News - Dunja Mijatović condemns the resumption of military escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović has condemned the renewed military escalation around the Karabakh region and its impact on the civilian population, especially the most vulnerable ones. “I deplore the renewed military escalation around the Karabakh region and its impact on civilians, especially on the most vulnerable”, said today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović.  “Over the past years, as noted in my 2021 Memorandum, the local population has been suffering the humanitarian and human rights consequences of armed hostilities in the region. Since last December, in particular, they have been living in isolation, experiencing acute shortages of basic supplies and services. I am deeply concerned to see that their safety is once again threatened and their human rights violated, deepening their suffering. I note that a ceasefire has just been announced. It is crucial that armed hostilities in the region come to an end, to ensure the safety of the civilian population. Guaranteeing regular and unimpeded access for those who provide humanitarian assistance and those who ensure human rights protection to the affected local population is essential.  The path towards reconciliation should be urgently reinstated and dialogue based on full respect for the human rights of the affected population must be restored to ensure lasting peace for all people. I confirm my commitment and readiness to engage with all the relevant interlocutors and to travel to the region to assist in overcoming the existing human rights challenges,” reads the statement issued by Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović. Nagorno-Karabakh has reached an agreement with Azerbaijan with the mediation of Russian peacekeepers to completely stop the fire from 1 p.m. on Wednesday. An agreement was also reached on the withdrawal of the remaining units and servicemen of the RA Armed Forces from the deployment zone of the Russian peacekeeping troops and the dissolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh armed formations, the complete disarmament of the Defense Army, as well as the withdrawal of heavy equipment and weapons from the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh in order to quickly eliminate them. In addition, on Thursday, the representatives of Artsakh and Azerbaijan will meet in Yevlakh, a city in Azerbaijan located about 100 km northeast of Stepanakert, and the issues of ensuring the security of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians will be discussed.