Doc. 11240
16 April 2007

The 15^th anniversary of occupation of Shusha

Written question No 522 to the Committee of Ministers
presented by Ms Pashayeva

Considering that on 8 May it will be exactly 15 years since Armenian armed forces seized the city of Shusha;

      Considering that the city spanning 360 square kilometres, where ethnic Azerbaijanis have always constituted an overwhelming majority of over 90% of the population, has traditionally been at the very centre of Azerbaijani culture and history;

      Considering that 480 civilian residents of Shusha have been murdered, 600 civilians were wounded, and 22 000 became internally displaced as a result of the occupation, while the city was ethnically cleansed;

      Considering that 68 residents, including women and children, were taken hostage or went missing at that time, most of whom are still unaccounted for;

      Considering that 279 historic monuments, including palaeontological objects of Khan-Maghara and Gakhal-Maghara, 4 natural monuments, remain under occupation and some of them have been destroyed;

      Considering that 6 800 residences and 44 schools and other educational facilities were destroyed;

      Noting that excavations are being carried out in Shusha even now, razing ancient Azerbaijani cultural and religious heritage to the ground;

      Considering the Council of Europe’s known principled position as expressed in PACE Resolution 1416 (2003),

Ms Pashayeva

To ask the Committee of Ministers:

      - would it not be appropriate to make a proper legal and political assessment of Armenia’s unwillingness to comply with the provisions of PACE Resolution 1416 (2003)?

      - why does the Committee of Ministers refrain from making use of effective mechanisms at its disposal to urge the Government of Armenia to abstain in future from actions that prevent the achievement of lasting peace in the region, including its continued non-compliance with PACE Resolution 1416 (2003) specifically mentioning Armenian-occupied territories of Azerbaijan, which include the city of Shusha?

      - what steps can the Committee undertake to achieve immediate cessation of the above-mentioned excavations and other actions damaging Azerbaijani heritage in Shusha?

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