Azerbaijan to investigate ‘gruesome’ war crime claims

AZERBAIJANI prosecutors have launched an investigation into alleged war crimes by both sides in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-karabakh region.

Videos circulating on social media appear to show unidentified uniformed men alongside beheaded and mutilated bodies, as well as Azerbaijani soldiers taunting and torturing captured men.

One clip shows a soldier cutting the ears off dead bodies while others have emerged of Armenian soldiers defiling Azerbaijani war dead. The videos have not yet been independently verified but, if true, would depict war crimes, according to Human Rights Watch.

Azerbaijan’s prosecutor general said yesterday that his office was investigating abuses allegedly committed by both forces. “There are many fake videos, but we must say frankly that there also are videos which could be authentic,” said Kamran Aliyev.

HRW have denounced the clips as “horrific” and called for a prompt, thorough and transparent investigation.

“These videos are awful – they are really gruesome,” Giorgi Gogia, associate director, told The Daily Telegraph. “We have not verified the videos yet, but the content is really alarming.

“Execution, torture, humiliation and ill-treatment of civilians and prisoners of war are grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions.”

In a statement, the prosecutor’s office of Azerbaijan said perpetrators would be identified and put on trial, but experts cast doubt on Baku’s willingness to bring its own soldiers to justice.

“Azerbaijan does not have a great track record of investigating itself,” said Mr Gogia. “We have a ceasefire, but we don’t have peace yet in the region.

“For any lasting peace, there must be accountability.”

Azerbaijan’s army was last night pushing deeper into Nagorno-karabakh’s Kalbajar district. It is the second of three areas ceded by ethnic Armenian forces under a peace deal.