September 27, 2021, marks a year since the beginning of the Patriotic War for the liberation of the occupied territories and ending Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan.

According to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated December 2, 2020, September 27 is marked as Commemoration Day in Azerbaijan to honor the fallen soldiers and military officers who sacrificed their lives as a result of the 44-day war for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The history of territorial claims and Armenia's war crimes and aggression against Azerbaijani people goes back for centuries.  As a result of military aggression over the past 30 years, more than 23,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, 50, 000 wounded or disabled, and nearly 4,000 citizens of Azerbaijan are still missing.

Over 700,000 Azerbaijanis were ethnically cleansed in the formerly occupied territories. Similarly, over 250,000 Azerbaijanis who were once the majority in present-day Armenia were expelled from their homeland in the late 1980s.

During the First Karabakh War 210 Azerbaijani children were killed, 270 children lost their health, and 92 children were taken hostage. Furthermore, 3,393 children lost one parent, and 120 children lost both parents.

During the three decades of Armenian occupation (equaling 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories) Azerbaijan had the largest number of refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) in the world.

On September 27, 2020, as a result of another intense shelling of Azerbaijani positions and settlements by the armed forces of Armenia, Azerbaijan launched counterattack operations to prevent combat operations of the Armenian army and ensure the safety of civilians.

The large-scale provocations of Armenian armed forces and war crimes of the occupant regime against Azerbaijani civilians living in cities and settlements far away from the battlefield during 44-day war resulted in brutal killing of 12 children, wounding of 35 children. In addition, 181 children lost their parents, 5 children lost both parents and one family was completely destroyed.

33 women were killed and 74 received various injuries as a result of heavy shelling of Azerbaijani areas located away from the conflict zone by Armenia that deliberately used terror tactics to keep civilians in fear.

A deliberate target of Azerbaijani civilians and inclusion of women and children as victims of terrorist acts is another manifestation of the historical massacres committed by Armenians.

It should be specifically noted that despite the humanitarian ceasefire agreed between both sides on October 10, 2020 at 12am, armed forces of Armenia fired on densely populated areas of Ganja city which is located far away from the conflict zone using heavy artillery and missiles on 11 October, 2020 at 2am. Armenia was not satisfied with this and made another attack hitting Azerbaijan’s second-largest city Ganja by using ballistic missiles on 17 October, 2020 at midnight. This resulted in a large number of victims.

On October 28, 2020 at about 1am, armed forces of Armenia grossly violated the humanitarian truce and attacked the central and densely populated part of Barda city by using the "Smerch" rocket system. The attack left hundreds of people wounded, and many were brutally killed. In addition, Armenia continued to hit other cities of Azerbaijan, such as Mingachevir, Tartar, Aghdam, Shamkir, Naftalan, Aghjabadi, Khizi, Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Beylagan and other settlements with ballistic missiles and heavy artillery to commit its war crimes.

There is no doubt that those explosions of shells and rockets, artillery fire that happened at night resulted in more casualties and led to psychological tension among the civilian population, in particular children, and lifelong anxiety.

Armenia took “deliberate” actions to prevent returning of Azerbaijani internally displaced people to their homes and lands.

More than 900 settlements, 150, 000 houses, 1,100 schools and 520 hospitals were looted and plundered, and mines were planted in those areas throughout the long-lasting Armenian occupation.

Today Armenia refuses to release accurate maps of minefields. Landmines were planted not only on battlefields, but also in fields, graveyards, backyards, and social and economic facilities to increase the number of victims. Azerbaijan is among the most heavily mined countries in the world.

This certainly not only creates serious impediments to the reconstruction and rehabilitation work carried out by the Azerbaijani government in the liberated territories, but also slows down the safe return of IDPs to their homes. Despite all challenges and difficulties, our state has progressed a new phase of post-conflict reconstruction, reintegration and recovery and resolutely moves in this way.

Aggressive political actions of Armenia did not end there. During the war Armenian leadership involved children below the age of 15 in hostilities and recruited them as soldiers by violating the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict which Armenia had ratified while it was defeated on the battlefield.

Taking into the above mentioned statement, and considering direct and intentional attacks on facilities, including schools and hospitals where most of are children, and protected under international law, as well as, recruiting children under the age of 15 in military operations in conflict situations as war crimes, we call upon all international organizations not be indifferent to illegal actions committed by the Armenian state, give due assessment to actions contrary to the norms and principles of international law, ensure the development and life of children in peace and tranquility.