The Destruction of At Least 1815 Hectares of Forests in Artsakh is a War Crime: Artsakh Ombudsman

In parallel with the targeting of civilian settlements and facilities, particularly in recent days, the armed forces of Azerbaijan are deliberately igniting forested areas in Artsakh, reportedly utilizing banned munitions, mainly white phosphorus. The fact-finding mission of the Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh has revealed that the deliberate arson of Artsakh's forests by Azerbaijanis is widespread, affecting all regions. According to preliminary information, 1815 hectares of forested area have already been engulfed in flames, but fires continue to spread in various locations, showing a rapid increase in scale.

Given the extent and geographical distribution of the burned forests, the population of the Republic of Artsakh is facing an environmental disaster that undermines ecological security in the region and poses severe long-term threats to the life and health of the residents of Artsakh. Additionally, the Azerbaijani armed forces aim to harm the civilian population taking refuge in the forests through this criminal methodology.

The Ombudsman emphasizes that the deliberate burning of Artsakh's forests by the Azerbaijani armed forces constitutes a war crime and calls upon the international community to take practical steps to condemn Azerbaijani atrocities and punish those responsible.

Recall that on September 27, Azerbaijani forces launched a large-scale attack in Artsakh, also targeting peaceful civilians. The Azerbaijani armed forces have targeted both military and civilian infrastructure in Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia, resulting in the deaths of two civilians in Gegharkunik, 45 civilians in Artsakh, and injuries to 141 civilians. Journalists from both foreign and local media have been injured due to the Azerbaijani shelling. A state of martial law was declared in Armenia and Artsakh on September 27. A humanitarian ceasefire has been declared three times so far, but it has been violated by Azerbaijani armed forces.