A Way to Curb the Anti-Armenian Politics of Azerbaijan’s Aliyev

Violation of the principle: The invasion of Azerbaijan into the internationally recognized borders of the Republic of Armenia (in particular, on May 12, 2021, September 13-14, 2022) and its carrying out operations on the territory of Armenia, including military-technical works, is an interference in the normal life of the territorial units of Armenia and the entire country. Such operations, in addition to security threats, also entail socio-economic constraints for the local population.

Principle VI: Abstention from the use of arrangements of collective defense to serve the particular interests of any of the big powers, abstention by any country from exerting pressures on other countries

Violation of the principle: The struggle by the Republic of Armenia against the existence of the army, the most critical structure that ensures its security, up to the point of abolishing the armed forces or imposing restrictions on them, is nothing but an encroachment on Armenia’s right to defend itself as a member state of the United Nations.

Principle VII: Refraining from acts or threats of aggression or the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any country

Violation of the principle: Many threats have been made against Armenia by Aliyev himself and his administration. They related to the political independence of Armenia: for example, the claim that Armenians cannot have an independent state and must be part of another big state. Threats were also made against such a structure of strategic significance in the territory of Armenia, such as the Metsamor nuclear power plant. Such statements represent a passive nuclear attack, that is, a threat to use a means of mass extermination.

Principle VIII: Settlement of all international disputes by peaceful means, such as negotiation, conciliation, arbitration, or judicial settlement, as well as other peaceful means of the parties’ own choice, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations

Violation of the principle: From 1992 to September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan, together with the parties and mediators involved in the Artsakh issue (in particular, Armenia, as the guarantor of Artsakh’s security, co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group authorized by the United Nations, Russia, the USA, and France), has consistently confirmed the intolerance toward a military solution to the conflict. In other words, everyone has always accepted that a peaceful settlement is the only acceptable solution to the problem. The consistent emphasis of this principle (approach), which followed every negotiation discussion, made the party initiating military actions legally responsible for violating the format of the problem-solving process. By unleashing a war against Artsakh on September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan became accountable for violating the path of a peaceful settlement. Since the achieved independence of the Republic of Artsakh (December 1991), the relations between the Republic of Artsakh and the Republic of Azerbaijan should be considered international. In addition, as already mentioned, Azerbaijan has not only violated its obligation to peacefully resolve disputes relating to the Artsakh issue. Still, it has also undertaken a military invasion of the territory of Armenia.

Principle IX: Promotion of mutual interests and cooperation

Violation of the principle: Azerbaijan has been consistently implementing the economic blockade of Armenia for three decades. As a result of the latter, the infrastructures of Armenia have been isolated from a significant part of the regional system. Such targeting of another country is evidence of a deliberate failure to cooperate.

Principle X: Respect for justice and international obligation

Violation of the principle: According to Ilham Aliyev’s decree, Azerbaijan has violated the assumed international obligations and encroached on justice. One vivid example was Aliyev’s pardoning of Azerbaijani citizen Ramil Safarov, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Hungary for assassinating an Armenian citizen (Gurgen Margaryan) during a NATO partnership training visit. Hungary later extradited Safarov to Azerbaijan (on August 31, 2012), and, despite Azerbaijan’s obligation to keep him imprisoned, freeing R. Safarov violated the assumed obligations.

The above-mentioned cases of violations of the Non-Aligned Movement’s foundation principles by its member-state (and current chair) of Azerbaijan allow Armenia to apply to members of the Movement by raising the facts of these violations. Having Azerbaijan’s leader Aliyev removed from the position of the head of the Movement is an essential step toward curbing his anti-Armenian politics.

(An Armenian-language version of this article was published by the author, a resident of Hong Kong, in Aravod newspaper of Yerevan in 2021.)