No:287/20, Joint statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan

On September 27-29 of this year, as part of the ongoing military aggression of Armenia, along with the Terter, Aghdam and Jabrayil regions of Azerbaijan, the Goranboy, Naftalan and Dashkesan regions were subjected to artillery fire by the Armed Forces of Armenia.

Armenia, in violation of the norms and principles of international law, in particular international humanitarian law and the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, deliberately shelled the civilian population and infrastructure of Azerbaijan, and thus committed various crimes against the civilian population.

As of September 29, 2020, 10 civilians were killed and 30 were injured. Among the dead were two schoolchildren aged 13 and 14.

On September 27, 2020, at about 6:00 in the evening, as a result of a shell hit fired from artillery weapons by the armed forces of Armenia into the courtyard of a private residential house in the village of Gashalty-Garagoyunlu, Naftalan city, that belonged to a resident of the village Gurbanov Elbrus Isa oglu, born in 1951, those who were at that time in the house - Gurbanov Elbrus Isa oglu and 4 members of his family - died. On the fact of inflicting damage in the amount of 100 thousand manats to a private residential house and auxiliary structures in the courtyard of the house belonged to Elbrus Gurbanov, the prosecutor's office of the Goranboy region has initiated a criminal case under Articles 120.2.1 (premeditated murder by a criminal organization), 120.2.4 (murder by a group of persons, previously committed by a group of persons with hooligan intentions, with particular cruelty), 120.2.7 (premeditated murder of two or more persons), 120.2.12 (premeditated murder with intent to national, racial, religious hatred or enmity), 100.2 (conduct aggressive war) and other articles.

In addition, as a result of intensive fire from large-scale weapons, artillery and mortars shelled by the armed forces of Armenia along the line of contact from the occupied territories of Aghdam region, a shell hit the territory of Evoglu village of Aghdam region on September 28, 2020 at about 07:00. As a result, the prosecutor's office of the Aghdam region has initiated a criminal case under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the fact of the placement of a resident of the village, Pashayev Joshgun Anver oglu, born in 1979, in the Agdam central regional hospital with shrapnel head injuries, and death, despite the medical assistance provided.

On September 28, 2020, at about 11:00 am, Aliyev Mehman Sovet oglu, born in 1975, died from shell shrapnel falling near the administrative building of the District Court on Heydar Aliyev Avenue in Tartar. The driver of the ambulance Asadov Ganbar Asgar oglu, born in 1968, and the police officer in the car Huseynov Fakhraddin Farman oglu, born in 1994, as well as another resident of Tartar city Ibrahimov Tural Firdovsi oglu, born in 1991, were injured. At about 7:00 pm, as a result of an artillery shell falling in the yard of a multi-level apartment building built for the disabled and IDPs located in Shikharkh settlement of Tartar region, the residents of Tartar region Abbasov Khalig Asif oglu, born in 1981 and his brother Abbasov Elshan Asif oglu, born in 1987, as well as Asadov Sabit Usub oglu, born in 1981, were killed, and Mammadov Seymur Fuzuli oglu, born in 1984, Mahmudov Faig Malik oglu, born in 1989, were hospitalized with various injuries. The Tartar District Prosecutor's Office launched a criminal case on these facts under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In addition, on September 28, 2020, at 6:40 pm, the armed forces of Armenia continued aggression by targeting civilian villages and deliberately killing villagers with national, racial or religious enmity, shelled the area called "Shamlig" with large-caliber artillery by attacking the village of Jojuq Marjanli as a result of the shooting, a shell hit the face of a resident of the village Hazila Hilal Murad oglu, born in 2000, who was there at the time, and an attempt was made to intentionally kill the latter. The Jabrayil District Prosecutor's Office launched a criminal case on the fact under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code.

At present, the prosecutor's office personnel carry out all possible investigative measures in combat conditions, including the appointment of relevant experts to determine the severity of injuries, as well as the amount of damage to civil infrastructure.

Five criminal cases were sent to the Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General's Office for continuing the investigation.

We strongly condemn these war crimes for which Armenia bears the responsibility and demand to put an end to attempts for shelling civilians and intimidating the civilian population.

We call on the international community to strongly condemn the new aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, shelling the Azerbaijani civilians and infrastructure, and to ensure that Armenia complies with its obligations under international law, as well as international humanitarian law.