Doc. 11064
4 October 2006

Regular violation of the agreement on cease-fire regime between Azerbaijan and Armenia by armed forces of Armenia and crimes against humanity perpetrated by armed forces of Armenia against civil citizens of Azerbaijan

Written question No 507 the Committee of Ministers
presented by Mrs Pashayeva

Armenia, which has been pursuing the policy of aggression against Azerbaijan, has occupied 20 percent of its territories. Armenian aggressors carried out a cleansing policy in the occupied territories, having murdered thousands of civil inhabitants (women, children, elderly). Nearly 1 million Azerbaijanis were driven out of their native lands and have been living as internally displaced persons for over 12 years. In spite of the fact that in 1994 the sides reached an agreement on cease-fire, official Yerevan for over 10 years, ignores the resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council and by the PACE which imply unconditional withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories. Moreover, armed forces of Armenia frequently violate the cease-fire regime.

Armed forces of the Republic of Armenia slaughtered 36 civil citizens of Azerbaijan by sniper and wounded 65 persons since the cease-fire agreement of 1994. In addition, during the cease-fire regime up until today 41 civil persons have been taken hostage by them and just 31 out of 41 have been set free, with 10 persons still kept hostage. Within that period 372 Azerbaijani soldiers have been killed and 896 wounded by Armenian armed forces. Out of 173 military servicemen taken captive and hostage, 77 have been set free and 96 persons are still not released. Moreover, Armenian troops have blown up and destroyed communications and buildings in Azerbaijani villages despite the cease-fire agreement of 1994. Since 1994 the Armenian army perpetrated 14 such occasions.

Considering all of these, Mrs Pashayeva asks the Committee of Ministers:

- What concrete and resolute steps can the Committee of Ministers take within its competence in order to make Armenia implement Resolution 1416 (2003) of the PACE which implies the withdrawal of armed forces of Armenia from the occupied Azerbaijani territories and ensuring the return of Azerbaijani internally displaced persons to their native lands;

- Why does the Committee of Ministers not apply its mechanisms of influence on Armenia which violates the principles of the Council of Europe, keeps 20 percent of the territories of Azerbaijan (CoE member state) under occupation, ignores Resolution 1416 (2003) of the PACE which implies the withdrawal of armed forces of Armenia from the occupied Azerbaijani territories;

- What political and legal assessment can the Committee of Ministers give to the actions of Armenia which does not take steps towards the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which has lasted for over 15 years, but escalates the conflict by violating the cease-fire regime and by slaughtering, wounding and taking hostage Azerbaijani civilians.

Signed ¹:

PASHAYEVA, Ganira, Azerbaijan, EDG

¹     SOC: Socialist Group
       EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party
      ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
      EDG: European Democratic Group
      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left
      NR: not registered in a group