Azerbaijan Embassy - Press Release

Azərbaycan Respublikasının Səfirliyi / Avropa Birliyi yanında Numayəndəliyi
Ambassade de la République d’Azerbaïdjan / Mission auprès de l’Union Européenne
Ambassade van de Republiek Azerbaidzjan / Missie bij de Europese Unie
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Avenue Molière 464, B-1050 Brussels – Tel.: +32(0)2 345 26 60 – Fax: +32(0)2 345 91 58 – e-mail: office@azembassy.be

11 March 2011


PRESS RELEASE

On 8 March 2011 the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia deployed in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan once again violated the ceasefire. As a result, Fariz Badalov, a 9-year old resident of the village of Orta Garvand in the Agdam district of Azerbaijan, was killed. The fatal shot was fired from an Armenian sniper’s position at the village of Shikhlar of the Agdam district occupied by the Armenian troops since 1993. It was the only shot fired from the Armenian positions on that day, which rules out a theory of an accidental shot. Observing a child through an optical sight of his rifle the sniper knew that this is a noncombatant target, but this did not stop him from pulling the trigger.

Targeting the civilian population, and the children in particular, is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law, including the provisions of the Geneva Conventions of 1949. This barbaric practice contravenes the UN Security Council Resolution 1314 “On the protection of children in armed conflicts”, which was adopted in 2000 and reaffirmed the “strong condemnation of the deliberate targeting of children in situations of armed conflict and the harmful and widespread impact of armed conflict on children, and the long-term consequences this has for durable peace, security and development”.

The Armenian side never showed respect to these provisions. One has only to recall that among 613 persons killed by the Armenian forces in the act of genocide against the population of an Azerbaijani town of Khojaly in February 1992 there were 83 children, including newborn infants. The Armenian forces continued to deliberately target the civilian population, including the children, even after the ceasefire was reached in May 1994. As a result of numerous violations from the Armenian side many Azerbaijani farmers, shepherds, and schoolchildren were killed or injured.

The killing of a 9-year old child happened only two days after a joint meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia held in Sochi. This fact confirms a destructive position of the Armenian side. Provocative acts of this kind undermine a fragile process of peace negotiations and create a serious obstacle for a building of confidence between two sides. Peace and confidence cannot be achieved in the conditions of a continued military occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan and displacement of Azerbaijani population.

In this connection the Republic of Azerbaijan is calling upon the international community to condemn this killing of a child, as well as to encourage Armenia to put an end to the provocative actions, and instead to negotiate in good faith with a view to achieving a soonest and durable solution to the conflict on the basis of the norms and principles of international law.