Human Rights Watch: Azerbaijan`s continued use of cluster munitions  demonstrates blatant disregard for the safety of civilians

ArmInfo. "I am glad to see that Human Rights Watch has professionally and objectively documented part of Azerbaijan's war crimes in Artsakh," Artsakh Ombudsman Artak  Beglaryan wrote on his Facebook page.

According to him, the organization has collected a lot of evidence  and testimony of large-scale and targeted use of cluster munitions  against the civilian population of Karabakh.

Note that, according to the document published today, Azerbaijan has  repeatedly used prohibited cluster munitions in residential areas in  Nagorno-Karabakh during large-scale hostilities. The organization has  documented at least 4 incidents involving the use of Baku cluster  bombs since September 27. As noted by Human Rights Watch, two  humanitarian ceasefire agreements brokered by the OSCE Minsk Group  did not stop the hostilities, as a result of which dozens of  civilians were killed in Karabakh and Armenia.  "The continued use of  cluster munitions, especially in densely populated areas,  demonstrates a flagrant disregard for the safety of civilians," said  Stephen Goose, director of armaments at Human Rights Watch.He said  cluster munitions should under no circumstances be used by anyone,  especially in cities due to predictable and unacceptable damage to  civilians.

The human rights organization investigated the remains of rockets and  exploded ordnance, as well as unexploded bombs in Stepanakert and in  the city of Hadrut, as a result of which the remains of Israeli Lar-  160 cluster munitions and unexploded Mo95 bombs were identified.  Azerbaijan received these surface-to- surface missiles and launchers  in 2008-2009 from Israel. Neither Armenia nor the de facto  authorities of Karabakh store cluster munitions, but they have  multi-barreled missile launchers capable of delivering these weapons.