'ISIL-linked terrorists involved in fighting against Armenian civilians'  - ombudsman warns of larger-scale humanitarian disaster

Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan has raised alarm over ISIL-linked terrorists' presence in the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict zone, warning of an imminent humanitarian disaster across the region in case of a failure to take proper steps..

His official statement, expressing concern over the threats to civilians and calling for an international action, is provided below:

Mercenaries and members of terror groups are involved in military attacks from Azerbaijan against Armenian population. According to the majority of credible sources, thousands of mercenaries from Libya and northern parts of Syria, who also have affiliations with ISIS, have been deployed to Azerbaijan by Turkey.

This is confirmed by evidence gathered from an independent investigation conducted by the Human Rights Defender of Armenia. The evidence includes photos and video materials objectively demonstrating the same.

This is occurring, right now, squarely in the territory of the Council of Europe.

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia calls upon the international community to turn its attention immediately to these extremely worrying, indeed criminal, developments.

Without urgent and real preventive steps, the ongoing humanitarian disaster that Azerbaijan and Turkey’s actions have directly caused on the peaceful population will certainly lead to severe consequences for the whole region. The use of mercenaries is a crime with multiple, complex consequences—including, of course, a threat to security, to peace and to the entire system of human rights. This fundamental principle is confirmed in the UN Human Rights Council’s 42/9 Resolution of 26 September 2019.

The collected evidentiary material and data will be sent to our international partners in all necessary and actionable formats.

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia continues to operate in an extraordinary manner, around-the-clock and 24/7. Close cooperation is established with the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh).