The International Foundation for Sustainable Peace and Development (IFSPD) expresses its deep concern over the deteriorating situation in the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan as a result of shelling by the armed forces of Armenia in the direction of the Tovuz district of Azerbaijan on July 12, 2020. Of particular concern is the number of civilians among the victims of the shelling, and the damage to civilian infrastructure.
We strongly condemn both the deliberate targeting of civilians and their deaths as a result of the indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force by Armenia, which is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and Additional Protocol 1 thereto, The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Perpetrators should not escape accountability for committed crimes. All parties to an armed conflict have corresponding obligations and responsibilities under the international law, including international contingents intended to facilitate the peaceful resolution of a conflict.
We call upon the parties to the conflict to make maximum efforts to de-escalate the situation and continue the search for a peaceful solution to the conflict on the basis of the universally recognized principles and norms of international law, as well as United Nations Security Council resolutions № 822, 853, 874 and 884, adopted in 1993.
We also underline the importance of the document №717 “Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan” presented on July 13, 2020 to the House of Commons of the UK Parliament, as well as the importance of amendments adopted by the House of Representatives of the US Congress on July 21, 2020, confirming the occupation of the Azerbaijan’s territories.
The International Foundation for Sustainable Peace and Development (IFSPD) advocates the settlement of the situation on the basis of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders.