MP: Armenian authorities consistently pursued criminal policy against Azerbaijan

Both Armenia's former leadership and its supporters, as well as the forces that came to power after 2018, consistently continued what Azerbaijan regards as a criminal policy, Member of Parliament Bahruz Maharramov told Report while commenting on President Ilham Aliyev's speech at the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku.

The MP said President Aliyev's speech carried deep political, legal and analytical significance and, in his assessment, amounted to a programmatic statement on restoring historical justice, upholding international law and combating impunity at the regional and global levels.

"As President Ilham Aliyev rightly emphasized, the international community turned a blind eye for a long time to Armenia's occupation policy over 30 years, the genocides it committed, and the destruction of cities and villages. The fact that UN Security Council resolutions demanding the immediate liberation of the occupied territories remained on paper, as well as the indifference shown by major powers, amounted in practice to indirect and, in some cases, even open support for the aggressor. This approach and the resulting impunity only further increased the scale of the aggressor's brazenness," Maharramov said.

"When Azerbaijan restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity by force in accordance with the norms and principles of international law and the requirements of the UN Charter, the so-called 'international community' immediately raised its voice. This is a clear example of the double-standard policy pursued by circles driven by geopolitical interests," he added.

Maharramov said Armenia's former leadership, including all three former presidents and their supporters, as well as the forces that came to power after 2018, had consistently continued what he described as a criminal policy.

"With this statement, Ilham Aliyev effectively exposed attempts by the current Armenian authorities to shift responsibility onto previous governments. As the president noted, separatist leaders, war criminals and child killers were tried in Azerbaijan, and this judicial process is analogous to the historic Nuremberg tribunal," the MP said.

He added that despite what he described as three decades of crimes committed at the state level by Armenia, including Khojaly and other acts he characterized as genocide and numerous atrocities, Azerbaijan had not sought revenge against civilians or taken advantage of the helpless position of the defeated side.

"Azerbaijan restored justice on the battlefield. The Azerbaijani state did not descend to the level of child killers and instead offered peace. But this does not mean that war criminals will evade responsibility," Maharramov said.

According to the MP, holding fully accountable those accused of genocide, war crimes and ecocide against Azerbaijanis remains on the agenda.

"The pursuit on a global scale of war criminals placed on international wanted lists by Azerbaijan's law-enforcement agencies, increasing efforts to have them detained and brought to justice through Interpol and other mechanisms, and resolutely continuing claims before international courts over destruction, environmental damage and economic losses that Azerbaijan attributes to the Armenian state are necessary stages of this process that still await resolution," he said.

Maharramov added that work had also begun to promote internationally the educational role of sites such as Victory Park, the Victory Museum and the Military Trophy Park, which he said would help ensure that future generations and the international community do not forget these events.

"Impunity always creates the ground for new wars, and for lasting and long-term peace to be ensured in the region, the lessons of the past must be taken into account and criminals must receive the punishment they deserve," the MP said.