Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
Democratic Azerbaijan
July 11 2006

Illegal Settlement of Armenians by Armenia in Occupied Territories of
Azerbaijan – Rough Violation of the Principles of International Law

11.07.2006

Member of MM delegation to PACE, Ganira Pashayeva prepared the
recommendation concerning illegal settlement of Armenians by Armenia
in occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The document signed by over 30
Members of PACE is submitted to the addressing and taking measures by
the CE leading structures.
The document says:
Ignoring 4 Resolutions of the UN Security Council on unconditional
withdrawal of the Armenian Armed Forces from Azerbaijani territories
and PACE Resolution 1416 on releasing of Azerbaijani lands and return
of internally displaced persons of Azerbaijan to their native lands,
thereby Armenia endangers the direct negotiation process between two
Presidents. Armenian illegal settlement policy in occupied
Azerbaijani territories contradicts to the International law
principles, and the mentioned documents.
Increasing the number of Armenian settlements in occupied Azerbaijani
territories, Armenia endeavors to reinforce its status-quo in these
lands and to impede the return of IDPs of Azerbaijan to their native
lands.
According to official figures, before conflict in 1989 the Armenians
living in Nagorno-Garabagh, the autonomous district of Azerbaijan
were numbered 145,450. For the purposes to bring this figure to
300,000 till 2010, the official Yerevan pursues the special state
policy. According to other sources, including some Armenian data, for
the last few years the territory of Nagorno-Garabagh and 7 occupied
districts was settled by 23,000 people, including 13,000 – settled in
Lachin, 700 – in Kalbajar, 520 – in Zangilan and 280 – in Jabrayil.
Before invasion of the Armenian armed forces, the population of these
regions was Azerbaijanis. Armenia and Garabagh separatists forced
Azerbaijanis to leave their native lands and conducted ethnic
cleansing policy there. Hundreds of Armenian families from Armenia
and other countries have been settled in Aghdam, Fizuli and other
occupied regions of Azerbaijan.
Under Armenian state programme, more 15,000 people should be settled
in occupied Shusha. Armenian illegal settlement policy in occupied
Azerbaijani territories is embodied in the documents of a number of
international organizations (UN Sub-Commission on the Protection and
Promotion of Human Rights, Working Group for National Minorities; the
US Committee for Refugees, World Refugee Survey 2002, report on
Armenia; US Department of State Report on Human Rights, Azerbaijan,
25 February 2004, paragraph 2 (d); the report on activity of the
personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office for conflict
dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Group, 1 September – 31 October 2004).
Furthermore, paragraph 6 of the Article 49 of the Geneva Convention
says: "Individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations
of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of the
Occupying Power or to that of any other country, occupied or not, are
prohibited, regardless of their motive." It means that the illegal
settlement in occupied territories is a rough violation of the
International law norms.
Azerbaijan, seriously concerned with violation of all norms and
principles of International law by Armenia (4 Resolutions of the UN
Security Council, PACE Resolution, Geneva Convention) and with its
ongoing illegal actions, addressed to the UN General Assembly
concerning the situation in its occupied territories. The latest
report said that the Mission for Fact Establishment monitored the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The Mission recommends: "The OSCE
Minsk Group urges the Co-Chairmen not to allow migrants to occupied
territories any more."
Seriously concerned with Armenian illegal settlement in occupied
territories of Azerbaijan, the UN General Assembly urges:
– Armenian authorities to stop illegal settlement of Armenians in
occupied territories of Azerbaijan without delay;
– Member States of the Council of Europe to undertake necessary
measures aiming at affecting Armenia in order to stop its policy
contradicting to the norms and principles of International law,
including PACE Resolution.

–Boundary_(ID_tw8xZL8A8pkg2idTk6XyxQ )–