General Prosecutor's Office appeals to international and foreign partners regarding environmental crimes of Armenia

The General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan appealed to international and foreign partners for cooperation regarding environmental crimes of Armenia, Report informs.

The appeal reads:

“The General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan launched a probe into information received from various sources, including the information published in local and foreign media, regarding the pollution of the Araz River and its left tributary, the Okchuchay, in the region bordering the Republic of Armenia.

“The prosecutors have established so far that Armenia's large mining enterprises Kajaran Copper-Molybdenum Plant and the Gafan Ore Processing Plant have been intensively polluting the trans-border Okchuchay for a long time. As a result of pollution, toxic waste containing chromium, nickel, copper, molybdenum, zinc, aluminum, vanadium, and other heavy metals is discharged into Okchuchay on a continuous basis. Despite the fact that the problems in the current production have not been solved, the construction of a large metallurgical plant is underway in the village of Yeraskh (Arazdayan) of Armenia. In these cases, foreign investors from the leading countries of the world do not ensure compliance with any environmental protection norms contrary to the requirements of international and domestic legislation of their countries. The operation of mining facilities and the construction of new ones pose a threat to the lives and health of tens of thousands of people.

Therefore, guided by the requirements of the UN Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes Protection and Espoo (Environmental Impact Measurement) conventions, the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan has appealed to the relevant foreign and international organizations, including the UN Economic Commission, as well as the relevant environmental ministries of the United Kingdom and Germany, for cooperation in determining the impact caused to the environment. The Prosecutor General emphasized the necessity of objective and neutral investigation and aimed at the required result of securing the proper operation of mining facilities, in line with industrial standards for environmental protection.

“The Prosecutor General thereby applied his statutory power of motion in order to eliminate violations of the law and the reasons and conditions conducive to the criminal offence.

“According to the Prosecutor’s Office, as violations of the law have been committed, all cases will be investigated objectively, and appropriate legal measures will be taken in accordance with national and international legislation.”