Azerbaijan Protests European Court Ruling on Beheading of Armenian Soldier

Petr Sich, Head of the Council of Europe (CoE) Office in Baku, was summoned to Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry on Monday.

According to the ministry, during the meeting, a strong protest was expressed regarding the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decision of June 18 concerning Azerbaijan, The Caspian Post reports.

It was emphasized that the decision is unjust, biased, and contrary to international law.

It was noted that while the judgment of June 16, 2016 in the case “Chiragov and Others v. Armenia” established Armenia’s effective occupation of Azerbaijani territories and the existence of an occupation regime supported directly by Armenia, the reference to those territories as the “NKR” as an independent entity in the current decision contradicts international law and established judicial practice.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan protested the use of terminology in the Court’s decision that contradicts its internationally recognized sovereignty and territorial integrity. It was stressed that the inclusion of expressions such as “the line of contact between Azerbaijan and the ‘NKR’,” as well as references to the so-called regime’s army, authorities, prosecutor general, and ombudsman, constitutes an attempt to legitimize the former illegal separatist entity.

The Azerbaijani side stated that it categorically rejects the decision and will consider all possible legal and diplomatic means to protect its legitimate interests.