Lawyer: Azerbaijan should apply to all int’l courts with claims against Armenia

Azerbaijan needs to file lawsuits with all international courts, demanding compensation from Armenia for damages from the occupation of the lands, Report informs, citing Mikhail Finkel, an Israeli lawyer and a specialist in international law and international politics, .

“There are many cases when one country, which was an aggressor or acted unfairly towards another country, caused significant material damage, then paid compensation to a victim. Of course, this is done through international courts, and after a verdict is passed, the aggressor, occupier or perpetrator country pays very large sums of money," the expert believes.

He added that Armenia must pay compensation to Azerbaijan on the following points: for the 30-year illegal holding and occupation of Karabakh and adjacent districts, for the destruction of material assets in these territories - houses, cities, all infrastructure, for the deliberate destruction of flora and fauna, for the illegal export of material assets.

In world practice, there are precedents for paying compensation for damage from illegal military invasion and occupation.

Thus, on February 9, Iraq completed the payment of more than $50 billion in compensation for damages for the occupation of Kuwait in 1990-1991.

On August 2, 1990, Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait and occupied the country to seize its oil resources. The UN imposed sanctions on Iraq. The United States and its allies, having received a mandate from the UN Security Council, carried out Operation Desert Storm, liberating Kuwait in February 1991.

The compensation commission was established by UNSC resolutions in the spring of 1991 to administer a fund to compensate for direct loss, damage, or harm caused to citizens, companies, governments, and international organizations as a result of Iraq's illegal invasion and occupation of Kuwait.

The commission has considered more than 2.686 million claims for a total of $352.5 billion. Of these, more than 1.5 million claims were satisfied in the amount of $52.4 billion.