The Recognition of the Khojaly Genocide Public Association held a press conference on the murder of an Azerbaijani child this week after Armenian armed forces opened fire on the conflict line.
The incident is a great tragedy, and the Azerbaijani people must unite in connection with this killing, Chairman Shamil Sabiroglu said. He added that the murder of a young child by sniper bullet indicates that the child was not killed by accident.
The killing of civilians, especially children, on the frontline territories by Armenian armed forces contradicts humanity, the rules of war and international conventions, the association said in a statement. The U.N. and Council of Europe, as well as the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group mediating the conflict, should express an objective attitude toward the murder.
A 9-year-old resident of the Orta Garvand village in the Agdam region was killed on March 8 as a result of a ceasefire violation by Armenian troops. Fariz Badalov was shot in the head while playing in his yard. He was taken to hospital, but doctors failed to save his life.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
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