The thirty-years old Armenia – Azerbaijan conflict have had severe consequences for the environment of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Not only has Armenia committed crimes against the civilian population of Azerbaijan by deliberately killing thousands of innocent people and displacing up to a million Azerbaijanis, but has also dealt perilous blows to the environment through ruthlessly exploiting natural resources, polluting water resources, disrupting water flows, felling trees en masse, etc. 

The present war between the two countries has re-affirmed Armenia’s indifference to the environment as they did not refrain from attacking Azerbaijan’s Aghgol and Goygol national parks with missiles causing wildfires in specially protected natural areas. Nor has Armenia refrained from burning forests surrounding Shusha city of Azerbaijan in order to gain temporary tactical advantages on the battlefield in a flagrant violation of international conventions on the inviolability of the ecological environment and normative acts of the relevant UN environmental organizations.

The Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center) has published a report about the environmental consequences of the occupation of Azerbaijani territories and the international norms and principles regarding the protection of environment in armed conflicts which have been grossly violated by Armenia. The report, with references to the studies conducted by researchers representing non-partisan backgrounds (e.g. international institutions) and also to Azerbaijani and Armenian sources, demonstrates the horrendous extent of the environmental crime committed by the Armenian government vis-à-vis the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The contributions by international law experts from Germany and Italy provide important insights into the provisions of international law concerning the obligations of an occupying state with regard to the territories under its control and examine the legal possibilities for holding Armenia accountable for the environmental crimes that it has committed in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

The report is available under the following link: 

https://aircenter.az/uploads/files/Report%20Final%20October%20with%20cover%20end.pdf