Accountability for War Crimes Can Bring Peace and Reconciliation

Abstract

Keywords

• War crimes Peace

Accountability for War Crimes Can Bring Peace and Reconciliation

Abstract

October 2022 marked the sad, two-year ann􏰁versary of the wanton m􏰁ss􏰁le attacks by Ar- men􏰁a aga􏰁nst peaceful Azerba􏰁jan􏰁 c􏰁t􏰁es dur􏰁ng the 44-day Karabakh War 􏰁n 2020, w􏰁th Ganja c􏰁ty and Barda be􏰁ng among the most affected targets. The second-largest c􏰁ty 􏰁n Azerba􏰁jan􏰁, Ganja was attacked us􏰁ng Tochka-U and, later, SCUD ball􏰁st􏰁c m􏰁ss􏰁les on October 11, 2020, the very n􏰁ght that the human􏰁tar􏰁an ceasef􏰁re took effect. Azerba􏰁jan also reported the shell􏰁ng of c􏰁t􏰁es such as Tartar, Barda, M􏰁ngachev􏰁r, Aghjabed􏰁, and Beylaghan. However, Ganja became a textbook example of war cr􏰁mes aga􏰁nst peaceful c􏰁v􏰁l􏰁ans. The m􏰁ss􏰁les used aga􏰁nst Ganja were of h􏰁gh destruct􏰁ve capac􏰁ty and the􏰁r use aga􏰁nst c􏰁v􏰁l􏰁ans 􏰁s proh􏰁b􏰁ted under 􏰁nternat􏰁onal human􏰁tar􏰁an law. These attacks were conf􏰁rmed as hav􏰁ng been launched d􏰁rectly from Armen􏰁an terr􏰁tory on October 11 and 16–17, 2020, k􏰁ll􏰁ng and 􏰁njur􏰁ng dozens of c􏰁v􏰁l􏰁ans alongs􏰁de caus􏰁ng s􏰁gn􏰁f􏰁cant dest- ruct􏰁on to c􏰁v􏰁l􏰁an 􏰁nfrastructure.

Keywords

• War
• Peace
• War crimes