French-Armenian groups file ICC complaint against Aliyev

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF) has filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC), seeking to initiate proceedings against Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The complaint was submitted through French lawyer Sévag Torossian, a member of the Paris Bar Association and the ICC Bar Association.

The document emphasizes that from September 27, 2020, to October 4, 2023, Azerbaijani military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh led to the forced displacement of 120,000 Armenians and the loss of their cultural heritage. Previously, former ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo and several international human rights organizations classified these events as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

The CCAF urges the ICC Prosecutor, under Article 15 of the Rome Statute, to:

-Recognize that there are sufficient grounds to initiate an investigation into crimes committed against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh between 2020 and 2023.

-Present the issue of the ICC's territorial jurisdiction over Nagorno-Karabakh to the Court's Pre-Trial Chamber.

-Issue international arrest warrants for Ilham Aliyev and all individuals complicit in the crimes committed in Nagorno-Karabakh during 2020-2023.

CCAF co-chairs Ara Toranian and Murad Papazian had previously called on the French government to approach the ICC; however, according to them, the West has yet to show determination.

"Since 1915, this is the second time Armenians face such a denial of justice. This situation is unacceptable," the organization's statement reads.

The CCAF emphasizes that the mission of the International Criminal Court is to hold leaders who commit genocide accountable and to prevent any attempts of denial.

On February 1, 2024, by ratifying the Rome Statute, Armenia became a full member of the ICC. Armenian authorities have stated that ICC membership allows them to raise issues of Azerbaijani aggression and war crimes, including the invasions of Armenian territory in 2021-2022.

Recently, the Prime Minister of Armenia has stated several times that mutual withdrawal of international claims with Azerbaijan is possible.