Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, August 23 (AzerTAc). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan with regard to the statements of United States State Department and France Foreign Ministry on Karen Petrosyan, member of Armenian armed forces subversive group, states the following: As it was informed by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Karen Petrosyan, with the aim of committing acts of sabotage as part of the Armenian armed forces subversive group has entered the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan through the Armenia-Azerbaijan borderline. The attack and sabotage of the subversive group has been prevented by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Karen Petrosyan, as a military serviceman of the subversive group has been taken captive. Furthermore, it was also stressed that the reasons for death of Karen Petrosyan, who suddenly passed away, were investigated by the medical experts in an open and transparent manner and the International Committee of Red Cross was immediately informed about his death. Unlike Azerbaijan, Armenia, occupying the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on a regular basis gravely violates the international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Conventions for Protection of War Victims of 1949 with respect to the citizens of Azerbaijan, who are held hostage and prisoner of war in the captivity of Armenia. The acts of mass murder, inflicting cruel torture, mental suffering, merciless and degrading treatment and bringing to suicide and executing or torturing to death were conducted by Armenia against the Azerbaijani prisoners of war and hostages. At the result of Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan fate of more than 4000 Azerbaijani prisoners of war and hostages in the captivity of Armenia still remains unknown. Inflicting brutal torture and degrading treatment against Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov, who visited their native land and graveyards of their parents, murdering of Hasan Hasanov, targeting the civilians, including children by the Armenian forces through the contact line and Armenia-Azerbaijan border since the very beginning of occupation, terror-sabotage act committed in cowardice and contemptible manner on July 31- August 1 and the attempts to continue it on August 7, are the facts of Armenia’s immoral and inhuman policy detrimental to the international law. In the view of aforementioned, Armenia’s deliberate attempts to exaggerate and politicise the case of Karen Petrosyan are only aimed at concealing the atrocities committed by Armenia. While exhibiting indifferent attitude to such inhuman behaviour of Armenia, including the fate of Shahbaz Guliyev, Dilgam Asgarov and also Hasan Hasanov, as well as the terror-sabotage act of Armenia on July 31- August 1, the statement delivered by United States and France, which are also the Co-Chairs of OSCE Minsk Group, under the influence of propaganda machine of Armenia and radical Armenian diaspora is incomprehensible and unacceptable. This lop-sided and bias attitude demonstrated by OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs vis-à-vis such sensitive issues is not perceived in an unambiguous manner by Azerbaijani society. Instead of such statements, increased and consolidated efforts by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, who are also bearing obligations and responsibilities as UN Security Council Permanent Members, to eliminate the consequences of occupation and to ensure soonest resolution of the conflict would be more worthwhile. We call on United States and France to demonstrate principled position with regard to the resolution of the conflict and to refrain from double standards and bias attitude while expressing condolences and concerns.