Azerbaijan's Ombudsman organizes joint seminar on "Implementation of international humanitarian law

The Office of the Commissioner for Azerbaijani Human Rights (Ombudsman) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) jointly organized a seminar on "Implementation of international humanitarian law at the national level," Azernews reports, citing the Office of Ombudsman.

The purpose of the seminar was to increase awareness of the implementation of international humanitarian law, to study international experience and to exchange views on the perspectives of joint cooperation in the direction of overcoming the difficulties encountered in this field.

Sabina Aliyeva, the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman), and Dragana Kojic, the head of the Representation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Azerbaijan, made an opening speech at the seminar, which was also attended by the experts of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and wished success to the work of the seminar.

During the speech, the Ombudsman said that Armenia, which has been occupying the Azerbaijani lands for nearly thirty years, committed war crimes, ecological and landmine terrorism both during the First and Second Karabakh War, and in the post-conflict period, and grossly violated the norms of international humanitarian law. Sabina Aliyeva said that as a result of the explosion of mines and military ammunition in these areas, there were victims among both the civilian population and our soldiers, and that Armenia is not interested in ensuring peace in the region.

At the event, international experts who made presentations in accordance with the program, gave information about international experience in relevant fields and exchanged ideas with the participants.

During the discussions, the employees of the Office gave extensive information about the Ombudsman's mandate and activities. It was noted that in order to investigate the facts related to violations of the norms and principles of international humanitarian law by Armenia during the war and post-war period, the Ombudsman carried out fact-finding missions and carried out on-site investigations and prepared reports and statements based on the obtained factual materials and sent them to the relevant international human rights institutions.

At the seminar, experts also exchanged views on the prospects of future cooperation with the Ombudsman institution within the mandate of the International Committee of the Red Cross.