Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Arman Taoyan has presented the maps that the Azerbaijani military have in their special booklets. Most of these maps show the Republic of Armenia as a historical territory of Azerbaijan.
According to the Ombudsman, these maps are accompanied by texts that clearly do not correspond to reality, which are directly based on the theses of the propaganda of anti-Armenianism and hostility organized by the Azerbaijani authorities.
Moreover, he says, those very texts are accompanied by inflammatory and inspiring expressions of deep hatred towards Armenians.
“All this is falls within the competence of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, as it concerns the guarantee of the entire Armenian people’s rights to life, property and all others rights, their protection from torture and inhuman treatment,” Arman Tatoyan said.
According to him, it is this kind of propaganda that has over years developed an institutional system of propaganda of hatred and enmity towards Armenians based on ethnicity in Azerbaijan.
The Ombudsman’s investigation shows that these are among the main reasons why the Azerbaijani Armed Forces committed and continue to commit war crimes, atrocities (beheadings, shootings, torture, etc.) against Armenians in April 2016, September-November 2020 and other periods.
Expert examination of videos of atrocities by Armenian Ombudsman’s staff confirms that Azerbaijani servicemen use expressions derived from the propaganda theses of inspiration when torturing or killing Armenian soldiers or civilians.
All this is confirmed by real and concrete evidence obtained by the Human Rights Defender of Armenia.
“It is obvious that in the face of these challenges today more than ever we need solidarity, unity, respect for each other and exclusion of any kind of development that could lead to tensions within our country, for the sake of each of us and the rights of our entire nation,” the Human Rights Defender said.
“The international community, and especially international organizations with a mandate to protect human rights, must take decisive action to prevent a reprehensible propaganda of hatred and enmity towards Armenians based on ethnicity, using information that is clearly untrue. They must prove that they are true to their calling and mission, that they still adhere to the international rules they have established,” Arman Tatoyan added.
The Ombudsman will send all this, accompanied by a corresponding analysis, will be sent to international bodies and will be provided to the relevant structures of Armenia.