Investigation Confirms Use of White Phosphorus by Azerbaijan During War

To investigate the circumstances of the aggressive war launched by the Azerbaijani armed forces against the Republic of Artsakh on September 27, 2020, which was marked by gross violations of international humanitarian law, several criminal cases have been initiated by the law enforcement agencies of Artsakh. In the framework of these cases, numerous unexploded ordnance and remnants of munitions have been seized, and expert examinations have been appointed.

The Artsakh Prosecutor's Office reports that a missile found in the administrative area of Martuni was also subjected to examination by the investigative committee of Artsakh. According to the conclusion of an independent expert group (dated December 7, 2022), it was confirmed that the missile consisted of phosphorus munitions made from white phosphorus.

The entire process of discovery, disposal, and sampling of the munitions was conducted with the participation of specialists and recorded through video documentation. The object of the examination and its materials can be submitted for investigation by international experts, if necessary.

Thus, the results of the expert investigation affirmed that during the 44-day war in 2020, the Azerbaijani armed forces directly targeted civilian-populated areas with chemical weapons, resulting in mass destruction and a significant number of human losses, suffering, and damage. During and after the war, several videos indicating the use of chemical weapons were published.

In this way, Azerbaijan grossly violated Article 35 of the Geneva Convention (Protocol 1), which stipulates that: ‘1. In any armed conflict, the right of the parties to choose methods and means of warfare is not unlimited. 2. It is prohibited to employ weapons, projectiles, and materials, and to adopt methods of warfare that may cause excessive injury or unnecessary suffering. 3. It is prohibited to employ methods or means of warfare that are intended to cause, or may be expected to cause, widespread, long-term, and severe damage to the natural environment.’