For the second time in a month, Azerbaijan has drawn the UN attention to the murder of nine-year-old resident of the village of Orta Garvand of the Agdam district, was shot dead by an Armenian sniper.

Agshin Mehdiyev, Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN, has addressed a new letter to the UN Secretary-General.

“I draw particular attention to the fact that this appalling crime [the murder of nine-year-old] was committed just three days after the meeting between the Presidents of the Republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan, held in Sochi on 5 March 2011, at the invitation of the President of the Russian Federation, to pursue the dialogue between the parties on the settlement of the conflict”, the Ambassador stressed.

“In accordance with instructions received from my Government, I have the honour to draw your attention to ongoing violations of the ceasefire by the armed forces of Armenia, recorded for the months of February and March 2011. As a result, during this period two Azerbaijani soldiers and one civilian were killed and four members of the armed forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan were wounded, including three seriously”, he added, noting, that the period was also marked by new instances of non-combat violence among Armenian military serving in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, which resulted in the death of at least two conscripts of the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia.

“According to mass media reports, confirmed by the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, conscripts Gevork Kotiniyan and Torgom Sarukhanyan were killed by their companions-in-arms on 6 February and 12 March 2011 respectively”, Mr. Mehdiyev mentioned.

“As yet further evidence of the continuing demoralization and disorganization of the armed forces of Armenia, these incidents once again testify to their illegal presence in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Thus, as it has become known, the above-named conscripts were citizens and residents of Armenia. Moreover, they were drafted into the armed forces of Armenia and assigned to serve in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan by the Military Registration and Enlistment Offices in the Republic of Armenia in the cities of Vanadzor and Gumri respectively”.

Besides, the Ambassador mentioned, “the investigation of both cases is being carried out by the Investigation Unit of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia under that country’s Criminal Code. Accordingly, as in previous similar instances, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia exercises its investigative powers beyond the territory of Armenia, and that country’s Criminal Code applies to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan”.

According to the Ambassador Mehdiyev’s letter, during the month of February and March, 105 cases of violations of the ceasefire by the military forces of Armenia have occurred.