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Fatima Latifova

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Azerbaijan took note of the judgments of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of 12 November 2024 on preliminary objections raised by Azerbaijan and Armenia in the case concerning the Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), Azernews reports, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.

The International Court of Justice has delivered a decision on Azerbaijan’s ongoing international legal claims against Armenia in connection with widespread human rights violations against Azerbaijanis.

For decades Azerbaijan has sought to hold Armenia to account for its systematic ethnic cleansing of more than a million Azerbaijanis. These efforts have not been in vain: Armenia’s ethnic cleansing and other misconduct during its decades of occupation of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognised territory will now be examined in detail by the Court in the merits phase.

Moreover, the Court has rightly rejected Armenia’s attempt to exclude’s claims relating to Armenia’s practice of laying of landmines and booby traps. It is vital to secure justice for the victims of Armenia’s landmine threat, a number that tragically continues to grow to this day. As recently as 10 November, another Azerbaijani citizen was injured in a landmine explosion.

Targeting civilian areas with landmines is a provocation that not only endangers the lives of innocent civilians, but threatens the peace agreement that Azerbaijan remains committed to achieve.

With regards to Azerbaijan’s Preliminary Objections, the Court has importantly reserved all analysis of the facts and evidence related to Armenia’s false claims of racial discrimination merits phase. Azerbaijan is confident that the evidence examined by will show that no breach of international law has been committed.

Importantly, this is not the only legal avenue Azerbaijan is pursuing against Armenia. Azerbaijan is also seeking redress and financial compensation for Armenia’s breaches of international law in several other areas, including its destruction of the environment and energy infrastructure during the occupation, in other international legal forums.

We will continue efforts to hold Armenia accountable for its numerous breaches of international human rights during decades of occupation of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory and the associated conflicts.