207 People Killed and Missing as a Result of Azerbaijani Aggression

YEREVAN — Armenian Security Council said in a statement on Monday that the number of those killed or missing as a result of the latest Azerbaijani aggression reaches 207 both military personnel and civilians. The Security Council meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

It said 3 civilians have been killed and the whereabouts of 2 other civilians are unknown, 293 servicemen have been wounded, 3 civilians and 20 servicemen have been taken captives.

There is evidence of cases of torture, mutilation, dismemberment of captured or wounded Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijanis, it said.

Armenia’s Office of the Human Rights Defender, said on Monday that it identified 16 Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) in amateur videos of the fighting that appeared on Azerbaijani social media accounts.

One of those soldiers, Davit Gishyan, was recognized by his father, who immediately alerted an Armenian government body dealing international protection of POWs and missing persons. It was quick to ask the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to issue an “interim measure” ordering Azerbaijani to guarantee his life and proper treatment.

It emerged afterwards that Gishyan’s dead body is among the remains of 32 Armenian soldiers handed over by the Azerbaijani military to the Armenian side on Saturday.

Armenia’s top army general, Eduard Asryan, said on Friday that another, female Armenian soldier was brutally murdered after being captured by Azerbaijani troops. Asryan cited a social media video of her mutilated body circulated by Azerbaijani users.

The armed forces of Azerbaijan targeted 36 settlements, including Goris, Sisian, Kapan, Jermuk, Vardenis, Tegh, Geghamasar communities, as a result of which 192 houses, 3 hotels, 2 schools, 1 medical facility, 1 banquet hall were partially or completely destroyed. 4 cattle yards. Seven power transmission plants, 5 water supply stations, three gas pipelines, one bridge, two highways, one street were damaged. Two ambulances and four private cars were targeted.

“The armed forces of Azerbaijan invaded the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia in several directions. Thanks to the persistent and heroic resistance of the Armed Forces of Armenia and the involvement of the international community, the attack of Azerbaijan was stopped, but the military-political situation remains tense,” the statement by the Security Council said.

According to the Security Council, the aggressive policy pursued by Azerbaijan is aimed at aborting the efforts towards establishment of peace in the region, opening of regional communications, and comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and imposing military solutions on the Republic of Armenia.

“Having adopted the agenda of establishing peace and opening regional communications, the Republic of Armenia considers unacceptable the policy of threat and coercion conducted by Azerbaijan,” the Council said.

The Security Council declared that the Republic of Armenia will protect its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity by all available means and emphasized that the Azerbaijani troops must withdraw from the occupied territories of Armenia.

It called on the international community to continuously put pressure on Azerbaijan to end the occupation of the sovereign territories of the Republic of Armenia and to withdraw the troops, and we welcome all those countries and organizations that have taken a clear position.

At the same time, the Security Council reaffirmed the commitment of the Republic of Armenia to adhere to its obligations as a responsible member of the international community.