Landmine victims, their family members and Azerbaijan’s civil society representatives have made a joint appeal to President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Tiny Kox.

AZERTAC presents the appeal.

“We, the victims of the landmine terror perpetrated by Armenia and its military units, along with our family members and relatives, as well as civil society organizations specialized in this field, are submitting an open letter to Mr. Tiny Kox, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and the members of PACE. We view the refusal of the PACE rapporteur on Azerbaijan, who recently visited Baku, to meet with the victims of Armenia's landmine warfare against Azerbaijan, their family members, and NGOs specializing in mine-related issues, as a mockery of the Council of Europe values and disregard for human rights and freedoms.

We strongly condemn the fact that an organization such as PACE, self-identified as a human rights institution, has become a pawn in the hands of specific states and circles. An organization that, in the face of Azerbaijan's significant issue of landmines, maintains silence and lacks the courage to meet with landmine victims should feel ashamed of itself.

The behavior exhibited by PACE representatives is a reprehensible act that directly lends support to Armenia's landmine terror.

More than a million landmines and unexploded ordnances are estimated to have been planted until recently in the territories liberated from occupation. In the aftermath of the 44-day war 2020, Armenia continued to transport landmines along the Lachin road and plant them in the Azerbaijani territories. We did not forget that rather than expressing dissent, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, defended the unhindered passage of Armenia’s illegal military units and cargoes into Azerbaijani territories along the Lachin road, facilitating their terrorist activities on another state's soil.

Following a successful anti-terror operation on September 19-20, 2023, over 500,000 landmines and unexploded ordnances were discovered in the regained territories. This indicates that the mining of Azerbaijani territories has not ceased for a single day in the past three years; instead, it has escalated. The inclusion of Armenia in international reports as one of the mine-producing countries further substantiates this. Azerbaijan stands as one of the most heavily contaminated countries with mines globally. Lise Christoffersen, whom you recently dispatched to Azerbaijan, was one of the staunch advocates of Armenia's transportation of mines to Azerbaijan via the Lachin road.

Therefore, landmine victims are not particularly surprised by this shameful attitude on the part of the Council of Europe and its double standards concerning Azerbaijan. In the recent past, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has failed to urge Armenia, one of its member states, even once to withdraw its military units from the Azerbaijani territory and provide landmine maps. More than one million Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons have fallen victim to islamophobia, xenophobia, azerbaijanophobia, lobby and corruption networks that have taken root in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe over the years. Their human rights and freedoms have been blatantly ignored by the international organization headquartered in France.

If, as the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, you continue to remain silent on this matter even after our appeal, you will forfeit any moral authority to speak about human rights and freedoms.

Mr. President, receive and listen to us. Witness the extent of our suffering at the hands of Armenia's mine terror, see the losses we have endured, and understand the torture our families and relatives are going through due to our disabilities. We are also human beings with our own rights and wishes. If the Council of Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe are truly human rights institutions, listening to and helping us must be their main duty.

Signatories:

1. Rey Gasimov - Chairman of the “Association of Landmine Victims of Azerbaijan” Public Union;

2. Hafiz Safikhanov - Chairman of the “Azerbaijan Campaign Against Landmines” Public Union;

3. Umud Mirzayev - President of the International Eurasian Press Foundation;

4. Zabil Alastan oglu Mammadov, landmine victim;

5. Vidadi Vali oglu Mammadzada, landmine victim;

6. Telman Babir oglu Zeynalov, landmine victim;

7. Alasgar Aziz oglu Ahmadov, family member of Yasin Alasgar oglu Ahmadov, who was killed as a result of a mine explosion;

8. Asif Alasgar oglu Ahmadov, landmine victim;

9. Asef Mursal oglu Khudiyev, landmine victim;

10. Ramil Nazim oglu Babayev, landmine victim;

11. Elshan Yagub oglu Yagubov, family member of Fakhraddin Yagub oglu Yagubov, who was killed as a result of a mine explosion;

12. Mahammad Khalil oglu Gahramanov, family member of Uzeyir Khalil oglu Gahramanov, who was killed as a result of a mine explosion;

13. Shabnam Shakir gizi Hajiyeva, family member of Shakir Maharram oglu Hajiyev, who was killed as a result of a mine explosion;

14. Tural Firuddin oglu Gadimzada, family member of Firuddin Maharram oglu Hajiyev, who was killed as a result of a mine explosion;

15. Adishirin Zulfugar oglu Huseynov, family member of Zulfugar Adishirin oglu Huseynov, who was killed as a result of a mine explosion;

16. Samir Maharram oglu Safarov, family member of Zibeyda Shakir gizi Adilzada, who was killed as a result of a mine explosion;

17. Togrul Vilayat oglu Ahmadov, landmine victim;

18. Orkhan Kamil oglu Ahmadov, landmine victim;

19. Fadakar Gabil oglu Babayev, family member of Zabil Gabil oglu Babayev, who was killed as a result of a mine explosion;

20. Elgun Mahmud oglu Alakbarov, landmine victim;

21. Elmaddin Tofig oglu Mirzayev, landmine victim;

22. Azad Telman oglu Imanov, family member of Bahruz Telman oglu Imanov, who was killed as a result of a mine explosion;

23. Azad Aydın oglu Mukhtarov, landmine victim;

24. Shahin Allahverdi oglu Guliyev, family member of Mehman Allahverdi oglu Guliyev, who was killed as a result of a mine explosion;

25. Shaig Mustaqim oglu Alasgarov, family member of Mustaqim Allahveran oglu Alasgarov, who was killed as a result of a mine explosion;

26. Niyamaddin Hikmat oglu Verdiyev, landmine victim;

27. Hafiz Salim oglu Azimzada, landmine victim;

28. Akif Mukhtar oglu Huseynov, landmine victim and father of Bayram Huseynov and Razin Huseynov, who were killed as a result of a mine explosion, as well as the injured Anar Huseynov;

29. Emin Hasan oglu Mammadov, landmine victim;

30. Arif Sabir oglu Guliyev, landmine victim;

31. Shirzad Abish oglu Samadov, family member of Siraj Abish oglu Abishov, who was killed as a result of a mine explosion;

32. Asgar Ali oglu Ibrahimov, family member of Maharram Ali oglu Ibrahimov, who was killed as a result of a mine explosion;

33. Khanlar Fazil oglu Aslanov, landmine victim;

34. Faig Sovet oglu Hamidov, family member of Elsavar Sovet oglu Hamidov, who was killed as a result of the landmine explosion;

35. Mahir Ramiz oglu Abilov, landmine victim;

36. Firuddin Ismayil oglu Gandiyev, family member of Vusal Firuddin oglu Gandiyev, who was killed as a result of a mine explosion;

37. Ruhin Sultan oglu Valiyev, landmine victim;

38. Nijat Novruz oglu Jabbarov, landmine victim;

39. Rodik Shamsaddin oglu Panahov, landmine victim;

40. Sadir Heydar oglu Aliyarov, landmine victim;

41. Elnur Asif oglu Asgarov, landmine victim;

42. Nasib Ogtay oglu Alishov, family member of Ogtay Bayram oglu Alishov, who was killed as a result of a mine explosion;

43. Shahriyar Mahmud oglu Mahmudov, family member of Bakhtiyar Mahmud oglu Mahmudov, who was killed as a result of the mine explosion;

44. Abdulla Novruz oglu Gurbanov, landmine victim;

45. Ruhin Aladdin oglu Novruzov, landmine victim;

46. Tamam Aslan gizi Jafarova, landmine victim;

47. Khazar Tariyel oglu Babashov, landmine victim;

48. Abdulla Novruz oglu Gurbanov, landmine victim;

49. Abdulla Hamid oglu Alasgarov, landmine victim;

50. Masim Hasan oglu Asgarov, landmine victim;

51. Sahib Isa oglu Aliyev, landmine victim;

52. Eldar Sabirovich Sadikhov, family member of landmine victim Samir Sabirovich Sadikhov;

53. Famil Huseynaga oglu Guliyev, family member of landmine victim Farhad Huseynaga oglu Guliyev;

54. Zamaddin Galandar oglu Hasanov, landmine victim;

55. Amil Ilyas oglu Abilov, family member of landmine victim Famil Ilyas oglu Abilov;

56. Ahmadaga Khanbala oglu Nuraliyev, family member of landmine victim Elchin Khanbala oglu Nuraliyev;

57. Ali Alibaba oglu Agalarov, landmine victim;

58. Vusal Asif oglu Huseynov, family member of landmine victim Asif Novruz oglu Huseynov.”