Western Azerbaijan Community welcomes arrest of Khachatryan

Western Azerbaijan Community welcomes the arrest of Khachatryan, suspected of committing genocide in Meshali, Report informs, citing the statement of the Community.

The Western Azerbaijani Community welcomes the long-awaited detention of Vagif Khachatryan, a fugitive who was on the international wanted list of Azerbaijan for decades, for his involvement in crimes against humanity committed against Azerbaijani inhabitants of Meshali village of Khojaly district in 1991. This significant success of Azerbaijan’s law enforcement bodies brings solace to the hearts of the survivors of the Meshali massacre:

"We earnestly hope that all remaining individuals indicted for their involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Armenia will be brought to justice soon.

"The actions of Armenia are deeply troubling as it consistently refuses to prosecute individuals within its jurisdiction and control who are involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity. Furthermore, the recent issuance of a statement by the Government of Armenia expressing unequivocal support for the detained fugitive only adds to the evidence that Armenia is patronizing such heinous criminals. Such behavior by Armenia calls for international condemnation."

The Western Azerbaijani Community strongly urges the international community to hold Armenia accountable and compel it to fulfill its obligations relating to prosecuting of all those within its jurisdiction and control who were involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity, including forcible expulsion of nearly one million Azerbaijanis from Armenia and formerly occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the killing of over 20,000 Azerbaijani civilians, the devastation of hundreds of Azerbaijani settlements, and the indiscriminate contamination of Azerbaijani lands with landmines, which claims civilian lives and hinders their safe return to the homeland:

"In this pursuit of justice, the Western Azerbaijani Community stands firm in its commitment to advocating for the right to return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia. We strongly believe that lasting peace and reconciliation in the region can only be achieved if justice is served."