The European Court of Human Rights

Armenia on Tuesday announced that it has filed a new complaint with the European Court of Human Rights accusing Azerbaijan of abusing rights of Armenian residents in the villages of Khramort and Parukh in Artsakh’s Askeran Region when Azerbaijani forces invaded that area in March.

The ECHR complaint was filed on July 27 this year, according to a social media post by the Office of the Representative of Armenia on International Legal Issues.

The complaint refers to the violation of the rights of civilians due to Azerbaijani aggression against the Armenian villages of Khramort and Parukh of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2022, to real threats voiced by Azerbaijan against the residents of borderline villages in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as to cases of use of force in 2021-2022 by Azerbaijani armed forces against civilians in violation of the latter’s right to life.

After cutting off the gas supply to Armenian residents of Artsakh, Azerbaijani forces began a systematic campaign of harassment in the Askeran region, often broadcasting threats over loud speakers by telling residents to leave their villages or else face ramifications. This tactic was followed by intermittent shelling of civilian targets, which were under the protection of Russian peacekeepers.

On March 24, Azerbaijani forces breached the line of contact being monitored by the Russian peacekeeping forces and invaded the Parukh village and neighboring areas. After shelling Armenian positions in Artsakh, the Azerbaijani forces advanced their troops unto the strategic Karaglukh Heights overlooking all of Stepanakert. During this operation three Armenian soldiers were killed and 15 were wounded.

The Artsakh Defense Ministry maintains that Azerbaijani troops remain at some parts of Karaglukh heights near Parukh, with Artsakh authorities and Russian peacekeepers attempting to push the Azerbaijani forces back to their original positions.

The case filed last week was the third by Armenia to complain to the ECHR. In February 2021 a case was filed against Azerbaijan accusing it of violating international conventions during the 2020 Artsakh War. Another case, filed in June of last year, focused on the illegal sham trials of Armenian prisoners of war, accusing Baku of violating their rights and depriving the captives of their freedom.