Armenia on Sunday accused Azerbaijan of committing war crimes after footage surfaced on social media showing Azerbaijani soldiers executing Armenian prisoners of war (POW). Armenian authorities have demanded an international investigation into the incident and urged the global community to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan for violating international law.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that the video was not the first instance where Azerbaijani soldiers have been seen killing captured Armenian troops. It noted that Azerbaijani social media users regularly post videos that show their forces committing extrajudicial killings and torture against Armenian prisoners of war, servicemen, and women. There have also been multiple reports of the desecration of corpses.
#Armenia demands clear assessment of appalling #warcrimes committed by #Azerbaijan & will consistently voice issue in relevant intl platforms & courts & bring to justice perpetrators & organizers of above-mentioned crimes, including by application of intl sanctions. pic.twitter.com/j4lovRMmLd
— Ararat Mirzoyan (@AraratMirzoyan) October 2, 2022
“Armenia demands a clear assessment of the appalling war crimes committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces in this and previous periods,” the ministry said. It also called for the “application of international sanctions” and an “international investigation” into the matter, saying, “The international community is obliged to increase pressure on Azerbaijan for the immediate repatriation of all Armenian prisoners of war and civilians illegally held in Azerbaijan.”
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the incident “horrific” and said that the “war crime” occurred on Armenian territory. “Armenia will use all available international mechanisms to ensure investigation and accountability,” he tweeted.
Armenia will use all available international mechanisms to ensure investigation and accountability. Such acts of violence should be addressed properly, with consequences for the aggressor.
— Nikol Pashinyan (@NikolPashinyan) October 2, 2022
On Saturday, a video began circulating on social media that allegedly shows Azerbaijani troops killing captured Armenian soldiers. Armenian authorities quickly condemned the incident and blamed Azerbaijan. The Armenian Defence Ministry said the video is “undoubtedly authentic,” and the video is still being analysed to find out the location and time of the killings.
“In terms of authenticity, we believe there is no doubt, this is the typical signature of the Azerbaijani armed forces. This signature is known to us and the international community from the undeniable evidence of similar cases that happened in the past as well,” Defence Ministry spokesperson Aram Torosyan told Armen Press on Sunday.
❗️Unlike #Armenia, #Azerbaijan takes its intl obligations seriously & claims related to crimes committed during military operations are investigated by relevant state bodies. But, Armenia has not yet taken any steps to bring those responsible for numerous war crimes to justice!
— Leyla Abdullayeva (@LAbdullayevaMFA) October 2, 2022
Meanwhile, Baku said it would launch an investigation and called Yerevan’s claims hypocritical. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry retorted that Armenia’s statement “is an example of the hypocrisy of a country that has pursued an aggressive policy for decades, trampled on the fundamental rights of nearly a million people, and committed numerous war crimes against military personnel, as well as civilians.”
“Unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan takes its international obligations seriously and claims related to crimes committed during military operations are investigated by relevant state institutions,” the ministry noted.
In meeting w/Co-Chair Philip Reeker, referring to #warcrimes of #Azerbaijan w/particular cruelty, videos of which are distributed by Azerbaijani side on social network, FM @AraratMirzoyan underlined that #Armenia will make every effort to bring perpetrators to justice. pic.twitter.com/vsDuoE2U41
— MFA of Armenia🇦🇲 (@MFAofArmenia) October 2, 2022
Against this backdrop, Armenian Foreign Minister (FM) Ararat Mirzoyan held meetings with European officials in Geneva on Sunday and urged them to take strict action against Azerbaijan. Mirzoyan also met with Azerbaijani FM Jeyhun Bayramov for peace talks.
During a meeting with Brice Roquefeui, the French co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Mirzoyan asserted the importance of the international community taking Azerbaijan to task over the extrajudicial killings and torture of Armenian POWs. Mirzoyan also met with the United States (US) co-chair Philip Reeker and urged the US and other partners to take clear steps to prevent new aggressions.
Another horrible video has emerged of Armenian prisoners of war apparently being executed. If this video is proven to be authentic then this is a war crime that needs to be investigated and the perpetrators punished.
— Toivo Klaar (@ToivoKlaar) October 2, 2022
The FM also met with European Union’s (EU) special representative for the South Caucasus, Toivo Klaar, and underscored the need to take action against Azerbaijan for “violating international law and commit war crimes.” Klaar said, “if the video is proven to be authentic then this is a war crime that needs to be investigated and the perpetrators punished.”
The incident is part of ongoing tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which fought a deadly 44-day war in 2020 over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Peace talks between the two neighbours have mostly failed, and their troops regularly engage in violent confrontations along the volatile border, frequently resulting in several casualties on both sides. The latest round of violence erupted on 12 September and has led to an estimated 221 deaths, with 150 from Armenia and 71 from Azerbaijan.