MP: Restoration of Azerbaijan's sovereignty resulted from struggle against occupation

The full restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and state sovereignty was the result of a resolute struggle against violations of the norms and principles of international law, occupation policies and a climate of impunity, Member of Parliament Gunay Aghamali told Report while commenting on President Ilham Aliyev's speech at the 7th CICA Summit.

The MP said Armenia's occupation policy against Azerbaijan over several decades, as well as massacres, ethnic cleansing and serious crimes against humanity committed against the Azerbaijani people, could neither be forgotten nor forgiven.

"Those responsible for the Khojaly genocide, the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of our compatriots from their native lands, and the destruction of our cities and villages must be brought to justice.

International law must be applied according to the same standards to all individuals and states, regardless of political affiliation or position. Selective approaches observed in some decisions of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament concerning Azerbaijan weaken confidence in international institutions and contradict the fundamental values they proclaim," Aghamali said.

She noted that the essence of the trials held in Baku was to determine the individual responsibility of persons accused of serious international crimes.

"These proceedings were conducted within Azerbaijan's national judicial system. The fundamental principle is that crimes must not go unpunished and that responsibility must be established through legal procedures," she said.

Aghamali stressed that the failure for many years to implement the four resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council regarding Azerbaijan's occupied territories demonstrated serious gaps in the application of international law and the lack of effective enforcement mechanisms.

"It is unacceptable for adopted decisions to remain only on paper, for international law to be sacrificed to political interests, and for double standards to prevail.

Today, Azerbaijan's moral advantage lies in the fact that it has not turned cruelty and barbarism into state policy in response to the tragedies inflicted on our people. There is a fundamental difference between restoring justice and seeking revenge. Azerbaijan's restoration of its territorial integrity and sovereignty through its own strength and national will is the result of the people's unwavering determination, the growing strength of the state and a principled policy based on national interests," she said.