Azerbaijan Probe: Unraveling A Political Mystery

The Azerbaijan probe refers to investigations into alleged war crimes committed by both Azerbaijan and Armenia during the 2020 conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Videos circulated on social media during the fighting, allegedly showing executions of prisoners of war and the defilement of soldiers' corpses by both sides. Azerbaijan's Prosecutor-General's Office has launched probes into these videos, vowing to identify and prosecute those responsible. Additionally, there are investigations into the use of foreign fighters by Armenian separatists and the shelling of civilian targets. The conflict resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of many civilians.

Azerbaijan probes videos of possible torture of captured Armenian soldiers

Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental country at the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and shares borders with Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, and Iran. Baku is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan.

In November 2020, Azerbaijan's Prosecutor-General's Office announced that it would be launching probes into several videos that showed the possible torture of captured Armenian soldiers and the desecration of the corpses of Armenian troops by Azerbaijani servicemen. The statement from the Prosecutor-General's Office said:

> Those who committed the mentioned illegal acts will be identified and brought to justice... detailed information on the progress and results of the investigations will be made public later.

The statement also called on Azerbaijani troops and citizens to respect and preserve historic monuments and religious buildings in the districts that were handed back to Azerbaijan as part of a Russia-brokered truce.

The videos in question were analysed by Amnesty International, who concluded that both Azerbaijani and Armenian forces had committed war crimes during the recent fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh. Amnesty International analysed 22 videos that depicted extrajudicial executions, the mistreatment of prisoners of war, and the desecration of enemy corpses. Two of the videos showed extrajudicial executions by decapitation carried out by members of the Azerbaijani military, and another showed the cutting of an Azerbaijani border guard's throat, which led to his death.

Human Rights Watch also reported on the abuse of Armenian prisoners of war, subjecting them to cruel and degrading treatment and torture either when they were captured, during their transfer, or while in custody at various detention facilities. They interviewed four former prisoners of war who detailed their ill-treatment in custody, as well as the ill-treatment of other POWs. They all described prolonged and repeated beatings, being burned with cigarettes, and being given very little water and food.

Azerbaijan's investigation into desecration of corpses of Armenian troops

Azerbaijan's investigation into the desecration of corpses of Armenian troops was launched in response to videos circulating on the internet that showed possible torture of captured Armenian soldiers and the desecration of their corpses by Azerbaijani servicemen. The videos, which were analysed and authenticated by Amnesty International, depict extrajudicial executions, the mistreatment of prisoners of war and other captives, and the desecration of the dead bodies of enemy soldiers.

The investigation by Azerbaijan's Prosecutor-General's Office aims to identify and bring to justice those responsible for the mentioned illegal acts. The statement by the Prosecutor-General's Office stressed that detailed information on the progress and results of the investigations will be made public later.

The decision to launch the probes was made after investigators studied the videos, which sparked outrage and calls for independent and impartial investigations from Amnesty International. The human rights organisation urged both Azerbaijani and Armenian authorities to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of war crimes, including the desecration of corpses, committed during the recent fighting in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, which erupted on 27 September 2020, resulted in a ceasefire agreement signed on 9 November 2020. The conflict lasted 44 days and led to grave violations of international law by both sides, including torture, arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, and mass deportations.

War crime investigations into inhumane treatment of Azerbaijani prisoners

War crime investigations into the inhumane treatment of Azerbaijani prisoners have been launched by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International. Both organisations have found evidence of war crimes committed by Armenian and Azerbaijani forces during the six-week conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in 2020.

Human Rights Watch

In March 2021, HRW documented several cases of violence, torture, and inhumane treatment of civilians by Azerbaijani forces. They interviewed two people who had been held in captivity, examined photo and video evidence, reviewed medical documents, and spoke with lawyers representing the families.

One case involved the detention of 72-year-old Arega Shahkeldyan and her 79-year-old husband, Eduard. Azerbaijani soldiers took the couple from their home in the village of Avetaranots and transported them to a prison in Baku, where Eduard died in custody under unclear circumstances. Arega was held for six weeks before being returned to Armenia. Eduard's body was returned to his family the following month, and his death certificate listed the cause of death as a blunt brain injury, brain swelling, and acute disorder of vital brain function.

Another case involved 71-year-old Sasha Gharakhanyan and his 44-year-old son, Arsen. Azerbaijani soldiers took the pair from their home in Hadrut. Arsen was taken to a prison in Baku, where he was held in a cell with five other civilians. Sasha was returned to Armenia in December 2020, bearing scars on his wrists, ankles, and head. Arsen was later found dead near the village of Aygestan, with clear marks of gunshots through his forehead and chin.

Amnesty International

Amnesty International analysed 22 videos that depicted extrajudicial executions, the mistreatment of prisoners of war, and the desecration of dead bodies. They found evidence of war crimes committed by both Azerbaijani and Armenian forces, including:

• Two videos showing extrajudicial executions by decapitation by Azerbaijani military members.
• A video showing the cutting of an Azerbaijani border guard's throat, leading to his death.
• Eleven videos showing violations by Armenian forces, including cutting the ear off a dead Azerbaijani soldier, dragging a corpse by a rope tied to their feet, and standing on a corpse.
• Seven videos showing Azerbaijani soldiers kicking and beating bound and blindfolded Armenian prisoners and forcing them to make statements opposing their government.

Azerbaijan's probe into Armenian soldiers defiling bodies of Azerbaijani servicemen

Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General, Kamran Aliyev, announced in November 2020 that the country was investigating alleged war crimes committed by both Azerbaijani and Armenian forces during the six weeks of fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. This came after videos circulated on social media that allegedly showed executions of Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijani troops and Armenian soldiers defiling the bodies of Azerbaijani servicemen.

Aliyev stated that his office was studying the footage as part of an investigation into the inhumane treatment of Azerbaijani prisoners and the defilement of bodies of Azerbaijani troops. He acknowledged that while many of the videos were fake, there were some that seemed to be authentic. Aliyev also said that Azerbaijan had initiated 73 criminal cases against Armenian forces for shelling civilian targets, resulting in the deaths of 94 civilians.

Amnesty International also analysed videos that depicted extrajudicial executions, the mistreatment of prisoners of war, and the desecration of the dead bodies of enemy soldiers. They verified two videos showing extrajudicial executions by decapitation by Azerbaijani military members and another showing the cutting of an Azerbaijani border guard's throat that led to his death. Amnesty International called on both sides to immediately conduct independent and impartial investigations, identify those responsible, and bring them to justice.

The investigation into the alleged war crimes took place as part of efforts to reach a lasting and sustainable political solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which has resulted in the displacement of many Azerbaijanis and Armenians.

Azerbaijan's investigation into the use of foreign fighters by Armenian separatists

Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General, Kamran Aliyev, confirmed to AFP that his office was studying footage of the alleged inhumane treatment of Azerbaijani prisoners and defilement of their bodies by Armenian troops. Aliyev also stated that they were investigating the use of foreign fighters, including ethnic Armenian mercenaries from other countries, by Armenian separatists. He identified individuals from France, Georgia, Crimea, and the Syrian wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as being among those wanted in connection with these allegations.

The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but governed by ethnic Armenians who reject Azerbaijani rule, erupted in late September 2020. A Moscow-brokered peace deal was announced on November 10, 2020, after Azerbaijani forces overwhelmed Armenian separatists and threatened to advance on the region's main city, Stepanakert. As a result, Armenia ceded control of seven districts, including parts of Nagorno-Karabakh, to Azerbaijan.

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