowing’ the Azerbaijani lands with mines and after the de-occupation, continues to speculate with the issue of minefield maps and saboteurs, claiming that they are prisoners of war. Moreover, after the exchange, the third President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, made an even worse statement as part of his election campaign to get pre-election points from his voters. He believes that more Armenian prisoners could be returned for the maps of minefields handed over to Azerbaijan. 

“These territories have been mined for 30 years. Can you imagine how valuable these maps are? There are a number of questions. Why only 15 people? These maps gave more options than returning 15 captured soldiers and officers,” The third president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan. 

Apparently, this is what Armenia should be proud of in the last 30 years of its existence as an independent country, instead of rebuilding its economy, ensuring well-being of its citizens and developing a productive and peaceful foreign policy. Mining of Azerbaijani lands (!), being a criminal and murderer of Azerbaijani children. Sargsyan was directly involved in the killing of civilians in Azerbaijan during the First Garabagh war. As the saying goes, what you sow is what you reap.

For the past 30 years, Armenia has been a country that, for self-explanatory reasons, has not signed the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction. However, in 2000, it signed a UN General Assembly resolution calling for all countries to support a universal ban on antipersonnel mines. Quite a strange logic for a country that leaves behind lands full of with deadly ammunition. It is not the first time that Armenia has demonstrated that the norms of international law are empty words for it. For 30 years, the Armenian occupants, using this passive form of armed conflict, believed that mines would save them from the offensive of the Azerbaijani army. But the mines did not stop us. However, judging by the latest events and actions of the ECHR, the political leadership of Armenia finds full support for its antihuman actions by international institutions, which seemingly support the prohibition of the use of various mines in armed conflicts, but turn a blind eye to the death of Azerbaijanis killed by the same weapon. 

“As to the death of two Azerbaijani journalists as a result of mine explosion in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, I express my deep concern and regret. The tragic death of Maharram Ibrahimov and Siraj Abishov is terrible news. My deepest condolences to their relatives and colleagues. Law enforcement authorities launched an investigation into the case. I hope it will ensure full responsibility for the death of journalists,” OSCE Representative on Freedom of Media Teresa Ribeiro. 

Ms. Ribeiro’s deep concern shows that Armenian actions were not condemned or sharply criticised. 

“Mine explosion in Kelbajar, which killed three people, including two journalists, and injured several others, urges the clearance of areas affected by the conflict, including through international cooperation," Dunja Mijatovic, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe. 

Again, not a word about Armenia, its condemnation or any sanctions against the country, no pressure by the international community. 

"Anti-personnel mines continue to pose a threat to a peaceful population in the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from the Armenian occupation. The explosion killed three civilians near Kelbajar of Azerbaijan. It is disturbing that the mine was likely planted recently against civilians. Mines pose a constant threat to civilians and hinder efforts to post-conflict reconstruction," Georgy Gogia, Deputy Director of the Europe and Central Asia Department of Human Rights Watch. 

But even in this more specific statement there is not a single word condemning Armenia.

“I am shocked by the tragic death of two Azerbaijani journalists Siraj Abishov and Maharram Ibrahimov as a result of a mine explosion in Kelbajar. I condemn the death of Azerbaijani journalists. Journalists should be able to pursue their professional activities without risking their personal safety," Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay. 

Yes, journalists should be able to carry out their professional activities without risking their lives, but, unfortunately, the superficial attitude of international organizations to Armenia's inhuman actions creates a precedent of impunity. What is bad for one is normal for another. All these statements are made just for record and only support the Armenian terrorism, raised to the rank of state policy.

Ironically, recently, on 4 April, the UN Secretary General António Guterres made a statement on the occasion of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. Guterres urged states that had not yet acceded to the convention to do so immediately. He noted that landmines, explosive remnants of war, and improvised explosive devices disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, internally displaced persons, disadvantaged people and children. They impede peace, impede the delivery of humanitarian assistance and constitute an obstacle to inclusive sustainable development. 

“Unfortunately, sometimes we see how easy it is to revert the progress we have made in mine clearance. However, information and educational work and campaigns to ensure awareness of the dangers of landmines is not the only thing we should do. The UN Charter obliges us to complete this work: to survey and de-mine territories and destroy these deadly devices. Let's make this decade the last decade when we have to devote our efforts to solving this problem," UN Secretary General António Guterres. 

French Ambassador to Azerbaijan Zachary Gross made a similar appeal: "Since the war is over and a lot of work on demining has begun, it would be nice if Armenia and Azerbaijan have acceded to the Ottawa Convention on the Prevention of Accumulation, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction.” 

Even without joining the convention, Azerbaijan has been clearing landmines for the past 30 years - a problem imposed on the country. But our humanitarian mission should be adequately perceived and supported by the world community, while calls to condemn the inhuman actions of the political leadership of Armenia should not remain unanswered and rejected. And only in this case it will be possible to say that representatives of international legal organizations go beyond just protocol statements.

Currently, the largest number of mines in the world is believed to be in Afghanistan, but there are also a lot of them in Cambodia, Laos, Bosnia and Angola.

In addition, landmines are still used in hot spots such as Myanmar, Libya and Syria, including by groups like ISIS. In 2015, the number of victims of antipersonnel mines in member states to the convention was as follows: Afghanistan - 1310, Yemen - 988, Ukraine - 589, Colombia - 221, Mali - 167, Cambodia - 111, Sudan - 104 people. Now imagine that Azerbaijan is on this list too. In just seven months since the end of the war, more than 140 people stepped on deadly mines in Azerbaijan.