Azerbaijan uses weapons of mass destruction containing chemical components - ombudsman

Armenia's human rights defender continues calling international organizations' attention to the increasing concerns over the use, by the Azerbaijani armed forces, of weapons of mass destruction containing chemical components.
 
In a public post on Facebook, Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan also highlights the fact that the ammunition, potentially causing unstoppable fire, targets forests currently serving as a temporary hidieout for civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).

The full text of his statement is below:  

Objective evidence was published yesterday and today on the use, by the Azerbaijani armed forces, of weapons of mass destruction containing chemical elements against the civilian infrastructures of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

The latest available information reveals that the ammunition contains phosphorus. A number of reports have been released ever since certifying that the said weaponry contains also other chemicals of mass destruction.

Nevertheless, it is important to highlight at least the following facts:

1) weapons of mass destruction are being used;

2) the ammunition contains chemical elements;

3) it is used for targeting forests, causing massive fire and destruction;

4) according to expert assessments, the fire, caused by this type of weaponry, won't very often stop even with the help of extinguishers or water;

5) the forests where those weapons were used are located near the civilian communities (according to the latest available data, the regions of Shushi, Martakert, Askeran);

6) the fact-finding activities reveal that civilians hide in those forests to avoid attacks by the Azerbaijani armed forces.

The use of the said weaponry, especially by such methods, is prohibited under international law.

The human rights defenders of Armenia and Artsakh are currently conducting joint analyses to compile and publish their findings, and later send the outcomes to the corresponding international organizations.