BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 13. Azerbaijan took
note of the judgments of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)
of 12 November 2024 on preliminary objections raised by Azerbaijan
and Armenia in the case concerning the Application of the
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination (CERD), the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said,
Trend
reports.
“The International Court of Justice has delivered a decision on
Azerbaijan’s ongoing international legal claims against Armenia in
connection with widespread human rights violations against
Azerbaijanis.
For decades Azerbaijan has sought to hold Armenia to account for
its systematic ethnic cleansing of more than a million
Azerbaijanis. These efforts have not been in vain: Armenia’s ethnic
cleansing and other misconduct during its decades of occupation of
Azerbaijan’s internationally recognised territory will now be
examined in detail by the Court in the merits phase.
Moreover, the Court has rightly rejected Armenia’s attempt to
exclude’s claims relating to Armenia’s practice of laying of
landmines and booby traps. It is vital to secure justice for the
victims of Armenia’s landmine threat, a number that tragically
continues to grow to this day. As recently as 10 November, another
Azerbaijani citizen was injured in a landmine explosion.
Targeting civilian areas with landmines is a provocation that
not only endangers the lives of innocent civilians, but threatens
the peace agreement that Azerbaijan remains committed to
achieve.
With regards to Azerbaijan’s Preliminary Objections, the Court
has importantly reserved all analysis of the facts and evidence
related to Armenia’s false claims of racial discrimination merits
phase. Azerbaijan is confident that the evidence examined by will
show that no breach of international law has been committed.
Importantly, this is not the only legal avenue Azerbaijan is
pursuing against Armenia. Azerbaijan is also seeking redress and
financial compensation for Armenia’s breaches of international law
in several other areas, including its destruction of the
environment and energy infrastructure during the occupation, in
other international legal forums.
We will continue efforts to hold Armenia accountable for its
numerous breaches of international human rights during decades of
occupation of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory and
the associated conflicts,” the statement said.
