Armenia will hold Azerbaijan liable for torturing own people: President

 September 26, 2015 - 17:41 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Prior to addressing issues on the agenda of the 6th session of the Armenian Genocide centennial committee, which kicked off Saturday, September 26, at Presidential headquarters in Yerevan, President Serzh Sargsyan analyzed the grave ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan during the last two years and promised to take every measure to reveal and punish the perpetrators.

The President's speech reads:

“On the eve of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly and amid the regular peacemaking efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, Azerbaijan once again impenitently violated the ceasefire, confident of is impunity and inspired by the practice of numerous international players of putting the conflicting sides’ actions on equal footing. As a consequence, we have suffered painful losses: 4 young Armenian soldiers were destroyed, 3 women were killed the previous day.

They were killed because an entire world can’t make Azerbaijan understand that human losses, bloodshed, suffering and tortures never lead to peace, prosperity, stability and security.

By deviating from the path of the peaceful resolution of the conflict, Azerbaijan is also deviating, gradually and steadily, from the path of other norms of international law. Azerbaijan’s criminal regime is further plunging into the swamp of crimes against humanity.

Laws of the civilized world call upon the international community to put an end to the impunity of crimes against humanity. Armenia is committed to the issue. We will consistently reveal and punish all the perpetrators, including the soldier, who follows the order, and the commander, who gives the order. Lacking alternatives, we will punish the perpetrators ourselves, as long as the civilized world is unable to find a more effective mechanism.

We say we are not afraid of war, and we mean it. Armenia, with Nagorno Karabakh as its integral part, is one of the world's most militarized areas. Throughout more than 20 years of the imposed ceasefire, which has been impossible to turn into peace because of Azeri authorities, we have tried our best to avoid new confrontations. We will continue in the same vein, revenging for our fallen soldiers and civilians.

We will make Azerbaijani government claim responsibility for the suffering it caused its own people.”