Azerbaijani landmine victims and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) working in this field have issued an Open Letter to the President and MPs of The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Ednews reports.

The appeal reads:

“We, the victims of the landmine terror perpetrated by Armenia and its military units, along with our family members and relatives, as well as civil society organizations specialized in this field, are submitting an open letter to Mr. Tiny Kox, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and the members of PACE. We view the refusal of the PACE rapporteur on Azerbaijan, who recently visited Baku, to meet with the victims of Armenia's landmine warfare against Azerbaijan, their family members, and NGOs specializing in mine-related issues, as a mockery of the Council of Europe values and disregard for human rights and freedoms.

"We strongly condemn the fact that an organization such as PACE, self-identified as a human rights institution, has become a pawn in the hands of specific states and circles. An organization that, in the face of Azerbaijan's significant issue of landmines, maintains silence and lacks the courage to meet with landmine victims should feel ashamed of itself.

"The behavior exhibited by PACE representatives is a reprehensible act that directly lends support to Armenia's landmine terror.

"More than a million landmines and unexploded ordnances are estimated to have been planted until recently in the territories liberated from occupation. In the aftermath of the 44-day war 2020, Armenia continued to transport landmines along the Lachin road and plant them in the Azerbaijani territories. We did not forget that rather than expressing dissent, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, defended the unhindered passage of Armenia’s illegal military units and cargoes into Azerbaijani territories along the Lachin road, facilitating their terrorist activities on another state's soil.

"Following a successful anti-terror operation on September 19-20, 2023, over 500,000 landmines and unexploded ordnances were discovered in the regained territories. This indicates that the mining of Azerbaijani territories has not ceased for a single day in the past three years; instead, it has escalated. The inclusion of Armenia in international reports as one of the mine-producing countries further substantiates this. Azerbaijan stands as one of the most heavily contaminated countries with mines globally. Lise Christoffersen, whom you recently dispatched to Azerbaijan, was one of the staunch advocates of Armenia's transportation of mines to Azerbaijan via the Lachin road.

"Therefore, landmine victims are not particularly surprised by this shameful attitude on the part of the Council of Europe and its double standards concerning Azerbaijan. In the recent past, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has failed to urge Armenia, one of its member states, even once to withdraw its military units from the Azerbaijani territory and provide landmine maps. More than one million Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons have fallen victim to islamophobia, xenophobia, azerbaijanophobia, lobby and corruption networks that have taken root in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe over the years. Their human rights and freedoms have been blatantly ignored by the international organization headquartered in France.

"If, as the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, you continue to remain silent on this matter even after our appeal, you will forfeit any moral authority to speak about human rights and freedoms.

"Mr. President, receive and listen to us. Witness the extent of our suffering at the hands of Armenia's mine terror, see the losses we have endured, and understand the torture our families and relatives are going through due to our disabilities. We are also human beings with our own rights and wishes. If the Council of Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe are truly human rights institutions, listening to and helping us must be their main duty."

Signatures:

1. Rey Gasimov - Chairman of the "Association of Landmine Victims in Azerbaijan" Public Union;

2. Safikhanov Hafiz - Chairman of the "Azerbaijan Campaign Against Landmines" Public Union;

3. Mirzayev Umud - President of the International Eurasian Press Fund;

4. Mammadov Zabil Alastan oghlu, victim of landmine;

5. Mammadzade Vidadi Veli oghlu, victim of landmine;

6. Mine victim Zeynalov Telman Babir oghlu;

7. A family member of Ahmedov Yasin Alasgar oghlu, who died as a result of a mine explosion

Ahmadov Alasgar Aziz oghlu;

8. Ahmadov Asif Alasgar oghlu, a mine victim;

9. Mine victim Khudiyev Asef Mursal oghlu;

10. Mine victim Babayev Ramil Nazim oghlu;

11. Yagubov Elshan Yagub oghlu, a family member of Yagubov Fakhraddin Yagub oglu, who died as a result of the mine incident;

12. Kahramanov Muhammed Khalil oghlu, a family member of Uzeyir Khalil Kahramanov, who was killed as a result of a mine incident;

13. Hajiyeva Shabnam Shakir gizi, a family member of Hajiyev Shakir Maharram oghlu, who died as a result of a mine incident;

14. Gadimzade Tural Firuddin oghlu, a family member of Hajiyev Firuddin Maharram oghlu, who was killed as a result of a mine incident;

15. Huseynov Adishirin Zulfugar oghlu, a family member of Huseynov Zulfugar Adishirin oghlu, who was killed as a result of a mine incident;

16. Safarov Samir Maharram oghlu, a family member of Adilzadeh Zibeyda Shakir, who died as a result of a mine incident;

17. Ahmadov Togrul Vilayat oghlu, victim of a mine;

18. Ahmedov Orkhan Kamil oghlu, a mine victim;

19. Babayev Fadakar Gabil oghlu, a family member of Babayev Zabil Gabil oghlu, who was killed as a result of a mine incident;

20. Alakbarov Elgun Mahmud oghlu, a mine victim;

21. Mirzayev Elmeddin Tofig oghlu, a mine victim;

22. Imanov Azad Telman oghlu, a family member of Imanov Bahruz Telman oghlu, who died as a result of a mine incident;

23. Mine victim Mukhtarov Azad Aydın oghlu;

24. Guliyev Shahin Allahverdi, a family member of Guliyev Mehman Allahverdi oghlu, who died as a result of a mine incident;

25. Alasgarov Shaig Mustaqim, a family member of Alasgarov Mustaqim Allahveran oghlu, who died as a result of a mine explosion;

26. Mine victim Verdiyev Niyamaddin Hikmat oghlu;

27. Azimzadeh Hafiz Salim oghlu, a mine victim;

28. The father of Huseynov Bayram and Huseynov Razin, who were killed as a result of the mine incident, as well as the injured Huseynov Anar, the son of Huseynov Akif Mukhtar, who was a victim of the mine;

29. Mammadov Emin Hasan oglu, a mine victim;

30. Mine victim Guliyev Arif Sabir oglu;

31. Samadov Shirzad Abish oghlu, a family member of Abishov Siraj Abish oghlu, who died as a result of a mine incident;

32. Ibrahimov Asgar Ali oghlu, a family member of Ibrahimov Maharram Ali oghlu, who died as a result of a mine incident;

33. Mine victim Aslanov Khanlar Fazil oghlu;

34. Hamidov Faig Sovet oglu, a family member of Hamidov Elsavar Sovet oghlu, who died as a result of the landmine incident;

35. Abilov Mahir Ramiz oghlu, a mine victim;

36. Gandiyev Firuddin Ismayil oglu, a family member of Gandiyev Vusal Firuddin oghlu, who was killed as a result of a mine incident;

37. Mine victim Valiyev Ruhin Sultan oghlu;

38. Mine victim Jabbarov Nijat Novruz oghlu;

39. Panahov Rodik Shamseddin oglu, a mine victim;

40. Mine victim Aliyarov Sadir Heydar oghlu;

41. Askerov Elnur Asif oghlu, a mine victim;

42. Alishov Nasib Oktay, a family member of Alishov Oktay Bayram oghlu, who died as a result of a mine incident;

43. Mahmudov Shahriyar Mahmud oghlu, a family member of Mahmudov Bakhtiyar Mahmud oghlu, who was killed as a result of the mine incident;

44. Mine victim Gurbanov Abdulla Novruz oghlu;

45. Mine victim Novruzov Ruhin Aladdin oghlu;

46. Daughter of Jafarova Tamam Aslan, a mine victim;

47. Mine victim Babashov Khazar Tariyel oglu;

48. Gurbanov Abdulla Novruz oghlu, a mine victim;

49. Mine victim Alasgarov Abdulla Hamid oghlu;

50. Askerov Masim Hasan oghlu, a mine victim;

51. Mine victim Aliyev Sahib Isa oghlu;

52. Sadikhov Eldar Sabirovich, a family member of mine victim Sadikhov Samir Sabirovich;

53. Family member of mine victim Guliyev Farhad Huseynaga oghlu Guliyev Famil Huseynaga oghlu;

54. Mine victim Hasanov Zamaddin Qalandar oghlu;

55. Abilov Amil Ilyas oghlu, family member of mine victim Abilov Famil Ilyas oghlu

56. Nuraliyev Ahmadaga Khanbala, a family member of mine victim Nuraliyev Elchin Khanbala;

57. Mine victim Agalarov Ali Alibaba oghlu;
58. Family member of mine victim Huseynov Asif Novruz oghlu Huseynov Vusal Asif oghlu.