We, the Azerbaijanis in Australia, reach out to you with a heavy heart and an urgent plea for acknowledgment and action regarding the dire circumstances facing our homeland.
The environmental havoc that Armenia has wrought upon our lands is both extensive and devastating. As a direct result of activities by enterprises based in Armenia and the brutal exploitation of our natural resources in the once-occupied lands of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, our natural environment has suffered significantly. The magnitude of this destruction can be gauged from the fact that over 60,000 hectares of our forests have been destroyed, looted, uprooted, and sold by the Armenians. Furthermore, our rivers, the lifeblood of our nation, are being contaminated, leading to the decline and possible extinction of the indigenous fauna.
Moreover, the haunting legacy of Armenian landmine terror continues to cast a shadow over Azerbaijan’s liberated territories. The heart-wrenching tally of landmine victims in Azerbaijan has tragically escalated to 303 since the culmination of the war in 2020. This insidious terror not only results in the death or maiming of our military and civilians but also impedes the repatriation process of our internally displaced countrymen. The ongoing threat stifles businesses, disrupts restoration work, and casts a lingering pall over the entire region. Armenia’s deliberate act of sowing these landmines without providing precise maps of these mined territories starkly showcases their flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law.
What’s more, we are deeply distressed by the evidence disseminated by Armenian media outlets that glaringly showcases the torture and inhuman treatment meted out to an Azerbaijani soldier. One particularly harrowing video portrays an Azerbaijani soldier enduring physical assault and verbal abuse, his hands bound in a cruel shackle. This is not just an act of inhumanity; it’s a direct contravention of the Third Geneva Convention, which mandates the humane treatment of all individuals, especially prisoners of war, safeguarding them against violence, humiliation, and public display.
We beseech the global community and relevant organizations to launch a comprehensive investigation into Armenia’s mine and environmental terror against Azerbaijan, as well as the atrocities inflicted upon captured Azerbaijani servicemen. It is our collective moral imperative to address these grave injustices and ensure the well-being of innocent Azerbaijani citizens.
With hope for justice and peace.