Nagorno-Karabakh: UN cites war crimes and use of cluster munitions

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights refers to war crimes in Nagorno Karabakh and denounces the use of cluster munitions against civilians on both sides.

Bars Media Documentary Film Studio via REUTERS

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

Since September 27, heavy fighting has broken out between Azerbaijani forces and separatists from the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights refers to war crimes and denounces the use of cluster munitions against civilians on both sides.

Publicity

Read more

With our correspondent in Mingetchevir

,

Emmanuel Grynszpan

The United Nations put its finger on Monday on a reality already well documented since

the start of the conflict

 more than a month ago.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet supports the thesis that summary executions of Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijani forces did take place last month.

Executions that were filmed by their perpetrators and published on social networks.

The very low number of prisoners of war captured on both sides suggests that this serious violation of the laws of war is not exceptional.

More seriously still, Michelle Bachelet denounced the use of cluster munitions by both parties, weapons which are particularly lethal when used against

civilians

.

On October 28, several cluster munitions rockets exploded in the center of Barda, Azerbaijan, killing 21 people.

The use of cluster munitions by Azerbaijani artillery against the towns of Nagorno-Karabakh is also well documented.

The problem is that neither

Armenia

nor Azerbaijan have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and risk turning a deaf ear to the remonstrances of the United Nations.

► 

Also to listen

: Nagorno-Karabakh: the population continues to leave the region to take shelter in Armenia

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • Nagorno-Karabakh

  • Armenia

  • Azerbaijan

  • UN

On the same subject

Nagorno-Karabakh: Azerbaijan carries out targeted eliminations by drones

Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenia and Azerbaijan accuse each other of violating new truce