Category: 2020

A major step has taken towards the Karabakh conflict on November 10, 2020. The century-old conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia has undoubtedly, entered a different phase with the signing of a trilateral statement by Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia. Before this, in late September, Azerbaijan has launched a successful counter-offensive to implement the UN Security Council Resolutions (822, 853, 874, 884) through liberating its territories that were under Armenian occupation for almost 30 years. As a result of the military campaign, Azerbaijan was able to get back the majority of the strategic points in Karabakh including the historic city of Shusha. 

While the protests broke out in the Armenian capital Yerevan, when PM Pashinyan publicly declared that he was obliged to sign the agreement to prevent its army from a total collapse, the Azerbaijani side enjoyed the victory by massive celebrations in Baku. The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed the statement on a live broadcast, and right after, addressed the nation and familiarized the Azerbaijani public with the context. As the details revealed by President Aliyev, it became obvious that the agreement was the capitulation of the Armenian side.

Afterward, the consequence of the “44-day war” was described as “a defeat both on the battlefield and in the diplomatic arena” by the Armenian President Armen Sarkissian. Namely, the agreement comprised the unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian troops from the occupied territories within a definite schedule, the return of all refugees, and the deployment of the Russian peacekeepers in the several points of Karabakh. Furthermore, the cardinal element of the statement is that there was not a word about the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Apparently, the overwhelming military advantage of Azerbaijan induced the Armenian government to come to the negotiation table and finalize its illegal military presence within the boundaries of a neighboring sovereign state.

The agreement further articulates the opening of all communications, restoration of economic and transport links. Due to the stipulated economic notions, the statement possesses a significant role for lasting and sustainable peace. In this context, if Armenia would ensure adherence to the principles of the trilateral statement, the possible economic consequences will encapsulate in two dimensions: regional and global.

The regional dimension or local basis encompasses joint initiatives and shall include Georgia as well. For instance, the “South Caucasus Economic Union” could emerge to build high-quality cross-border infrastructure, to establish intraregional supply chains, and to form stronger financial links. The project rationale derives from the recognition that the development of an integrated South Caucasus, which can guarantee peace and spur growth in all fields, requires multiple, cohesive, and long-term efforts. Thus, the fundamental prerequisite for Armenia is to terminate all the hostilities with neighboring countries.

In the mutually assured peace environment, Azerbaijan and Armenia would strongly benefit from enormous savings on conflict-related fiscal expenditures. Military expenditures could be lessened by 2% of annual GDP in both countries to a reasonable level as in the countries at peace. Besides, Azerbaijan could eventually save expenditures for supporting refugees amounting to 0.4% of annual GDP, thus diminishing total expenditure by 2.4% of GDP yearly. Armenia could save annual expenditures of 0.9% of GDP for supporting the local economy in Nagorno-Karabakh and 0.1% of GDP in interest payments, thus saving 3% of GDP every year. Such massive fiscal savings would enable both countries to avert the budget-related issues and at the same time substantially increase spending in social spheres by eliminating any budgetary pressures.

In the global dimension, South Caucasus is capable of creating opportunities for sustainable growth. The ongoing conflict was generating an elevated extent of risks, which were constituting several constraints for the capital flow to the region. Since an opportunity has emerged to settle the conflict thoroughly regarding the trilateral statement, the effect that it would create in the future on ratings, risk premiums on bonds, loans and equity, investment, and finally, economic growth are likely to be very positive.

Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan has called upon the international community, and in particular the international organizations on human rights to focus on the issue of Azerbaijani authorities artificially protracting the process of exchange of bodies and captives, which has been the case during the military activities, and continues now after the completion of military actions.

“With the objective of delaying the aforementioned process, the Azerbaijani authorities state that the exchange of the captives will take place after completing the process of bodies’ exchange, at the same time unreasonably protracting the process of exchange of bodies. By all these delays Azerbaijan grossly violates the fundamental requirements guaranteed by the Geneva Conventions,” the Ombudsman said.

It is obvious, he said, that Azerbaijan aims at creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and tension in the Armenian society, disrupt the mental immunity, cause psychological/mental suffering to the family members of the deceased soldiers and prisoners of war.

Studies of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia prove that such treatment is a result of the organized and disseminated hatred, as an inseparable systematically applied policy of torture and inhuman treatment.

In particular, the Human Rights Defender has repeatedly stated that starting from September 27, 2020, the military attacks by the Azerbaijani military forces against Armenia and Artsakh have been accompanied by torture and inhuman treatment, massive destruction of the civilian settlements, and other gross violations of human rights, which took place also with the help of the jihadist mercenaries and terrorists along with the dissemination of hatred.

“Throughout the military actions, as well as after the cessation of hostilities, the mass media, particularly the Azerbaijani social media sources ceaselessly publish videos and phots, which depict the degrading treatment by Azeri military forces of the Armenian soldiers’ bodies, torture and degrading treatment of the captives, both civilians and military,” Arman Tatoyan said.

The aforementioned is being accompanied by delightful comments and glorification from Azeris (the evidence to this is recorded). This has been an inseparable part of the methods applied by Azerbaijan during September-November 2020 war.

According to the Human Rights Defender, throughout the war activities it has been obvious that the Azerbaijani authorities endorse/promote these cruelties and degrading treatment, having an objective of instigating hatred and hostility in Azerbaijan against ethnic Armenians, glorifying those who commit these atrocities.

The results of the investigations of the Human Rights Defender affirm that these vicious events, which are beyond any human imagination and against all international requirements, have systematic and well-spread nature, starting from Azerbaijani political authorities and ending with cultural and sport figures. The Human Rights Defender possesses all necessary evidence, which attest to these facts.

After completion of the military activities the torture and inhuman treatment of the Armenian prisoners of war/captives by Azeri military forces have taken a new spin: the number and volume, as well as the level of cruelty have significantly increased. It is obvious that those who commit the torture and cruelties, as well as those who take videos are the representatives of the Azerbaijani military forces, whose activities are endorsed by their leadership.

The Ombudsman stressed that In current circumstances the liberation/release of the captives, their safe return, the exchange of bodies have become an urgent matter, requiring immediate resolution.

“Therefore, I call upon the international community, in particular the organizations, which have a mandate to protect human rights: It is an urgent necessity to resolve this issue with all the means possible and by real actions to release the people from the most atrocious war crimes and cruel captivity,” Tatoyan said.