Armenia discussing all opportunities of contacting international structures in connection with mercenaries in Karabakh conflict zone
04.11.2020,
14:53
Armenia is discussing all the opportunities of contacting international structures in connection with the mercenaries in the zone of the Karabakh conflict, Armenian Justice Minister Rustam Badasyan told reporters on Wednesday.
YEREVAN, November 4. /ARKA/. Armenia is discussing all the opportunities of contacting international structures in connection with the mercenaries in the zone of the Karabakh conflict, Armenian Justice Minister Rustam Badasyan told reporters on Wednesday.
Armenia has already opened criminal cases against two Syrian terrorist mercenaries who were detained in the Karabakh conflict zone.
"The testimony of these two persons is already evidence in the framework of the criminal case, there is numerous pieces of evidence [of the presence of mercenaries in the conflict zone - ed.]. The heads of three states admitted the fact of the presence of Syrian mercenaries in the conflict zone and this can lead to different consequences," Badasyan said.
The obtained evidence, he said, can be presented in subsequent legal proceedings.
The justice minister said that under numerous conventions on the recruiting of mercenaries and their financing, certain procedures are provided, for example, those states that will be involved in the financing of terrorism will have obligations within the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) on financial transparency, identification, investigation of such phenomena and freezing of accounts.
"If they find out, and it has already become clear, that, having such obligations to combat the financing of terrorism, the state, on the contrary, finances terrorism itself or arms mercenaries and carries them to the conflict zone, against the people fighting for the right to self-determination, then this can lead to serious consequences under numerous international conventions. The Armenian government discusses all these possible legal issues in sufficient detail," Badasyan said.
In his words, the representative of Armenia in the European Court of Human Rights is also deeply involved in these issues at the moment.
"We are in touch with him and when there are sufficient grounds, we will apply for sanctions to some international organization or start the process in court," Badasyan said.
As for the possible consequences for countries that finance mercenaries, the minister noted that this could be a sanctioned interference, recognition of a violation of the law by authoritative courts. He said that sanctions may be different and urged not to rush things yet.
"The ongoing processes are aimed at raising again the issue of the people's right to self-determination and substantiating that Artsakh cannot be a part of Azerbaijan in any way," Badasyan said.
War in Artsakh
Since September 27, Azerbaijani troops have been carrying out military aggression along the entire length of the contact line in Artsakh, conducting artillery and rocket attacks, including against civilians and civilian infrastructures. Strikes were also carried out at civilian and military targets on the territory of Armenia.
The Azerbaijani side is supported by the Turkish Armed Forces and the foreign terrorist mercenaries recruited by it. The Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression encounters a decisive rebuff from the Armenian Armed Forces along the entire frontline.
According to the official reports on the Armenian side, Azerbaijan sustains huge losses in manpower. Its death toll since the beginning of the war is 7,095. Also 251 UAVs, 16 helicopters and 25 aircraft have been downed as well as 685 armored vehicles and 6 TOS units have been destroyed since the beginning of war. More than 1,070 Armenian servicemen have been killed and several hundred people were wounded. As a result of the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan, 46 civilians were killed and 142 wounded in Artsakh.
Since the beginning of the war, there have been three attempts to establish a humanitarian ceasefire. All three agreements, which were reached on October 10 through the mediation of the Russian Federation, on October 17 through France and on October 25 through the mediation of the United States, were violated by Azerbaijan. -0---
Armenia has already opened criminal cases against two Syrian terrorist mercenaries who were detained in the Karabakh conflict zone.
"The testimony of these two persons is already evidence in the framework of the criminal case, there is numerous pieces of evidence [of the presence of mercenaries in the conflict zone - ed.]. The heads of three states admitted the fact of the presence of Syrian mercenaries in the conflict zone and this can lead to different consequences," Badasyan said.
The obtained evidence, he said, can be presented in subsequent legal proceedings.
The justice minister said that under numerous conventions on the recruiting of mercenaries and their financing, certain procedures are provided, for example, those states that will be involved in the financing of terrorism will have obligations within the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) on financial transparency, identification, investigation of such phenomena and freezing of accounts.
"If they find out, and it has already become clear, that, having such obligations to combat the financing of terrorism, the state, on the contrary, finances terrorism itself or arms mercenaries and carries them to the conflict zone, against the people fighting for the right to self-determination, then this can lead to serious consequences under numerous international conventions. The Armenian government discusses all these possible legal issues in sufficient detail," Badasyan said.
In his words, the representative of Armenia in the European Court of Human Rights is also deeply involved in these issues at the moment.
"We are in touch with him and when there are sufficient grounds, we will apply for sanctions to some international organization or start the process in court," Badasyan said.
As for the possible consequences for countries that finance mercenaries, the minister noted that this could be a sanctioned interference, recognition of a violation of the law by authoritative courts. He said that sanctions may be different and urged not to rush things yet.
"The ongoing processes are aimed at raising again the issue of the people's right to self-determination and substantiating that Artsakh cannot be a part of Azerbaijan in any way," Badasyan said.
War in Artsakh
Since September 27, Azerbaijani troops have been carrying out military aggression along the entire length of the contact line in Artsakh, conducting artillery and rocket attacks, including against civilians and civilian infrastructures. Strikes were also carried out at civilian and military targets on the territory of Armenia.
The Azerbaijani side is supported by the Turkish Armed Forces and the foreign terrorist mercenaries recruited by it. The Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression encounters a decisive rebuff from the Armenian Armed Forces along the entire frontline.
According to the official reports on the Armenian side, Azerbaijan sustains huge losses in manpower. Its death toll since the beginning of the war is 7,095. Also 251 UAVs, 16 helicopters and 25 aircraft have been downed as well as 685 armored vehicles and 6 TOS units have been destroyed since the beginning of war. More than 1,070 Armenian servicemen have been killed and several hundred people were wounded. As a result of the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan, 46 civilians were killed and 142 wounded in Artsakh.
Since the beginning of the war, there have been three attempts to establish a humanitarian ceasefire. All three agreements, which were reached on October 10 through the mediation of the Russian Federation, on October 17 through France and on October 25 through the mediation of the United States, were violated by Azerbaijan. -0---
