Jean-Francois Mancel: Armenia’s direct and deliberate attacks violate conventions on human rights, children’s rights

By Azernews

By Rashid Shirinov

Armenia’s direct and deliberate attacks on the civil population and facilities are a serious violation of international humanitarian law, 1949 Geneva Convention and conventions on human rights and children’s rights.

President of the Association of Friends of Azerbaijan in France Jean-Francois Mancel made the remark in his statement on the recent Armenian provocation.

Mancel condemned the Armenian army’s recent provocation in Alikhanli village, Fuzuli district, which resulted in the killing of an old woman and her 2-year-old granddaughter, the injuring of another woman and the shelling of civilian facilities, Azertac reported.

"The Association of Friends of Azerbaijan in France expresses its grief over the death of civilians as a result of Armenia’s provocation stemming from its illegal occupation of Azerbaijani territories,” he said, adding that the Association offers condolences to the bereaved families, and expresses its solidarity with the people of Azerbaijan.

Mancel called on the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries to ensure the implementation of the four resolutions of the UN Security Council, which demand unconditional and immediate withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from Azerbaijan`s occupied territories.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

The Minsk Group, the activities of which have become known as the Minsk Process, spearheads the OSCE's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It is co-chaired by France, the Russian Federation, and the United States. Although the OSCE Minsk Group deals with the issue for over two decades, its activities have brought no breakthrough results so far.