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Azerbaijani-American Council makes statement condemning violation of ceasefire by Armenian Armed Forces

05 March 2008 14:52 (UTC +04:00)

California-based Azerbaijani-American Council (AAC) has made a statement viewing the recent military provocation by the Armenian government against Azerbaijan as an attempt to divert the attention of Armenian public from the presidential elections followed by internal disorder, APAâ€™s US bureau reports. The statement says that Azerbaijani-American Council expresses its deep concern about the reports of heavy fighting on the frontline between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. On March 4th, 2008, Armenian forces stationed along the Karabakh frontline violated an 11-year-old ceasefire and attempted an offensive against the Azerbaijani military positions in Terter district of Azerbaijan. Just three days earlier, on March 1st, Armenian police and army violently dispersed a peaceful anti-government protest in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.
â€œAs a result of this crackdown by the Armenian government against the protesters, 7 civilians and a police officer were killed, up to 30 opposition activists, including the main opposition candidate, Levon Ter-Petrossian, were arrested. On March 2nd, the current president of Armenia Robert Kocharian, who endorsed the ruling party’s victory claim, declared a state of emergency and imposed bans on public gatherings and free media for 20 days. In light of these events, Azerbaijani-Americans view today’s military provocation by the Armenian government against Azerbaijan as an attempt to divert the attention of Armenian public from internal disorder, flagrant suppression of civil rights, ban against free speech, arrest and intimidation of opposition activists, and ongoing international and economic isolation brought about by the policies of the current militaristic regime in Armenia,â€ the statement says.