To: all Chairs and other institutions within the UNESCO Chairs network; all institutions specializing and conducting research in the field of human rights around the world; scientific-educational institutions, academia and researchers

APPEAL

by the UNESCO Chair on Human Rights and Information Law of the Faculty of Law of Baku State University, Baku, the Republic of Azerbaijan

Dear colleagues, human rights advocates and researchers!

First of all, we greet you on behalf of the academic-teaching staff of the UNESCO Chair operating at the Law Faculty of Baku State University and implementing human rights policy!

Today, the international community is on the path of close integration, and the main goal is to ensure human rights and to further develop science, education and intercultural dialogue. In this context, we, as a UNESCO Chair, are stronlgy committed in promoting universal UNESCO values, including the protection and promotion of human rights.

At present, human rights have penetrated into many areas as strong international organizations and a broad system of international agreements have been established in this sphere. States with truly civilized and democratic societies have been formed and progressive ideas have further developed. So why is the policy of aggression, genocide and other international crimes becoming more active, and basic human rights are being trampled underfoot? In other words, the ongoing policy of aggression and genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and other international crimes against Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani people by Armenia and a group of Armenians remains unanswered by the world community. In general, the international crimes committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan are accompanied by serious violations of the basic, universally recognized principles of international law.

It is known that 4 resolutions (822, 853, 874, 884) were adopted by the UN Security Council in connection with the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan. However, those resolutions have not been implemented yet. The process of negotiations within the OSCE for almost 30 years has not yet yielded any results, and these resolutions have remained only on paper.

The UN General Assembly Resolution on the Situation in the Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan of 15 March 2008 expresses serious concem that the military conflict in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan continues to international peace and security and adversely affects the humanitarian situation in the South Caucasus. The UN General Assembly calls on member states to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders. In the adopted document, the UN General Assembly reiterates that no state should consider the situation created as a result of the occupation of the telTitory of Azerbaijan lawful and should not encourage this situation to remain.

Paragraph 1 of Resolution 1416 (2005) on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which is the subject of the OSCE Minsk Conference, adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, states that significant parts of Azerbaijan's territory are still occupied by Armenian forces and separatists, and the occupational forces still control the Nagorno-Karabakh region. At the same time, in paragraph 3 of the Resolution, the Assembly recalls UN Security Council Resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 and urges the parties concerned to abide by them, in particular by refraining from hostilities and withdrawing forces from any occupied territories.

As a result of the occupation of 20% percent of the Azerbaijani territory by Armenia in 1988-1993, 900 settlements, about 6,000 agricultural and industrial facilities, 150,000 houses, 7,000 public associations, 693 schools, 855 kindergartens, 85 music schools, 695 medical institutions , 927 libraries, 44 temples, 473 historical monuments, palaces and museums, 40,000 museum exhibits, 2670 km highway, 160 bridges, 2300 km water communication, 2000 km gas communication, 15000 km electric power line, 280,000 hectares of forest, I million hectares of agricultural land, 1200 km irrigation system, etc. were destroyed and demolished. In general, in 2018, the damage caused to Azerbaijan as a result of the Armenian military aggression is estimated at more than $ 800 billion (this statistics is being defined by the International Association of Evaluators). At present, there are more than 1.2 million refugees and intentionally displaced persons in our country. The aggression also killed more than 20,000 people and left more than 50,000 disabled. In total, more than 6,000 citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan went missing, captured and taken hostage during the conflict.

The most serious consequence of Armenia's next international criminal policy, which began in a new direction on September 27, 2020 and continues today, is the crimes against the civilian population. Here, as the most severe form, after the signing of a ceasefire agreement on humanitarian purposes with Azerbaijan on October I l, 2020 upon the initiative of the Russian Federation, Armenia did not comply with it. Moreover, Armenian forces cruelly violated the Agreement and primary fired on the cities such as Mingachevir, Ganja and others from the "Tochka-U" missile complex, while these cities and living areas did not contain any military targets and the attack was aimed only towards civilian population. As a result of the "Tochka-U" missile fired directly at Ganja, 10 civilians were killed and about 40 were injured. 6 of them are children and 16 are women. In the last twenty days, as a result of Armenian attacks on the civilian population of Azerbaijan, about 50 civilians were killed and about 300 were injured. Most of them are children and women.

This provocation, which demonstrates the continuity of Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan, is a war crime that is considered an international crime, primarily against the UN Charter, the 1907 Hague Conventions defining the customs and rules of war, the 1949 Geneva Conventions on the Protection of Victims of War and the Additional Protocols of 1977, grossly violate the Statute of the International Criminal Court, as well as other numerous fundamental norms of international law. Thus, according to Article 25 of the Amendment to the Hague Convention on the Laws and Customs of the Land War of 1907, it is unequivocally forbidden to attack or bomb an unprotected city, village, settlement or building. In accordance with Article 51 of 1977 Protocol I to Geneva Convention of 1949, civilians may not be the object of a military attack. According to Article 85, it is a serious violation of international law to target civilians or to attack civilians or civilian objects knowing that they will cause excessive casualties, injuries or damage to civilians.

One of the important international crimes committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan is the seizure, destruction and intentional damage of religious, educational, artistic and scientific institutions, as well as historical monuments, art and scientific works, in short, cultural property in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. These were committed savagely in the Azerbaijani cities of Khankendi and Shusha, as well as in other occupied territories. The 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, the 1970 Convention for the Prohibition and Prevention of the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Cultural Property, and other international instruments adopted by UNESCO has been grossly violated by Armenia.

The Azerbaijani state has taken important steps to protect the rights of all national minorities living on its territory, including Armenians. Armenia, with a population of 3 million, is a monoethnic country (98% Armenian, no any Azerbaijani). Nevertheless, Azerbaijan, with a population of 10 million, is a multi-ethnic country (91.6% Azerbaijanis and 16 national minorities (Russians, Jews, Talysh, Lezgi, Armenians, etc.) live here in a spirit of tolerance and respect. Azerbaijan is a country with a very high level of religious tolerance, and this has been repeatedly noted by all leading international organizations, including the United Nations.

Today, Azerbaijan fully guarantees human rights of all nations and minorities living on its territory, including the Armenian people. However, the criminal and so-called 'govenmental' regime in Karabak'h and Armenia, which is not recognized officially by any state, including Armenia itself and international organizations, do not allow the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples to live together peacefully, when this policy has the direct support from Armenia. The crimes committed by this criminal regime in Karabakh in cooperation with the relevant leadership of Armenia, including terrorist groups, are innumerable. In these days, the so-called regime in the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh make appeals to the Armenians of the world to fight against Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis. This means the obvious involvement of mercenaries, and finally, the most serious and gross violation of international law.

Hatred against Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis is constantly propagated by Armenia. Thus, on July 21, 2020, as a result of a violent attack by a large number of Armenians living in Los Angeles, California, on a smaller number of Azerbaijanis, about 20 Azerbaijanis were physically abused, including seven Azerbaijanis (including one woman), and one police officer received bodily injuries. Four of injured persons received immediate medical treatment, one person with a secondary concussion had to stay at home for three weeks. Another victim suffered eye damage and had to stay at home for four days to recover. A woman who was beaten by 8-10 men had headaches, back pain, severe stress and depression, as a result of which she still suffers from insomnia and is receiving serious medical treatment. In this regard, the report of the International Working Group also analyzes whether the violent Los Angeles attack by Armenians is a hate crime under California law and relevant international law.

Dear colleagues, human rights advocates and researchers!

We want to convey to you the real truth with a small general picture. As scientists, we must first and foremost stand for human rights.

Please consider that this appeal is not an application made on behalf of UNESCO organization or by benefiting this name. It is just an appeal to the world's academic community, to the human rights scholars of the world by the staff of a UNESCO Chair that is seriously engaged in human rights education.

We appeal to you with a hope. We hope that you will know the truth more closely and will contribute to the renunciation of these actions by Armenia, who has committed international crimes. It is time to say no to the international crimes committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan aggression, genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, including terrorism. The world must put an end to this. We believe that the international community will seriously influence Armenia to renounce its illegal actions in accordance with international law, those responsible will be severely punished and universal cooperation will support the establishment of peace in the region.

NOTE: We are sending you a monograph published in English in this regard, including the report of the International Working Group on the hate crime against Azerbaijanis by Armenians in Los Angeles (USA) on July 21, 2020, and we hope you will know the truth in a much broader form.

With all my deep respect,

Prof. Dr. Amir Aliyev,

Head of the Chair,

On behalf of 46 academic-teaching of the UNESCO Information Law of the Law Faculty of Baku State University. October 16, 2020.